GREENSBORO, North Carolina – Graduate student guard Allie Best scored five of her eight points in the final four minutes of regulation as UNCW rallied from a 10-point second half deficit to earn a 45-42 victory over in-state foe UNCG in non-conference women's basketball action at Fleming Gym on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Seahawks, who opened a four-game road swing, improved to 3-7 on the season while ending a brief two-game losing streak. UNCG, meanwhile, dropped to 4-9 after its eighth loss in the last nine outings.
 
Senior guard Carrie Gross and redshirt senior forward Micah Hoggatt each tallied 10 points to lead the Seahawks. Hoggatt also grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
 
Best, meanwhile, matched her season high with eight points while recording a career-high five steals.
 
Senior guard Jaylynn Brown led UNCG in the loss with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, including a 2-for-4 effort from three-point range. Freshman guard Isys Grady chipped in 10 points, marking her sixth consecutive double-digit scoring effort.
 
Key Moment: Best, who matched her season high with eight points, gave UNCW a 39-38 lead with 4:00 remaining when she knocked down a three-pointer. She also sank two free throws with 9.8 seconds left to provide the final margin.
 
Game Notes:

• UNCW has won four straight meetings against its in-state rival, but trails the series by a 10-8 margin … The Seahawks made their first visit to Fleming Gym since Nov. 15, 2010.
• The Seahawks and the Spartans combined to score 87 points, marking the lowest combined scoring output in the 18-game series.
• Gross authored her seventh double-digit scoring performance of the season, including her fourth in the last five games.
• UNCW limited UNCG to just 11 points in the second half, including five points in the third quarter … The Spartans shot just 21 percent from the field after the intermission on 4-of-19 shooting.
• UNCG outrebounded the Seahawks by a 33-24 margin.
• The Seahawks went 10-for-13 from the free throw line with all 13 attempts coming in the second half.

Up Next: UNCW breaks for the Christmas holiday before resuming its four-game road swing on Tuesday, Dec. 28, with a 4 p.m. non-conference game at Mercer. It will be the Seahawks' final tune up before Colonial Athletic Association play commences next week.

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