Amar & Wiggins Paced Women’s Basketball in Loss to Chattanooga, 46-67
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Two Spartans scored in double figures as the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women’s basketball fell to Chattanooga, 46-67 on Thursday evening at the McKenzie Arena in Southern Conference (SoCon) play.
Akira Wiggins had a team high in both points (12) and assists (2). Nitzan Amar was the other Spartan that scored in double digits, contributing 12 points. Amar also had a career high of five rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Chattanooga put points on the board first with a Raven Thompson layup and a Sigrun Olafsdottir three pointer for a 5-0 lead. UNCG came back with a jumper in the paint by Faith Price, 2-5, at 7:24. Khalis Cain and Isys Grady led the Spartans with two rebounds in the first quarter. Cain made two free throws which cut the deficit to three at 5:21 in the first quarter. The Mocs went on a 12-2 run, for a 20-7 advantage at the end of the frame.
Both teams were scoreless through the first minute of the second quarter, as the Mocs’ Thompson has two free throws, to make it a 15-point advantage, 22-7. Amar added five points to the board in the second quarter. The Spartans cut the deficit to 10 twice in the frame, once on a three pointer from Amar at 2:44 and then later on a layup by Wiggins with 49-seconds left, 23-33.
Chattanooga’s Yazz Wazeerud-Din made a layup in the paint 10 seconds into the third quarter to extend its lead to 12, 35-23. Isys Grady scored twice in two and a half minutes to cut the deficit to 10, 37-27. After four-straight points from the Mocs, Wiggins made a layup at 4:58 and was fouled on the play, finishing the three-point play at the charity stripe, 30-41. This started an eight-point run for the Spartans to cut the deficit to six, 35-41. Chattanooga concluded the third quarter with four points to hold a 10-point lead, 45-35.
Both teams were scoreless for the first 90-seconds in the final quarter, as Chattanooga’s Abbey Cornelius made the first basket of the frame at 8:38, 47-35. Price’s two free throws at 5:44 cut the Spartan’s deficit to 13, 39-52. Chattanooga continued to expand its lead and saw its largest lead of 21 three times in the final quarter, including with the final score, 67-46.
BY THE NUMBERS
UNCG had 18 bench points compared to Chattanooga’s 12.
Wiggins and Amar had a team high of 12 points.
Grady and Cain had six rebounds for a team high.
Grady, Price, and Amar each had one steal.
Grady added seven points.
Amar had a career-high of five rebounds.
RECORDS
Chattanooga: 12-9, 4-2 SoCon
UNCG: 10-10, 3-3 SoCon
UP NEXT
The Spartans are continuing their road trip heading to ETSU to compete in Freedom Hall on Saturday in a 1 p.m. contest.
UNCG will be back home in Fleming Gym to face Samford on Thursday February 2 at 7 p.m.
—
Courtesy of Kelly Couse
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro