GREENVILLE, North Carolina – Redshirt junior guard GiGi Smith scored seven of her 14 points in the final four minutes of regulation as UNCW overcame a late deficit to hand East Carolina its first home loss of the season with a 71-68 decision in the non-conference finale for both teams at Minges Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Seahawks close out the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 7-4 record after securing their second straight victory. The Pirates, meanwhile, drop to 9-4 after suffering their second consecutive defeat.
 
Smith, who scored in double figures for the 11th consecutive game, was one of three Seahawks to score in double figures while also recording the first double-double of her career with 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
 
Redshirt senior guard Shrita Parker led all scorers with 26 points, including 17 in the second half, while junior guard Lacey Suggs notched her third double-digit scoring effort with 13 points.
 
Sophomore guard Necole Hope paced the Pirates with a career-high 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field while junior guard Raven Johnson and senior guard Alex Frazier chipped in 16 points and 13 points, respectively.
 
Key Moment: Trailing by a 65-59 margin with 3:45 remaining, the Seahawks scored 12 of the final 15 points, including seven points from Smith, to take a 71-68 lead with 1.5 seconds remaining. The Pirates had two chances late to close the gap, but committed two turnovers in the final 5.4 seconds.
 
Up Next: Colonial Athletic Association play begins for the Seahawks on Friday, Jan. 4, when they welcome regional rival College of Charleston to Trask Coliseum for a special 11:30 a.m. "Seahawks Tomorrow" contest.   

---