WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Senior guard
Lacey Suggs authored the second double-double of her college career with 24 points and 11 rebounds as UNCW opened its home schedule with an 84-46 victory over South Carolina State in non-conference women's basketball action at Trask Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
The Seahawks, who played their home opener after three consecutive road games, secured their first win of the season to move to 1-3. South Carolina State also stands at 1-3 after dropping its second straight outing.
Led by Suggs, UNCW shot a blistering 60.3 percent from the field, including an 18-for-28 showing in the first half. Suggs finished the game by making 12-of-15 shots from the field with five assists and four steals.
Redshirt senior guard
GiGi Smith chipped in 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting from field, including a 3-for-6 showing from long range, while grabbing five rebounds with three assists.
Junior center
Carol-Anne Obusek equaled her career high by scoring 12 points to go with five rebounds while junior forward
Paige Powell contributed 10 points with four rebounds.
South Carolina State was led by senior forward Taylor Brown, who matched Suggs for game-high honors with 24 points. The Paterson, N.J., product shot 8-for-19 from the floor and converted 8-of-13 free throws.
Key Moment: UNCW, which never trailed in the game, sank 7 of its first 10 shots while sprinting to a 17-4 lead in the opening six minutes. Smith scored seven of her 21 points to lead the charge.
Game Notes:
- UNCW now leads the all-time series against South Carolina State by an 8-0 margin … It was the first pairing between the two teams since Dec. 29, 2006, at South Carolina State.
- The Seahawks scored a season-high 26 points in the third quarter, going 10-for-12 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 at the free throw line.
- UNCW scored 80 or more points for the first time since netting 82 points at Towson on Feb. 15, 2019 … The Seahawks are 6-0 since the start of the 2017-18 season when reaching the 80-point plateau.
- Suggs posted the eighth 20-point game of her college career in Saturday's victory … Her 11 rebounds also equaled her career high, which was set against Northeastern on Jan. 5, 2018.
- Suggs and Smith teamed up to become the first teammates to score 20 or more points in the same game since the duo combined for 49 points in a win over Elon on Feb. 8, 2019.
- The Seahawks made at least 60 percent of their field goal attempts for the first time since Jan. 2, 2011, against Drexel when they were 29-for-45 (.644) from the field.
- UNCW outrebounded South Carolina State by a commanding 46-16 margin, marking the first time the Seahawks have had the advantage on the glass this season.
- The Seahawks' 38-point margin of victory is the largest in a game since UNCW fashioned a 75-38 victory over UNC Pembroke in the 2014-15 season opener.
- UNCW is now 21-9 at home since the start of the 2017-18 season, including a 14-1 mark in its last 15 games at Trask Coliseum.
Up Next: The Seahawks continue their three-game homestand on Wednesday, Nov. 20, when they entertain Mount Olive inside Trask Coliseum at 7 p.m.
