UNCG women’s hoops drops second straight to open season

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Stymied by an offense that never got in gear, UNC Greensboro's women's basketball team fell to 0-2 on the young season and set several dubious school records with a 62-27 loss at Wake Forest on Monday.

The 27 points scored were the fewest in program history, as were the squad's four assists. UNCG's nine field goals and 19.1-percent shooting for the game (9-for-47) were the lowest totals in school history.

The Spartans were led by Agne Girstautaite's eight points and seven rebounds, both team highs. Amanda Leigh was second on the squad with six points.

Alex Tchangoue and Camille Collier scored 12 each to lead the Demon Deacons (1-0), while Corinne Groves was also in double figures with 10 points. Secily Ray pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

The first half featured 16 UNCG turnovers and a scoreless drought of nine minutes, 18 seconds that allowed Wake Forest to extend its lead from four points to 20.

A Monique Floyd baseline jumper made it a 13-9 contest with 11:29 to play in the opening half, but that was the last time UNCG would score until a fast break jumper from Lakiah Hyson with 2:11 left before the break. By that time, the Demon Deacons had rattled off a 16-0 run to set the tone.

The Spartans held a brief lead early in the first half, as Leigh's 3-pointer from the wing made it 5-4 just under four minutes in. Wake Forest quickly answered with an Tchangoue jumper to regain the lead and never trailed again.

UNCG shot just 16.7 percent (5-for-30) from the field in the first half.

The second half was more of the same, as the Spartans opened with turnovers on each of their first four possessions. A Leigh 3-pointer at the 12:26 mark accounted for UNCG's first points of the half, and ended a drought of 8:44, stretching back to the first half.

For the game, Wake Forest scored 35 points off UNCG turnovers and had 17 fast-break points. UNCG had 36 turnovers in the game (20 in the second half), while Wake Forest set a school record with 28 steals. Every Spartan that saw playing time picked up at least one turnover, save freshman Jazz Weaver, who picked up a pair of rebounds and a steal – but no turnovers – in six minutes of work.

The Spartans forced 25 turnovers on 18 steals of their own, but it was nowhere near enough as the Deacons led by as many as 38 in the second half. TaShama Banner doubled her career high with four steals, while Floyd and freshman Agneta Morkunaite had three each.

Girstautaite had six of her eight points in an 8-0 run late in the second half.

UNCG opened with a pair of ACC opponents for the first time in school history, as it opened the season with a six-point loss at Virginia Tech on Friday.

The Spartans will try for their first win at noon Thursday when they take on UNC Wilmington in Wilmington, NC.

AGATE
WAKE FOREST 62, UNC GREENSBORO 27

UNC GREENSBORO (0-2)
GIRSTAUTAITE, Agne 2-3 4-6 8; LEIGH, Amanda 2-12 0-0 6; HYSON, Lakiah 2-6 1-2 5; FLOYD, Monique 1-2 0-0 2; SMITH, Kendra 1-4 0-0 2; BANNER, TaShama 1-4 0-2 2; MORKUNAITE, Agneta 0-1 2-2 2; CORBETT, Dee 0-1 0-0 0; MULLINS, Ashley 0-3 0-0 0; GRIMSLEY, Gini 0-10 0-0 0; FOLWELL, Sarah 0-0 0-0 0; WEAVER, Jazz 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 9-47 7-12 27.

WAKE FOREST (1-0)
Camille Collier 4-9 2-2 12; Alex Tchangoue 5-8 1-1 12; Corinne Groves 4-6 2-2 10; Secily Ray 2-8 0-0 6; Courteney Morris 2-6 1-4 6; Brittany Waters 2-5 2-2 6; Sarah Riddle 1-4 2-4 4; Brooke Thomas 1-5 0-0 2; Tiffany Roulhac 1-2 0-0 2; Jessie Cain 1-1 0-0 2; Jessica Bryant 0-1 0-0 0; Kem Wilson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-56 10-15 62.

UNC Greensboro................   13   14  -   27
Wake Forest...................   34   28  -   62

3-point goals--UNC Greensboro 2-16 (LEIGH, Amanda 2-7; SMITH, Kendra 0-1; BANNER, TaShama 0-1; MORKUNAITE, Agneta 0-1; MULLINS, Ashley 0-3; GRIMSLEY, Gini 0-3), Wake Forest 6-21 (Secily Ray 2-4; Camille Collier 2-6; Alex Tchangoue 1-2; Courteney Morris 1-4; Brooke Thomas 0-3; Brittany Waters
0-2). Fouled out--UNC Greensboro-None, Wake Forest-None. Rebounds—UNC Greensboro 37 (GIRSTAUTAITE, Agne 7), Wake Forest 39 (Secily Ray 11). Assists--UNC Greensboro 4 (HYSON, Lakiah 1; GIRSTAUTAITE, Agne 1; MORKUNAITE, Agneta 1; FLOYD, Monique 1), Wake Forest 13 (Corinne Groves 2; Camille Collier 2; Courteney Morris 2; Tiffany Roulhac 2; Brooke Thomas 2).
Total fouls--UNC Greensboro 14, Wake Forest 18. Technical fouls—UNC Greensboro-None, Wake Forest-None. A-603

- UNCG -