WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Graduate guard Carrie Gross rattled off 14 of her career-high 22 points in the third and fourth quarters to propel UNCW past Winthrop, 79-61, in the Seahawks Tomorrow education game at Trask Coliseum on Thursday morning.
The Seahawks (2-4) never trailed as 3,507 fans, many of whom were elementary school students from the Wilmington area, cheered on, waving teal pom-poms while dancing to popular tunes. The Eagles (1-7) dropped their second straight contest.
UNCW shot a season-best 56.1 percent (32-of-57), including a 7-for-14 showing from three-point range. Winthrop connected on 46.3 percent (25-of-54) of its attempts.
Gross, who also totaled a career-high five steals, was joined in double figures by graduate forward Micah Hoggatt's season-high 17 points and junior forward Lexi Jackson's career-high 14 markers. It marks the second straight game Jackson has reset her personal scoring benchmark.
Eagles guard Jada Ryce paced Winthrop with 16 points while guard Leonor Paisana (11), forward Paige Powell (10) and guard Ally Ross (10) also surpassed double-digits.
The Seahawks were ahead 59-48 with 8:28 to go in the fourth quarter before Ryce trimmed the deficit down to single digits with a jumper. UNCW then answered with a 9-0 run from four different scorers to swell the lead to 68-50 with 5:17 remaining in the game.
Hoggatt followed a Gross triple with a lay-up at the 3:03 point to push the lead to a game-high 21 points, 75-54, and cap the home victory.
UNCW raced out to an 11-4 advantage in the first five minutes of play with Hoggatt scoring nine points, including seven straight, in the stretch. A Jackson layup with 1:01 to go in the opening period put the Seahawks ahead, 22-13.
The Eagles briefly cut the deficit to one possession with seven straight points, but the Seahawks answered with a 10-0 spurt that was capped by a pair of Evan Miller three-pointers to earn their first double-digit lead, 32-30 at the 7:51 mark in the second period.
UNCW closed the period with four points in the final 42 seconds to take a 40-27 lead into halftime.
The Seahawks next hit the road this weekend for a 2 p.m. Sunday battle at Virginia. The inaugural match with the Cavaliers marks the first of two consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference opponents UNCW will play along with a trip to North Carolina next week.
GAME NOTES: The Seahawks shot better than 50 percent from the field for the first time in 36 games … UNCW led after the first quarter for the first time this season … Rae McClarty made her collegiate debut … The Seahawks dominated the paint, 46-24 … UNCW shot 76.9 percent (10-of-13) in the opening period … The Seahawks are 3-3 all-time vs. the Eagles … Gross played a season-high 39 minutes … The teams combined to be 14-of-19 from the free throw line … UNCW is 11-6 all-time in Seahawk Tomorrow games … It was the first education game in three years.
