Women’s Basketball to Face No. 7 Furman in SoCon Tournament Quarterfinals
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women’s basketball team will enter into The Southern Conference (SoCon) Tournament as the No. 2 seed to take on No. 7 Furman on Thursday, March 7 at 1:15 p.m. at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C.
Game Info vs No. 7 Furman
Where: Asheville, N.C. | Harrah’s Cherokee Center
When: Thursday, March 7 | 1:15 p.m.
Watch: Live Stats | ESPN+
Tickets
Tournament Central
LAST TIME OUT FOR UNCG
UNCG closed out the 2023-24 regular season with a 61-54 win over Western Carolina on Saturday, March 2 in Fleming Gym.
Three Spartans recorded double figures in Saturday’s win. Jayde Gamble led the way with 20 points, Ayanna Khalfani followed closely behind with 13 points, while Khalis Cain added 11 points for the Spartans.
Gamble’s 20 points was her 20th game with double figures this season and her seventh game with 20 or more points.
Khalfani led the Spartans by recording a new career high of five steals.
Khalfani and Kelly Boyle paced the team with three dimes apiece.
Cain led UNCG with seven boards.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
UNCG finished the regular season with a 19-10 overall record and 8-6 record in the SoCon.
The Spartans finished the season with a 15-1 home record. This is the best home record for the Spartans since the 2001-02 season, when the team went 12-1 at home.
UNCG is ranked in the top-50 nationally in three categories: offensive rebounds per game (14.1), scoring defense (55.9) and three-point percentage defense (28.3).
The Spartans are ranked 55th nationally and leading the conference with a 4.1 blocks per game average.
UNCG is currently ranked second in the SoCon over nine statistical categories: assist/turnover ratio (0.89), field goal percentage defense (37.9), rebound margin (4.6), rebounds per game (38.59), scoring margin (7.7), steals per game (7.6), turnover margin (1.83), turnovers forced per game (15.21) and winning percentage (65.5).
Cain is currently ranked 24th nationally with a 3.9 offensive rebounds per game average.
Gamble leads the SoCon with 60 steals this season.
Khalfani is the best passer on the Spartans to lead the team with 104 dimes.
Gamble paces the team in scoring with 404 points and a 13.9 points per game average.
Khalfani was the only player this season to be named the SoCon Player of the Week. Her weekly mention came after earning back-to-back double-doubles in the team’s win over Samford and Mercer.
Khalfani and Gamble both earned a spot on the SoCon postseason awards list, which was announced on Tuesday this week. Khalfani was tabbed the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year, Second Team All-Conference, and All-Defensive Team, while Gamble earned a spot on the First Team All-Conference list.
The Spartans were picked to finish sixth in the 2023-24 SoCon Preseason Media Poll and the Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
SCOUTING THE PALADINS
Furman will head into the SoCon tournament with a 15-15 overall record and 5-9 in SoCon.
The Paladins closed out the regular season with a 67-59 win over ETSU in Timmons Arena.
Furman is currently on a six-game road losing streak after finishing the season with a 3-10 road record.
The Paladins are leading the conference in six categories: assists per game (13.2), bench points per game (24.9), free throw attempts per game (18.17), free throws made per game (7.4), rebounds per game (40.97) and scoring offense (66.9).
Tate Walters is second in the conference with a 1.21 assist/turnover ratio and a 4.2 assists per game average.
Jada Session is second in the SoCon with 242 rebounds on the season.
Session leads Furman with 369 points, averaging 12.3 per game.
Kate Johnson paces the team with 25 blocks.
Among postseason awards, Session was named to the Coaches All-SoCon Second Team List. Session and Johnson both earned a spot on the SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA) All-SoCon Second Team, while Henley was tabbed to the (SCSMA) All-SoCon Third Team.
Furman was picked to finish fifth in the 2023-24 SoCon Preseason Coaches’ Poll and seventh in SoCon Preseason Media Poll.
LAST TIME AT SOCON TOURNAMENT FOR THE SPARTANS
UNCG earned a 63-59 overtime win over No. 5 Mercer in last season’s SoCon quarterfinal matchup.
The Spartans 2022-23 season was ended with a close battle that went in favor of No. 1 Wofford, 68-63 in the SoCon Tournament semifinals.
UNCG has had one SoCon Championship title in program history, back in 1998.
SERIES HISTORY VS FURMAN
The Spartans are 2-0 against the Paladins in the regular season. First, UNCG defeated Furman 70-55 in Fleming Gym. The two team’s last meeting came down to the wire in Greenville, S.C., for the Spartans to come out on top, 59-56. Furman is the only SoCon opponent that UNCG is undefeated against in the regular season. The Spartans lead in the overall series against the Paladins at 32-27.
UP NEXT
A win over Furman on Thursday, would allow the Spartans to advance to the SoCon Tournament Semifinals. UNCG would face the winner of No. 3 Wofford vs No. 6 Samford on Friday, March 8 at 1:30 p.m. in Asheville N.C. at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center.
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Courtesy of Emma White
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro
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Khalfani Named SoCon Defensive Player of the Year; Gamble Tabbed First Team All-Conference
SoCon Announces 2023-24 Postseason Awards
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women’s basketball team standouts Ayanna Khalfani and Jayde Gamble have earned a spot on The Southern Conference (SoCon) postseason awards list, the conference announced Tuesday.
Khalfani has been tabbed the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year, Second Team All-Conference, and All-Defensive Team, while Gamble earned a spot on the First Team All-Conference list after each of their stellar performances on the 2023-24 season.
After starting in all 29 games, Khalfani finished the regular season pacing the Spartans with 104 assists. In addition, she has collected 319 points, 201 boards, 39 steals and 24 blocks. The graduate student has posted a total of eight double-doubles this season. She recorded a career high of 13 rebounds in the team’s win over SoCon Regular Season Champions, Chattanooga on Feb. 24. She also added a new career high of five steals this season in squad’s final regular season win over Western Carolina on March 2. In addition, she is fourth in the conference with a 1.14 assist/turnover ratio, 104 assists, and a 3.6 assists per game average.
Gamble, who also started in all 29 games this season leads the Spartans with 404 points, 37 three-pointers, 67 free-throws and 60 steals. The Holly Springs, N.C., native, has accumulated a 13.9 points per game average after recording 20 or more points in seven games and has had 20 games with double figures this season. Gamble leads the conference with 60 steals and is second with a 2.07 steals per game average. In addition, she is third in the SoCon with a 43.5 field-goal percentage. The junior recorded a career high 25 points in the team’s contest at Virginia Tech on Nov. 20 and posted a career high of nine rebounds on two occacsions this season.
The last time a Spartan earned a SoCon Defensive Player of the Year award was in the 2008-09 season when Monique Floyd earned the award. In addition, the most recent time a Spartan was named to the SoCon All-Conference Team was when current Junior Isys Grady tabbed the SoCon All-Conference First Team.
The Spartans will start off at the SoCon Tournament by playing in a quarterfinal matchup on Thursday, March 7 at 1:15 p.m. against No. 7 Furman on ESPN+. The Tournament will take place in Asheville, North Carolina at Harrah’s Cherokee Center.
Courtesy of Emma White
Strategic Communications Coordinator
UNC Greensboro