WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Redshirt senior guard GiGi Smith scored a game-high 22 points, including 15 in the second half, as UNCW held off an upset bid from Mount Olive to earn a 75-67 victory in non-conference women's basketball action at Trask Coliseum on Wednesday evening.
 
The Seahawks won their second straight game to improve to 2-3 on the season. The contest served as an exhibition for the Trojans, who are 2-1 in the regular season.
 
Smith, who posted her second 20-point game in a row, led three Seahawks in double figures by going 7-for-13 from the field, including a 2-of-5 showing from three-point range, in addition to making all six of her free throw attempts.
 
Senior guard Lacey Suggs chipped in 18 points with six rebounds and four steals while junior center Carol-Anne Obusek narrowly missed a double-double by scoring a career-high 16 points with nine rebounds.
 
Mount Olive was led by sophomore guard Azariah Fields' 20 points and seven assists. The Wilmington, N.C., product, who played her scholastic career at New Hanover High School, sank 9 of 28 shots from the field with four rebounds.  
 
Key Moment: Mount Olive closed the deficit to 63-61 on a Jackson lay-up with 3:10 remaining in regulation before UNCW secured the victory by scoring 12 of the final 18 points, including eight points from Smith.
 
Game Notes:

• UNCW and Mount Olive met for the first time in the regular season since Feb. 7, 1980 … The Seahawks earned their first-ever regular season victory over the Trojans … UNCW owns a 2-0 all-time record over Mount Olive in exhibition action.
• Smith registered her 10th career 20-point performance in Wednesday's victory, including her third of the season … She has also scored in double figures in all five games this season.
• Obusek has reached double figures in scoring in three consecutive games after doing it just once in her previous 39 career contests … She has scored at least 12 points in each of the three outings.
• Redshirt junior forward Jessica Munoz authored a pair of career highs in the win over Mount Olive, grabbing 10 rebounds while dishing out seven assists … The seven assists are the most for a UNCW player this season.
• Suggs posted her third consecutive double-digit scoring effort after opening the season with just seven points in her first two games … The White Lake, N.C., native also matched her season high with four steals.
• UNCW shot at least 50.0 percent from the field for the second straight game … It is the first time the Seahawks have hit at least 50 percent in back-to-back contests since Feb. 1-3, 2019 when UNCW shot 55.0 percent against Hofstra and 57.1 percent against Northeastern.
• UNCW outscored Mount Olive in the paint by a 52-36 margin and had 20 fast-break points … The Trojans held a commanding 36-5 advantage in bench scoring.
• The Seahawks conceded a season-high 19 offensive rebounds to Mount Olive, which the Trojans converted into 22 second-chance points.

Up Next: The Seahawks complete their three-game homestand on Saturday, Nov. 23, when Kennesaw State makes its first-ever visit to Trask Coliseum for a 2 p.m. contest.    

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