GREENSBORO, N.C.?Ashton Barton scored 18 second half points and a game-high 23 points to help lead a 10-point second half comeback as UNC Asheville defeated UNC Greensboro 77-70 in the consolation game of the UNCG Thanksgiving Tournament.
Asheville (4-2) trailed 63-53 with 8:45 left to play before Barton hit her first of four second half three-pointers. After a Greensboro (0-5) missed shot on the other end, Barton hit another three-pointer to cut the Spartan lead to four points with 7:34 left. Gini Grimsley scored two of her nine points to put UNCG back up six but Ana Baker's driving lay-up was followed by a Chioma Okoli three-pointer to make it 65-64 game with 6:40 to play.
The Bulldogs tied the game at 65 as Jessica Monroe went 1-for-2 from the free throw line with 5:10 to play. The Dogs took their first lead since the 6:20 mark of the first half when Barton hit her third-straight three-point shot to put Asheville up 68-67 with 4:07 left. The Dogs would not trail again. Asheville went 7-for-9 from the free throw line down the stretch to secure its first ever win over UNCG in Greensboro.
Barton finished 7-for-12 from the floor and 5-for-8 from three-point range as the Dogs went 7-for-14 from long range in the game. Monroe had 14 points and six rebounds and Lindsey Montgomery had 13 points and six rebounds to lead the Dogs.
UNCG was led by 16 points from Jasmine Dixon who was called for three fouls in just over a minute during Asheville's 15-4 run. Monique Floyd scored 13 points and had seven rebounds for the Spartans who out-rebounded the Dogs 47-35 but committed 31 turnovers.
Asheville used a 10-2 run in the first half to build an 18-12 lead at the 10:18 mark of the first half. UNCG answered with a 12-0 run to lead 28-23 with 5:09 left in the half. A Stacy Shepard basket tied the game at 33 but Kemena Brooks converted a three-point play with three seconds left in the half to send Greensboro into halftime with a 36-33 lead.
The win was the first for Asheville when trailing at halftime this season. The Dogs shot 44 percent in the second half to finish the game at 39 percent. The Dogs went 20-for-27 from the free throw line for a season-high 74 percent.
Asheville will travel to Western Carolina on Wednesday, Nov. 28, for a 7 p.m. Parkway Series game.
