ELON, N.C. – Sophomore Greta Luksyte scored a game-high 15 points to lead four Seahawk players in double figures as UNC Wilmington defeated Winston-Salem State, 65-50, in women’s collegiate basketball action Saturday in the ISES Cancer Awareness Classic, hosted by Elon University.

The Seahawks improved to 2-0 on the young season while the Lady Rams dropped to 0-2. UNCW is back in action Thursday in its home opener as it takes on UNC Greensboro in a Noon tip-off. The game will serve as the second annual “Seahawks Tomorrow” contest, with area elementary school students attending the game as part of a day of activities with Seahawk student-athletes on the UNCW campus. WSSU returns to the court Wednesday when it hosts the U.S. Naval Academy in a 7 p.m. contest.  

Luksyte was joined in double figures by senior Sahsha Taylor and sophomore Treasure Johnson, who chipped in 14 points apiece, and sophomore Brittany Blackwell, who added 12. Luksyte and Taylor grabbed six rebounds apiece while Luksyte recorded a career-high four steals and Taylor added three as the Seahawks posted 13 steals and enjoyed a 26-6 edge in points off turnovers.

Rene Rector was the lone WSSU player in double figures, scoring 20 points on a 7-for-11 effort from the floor, including a 4-of-6 performance from three-point range. Shatara Jackson added eight points while Corbin Bradford chipped in seven. Vontisha Woods pulled down a game-high seven rebounds as the Lady Rams held a 40-34 edge on the boards.

 UNCW never trailed in the contest, scoring the first seven points of the game on its way to building a 14-4 lead midway through the frame. WSSU cut into the Seahawks advantage, scoring six of the next eight points to make it a 16-10 game, before a 7-0 spurt gave UNCW its biggest cushion of the half, 23-10, with 6:59 on the clock.

The Lady Rams cut into the lead once again late in the frame, scoring seven unanswered points to pull within six, 27-21. The Seahawks were able to regain their double-digit lead before heading into the locker room, using a layup by sophomore Candace Walker and a three-pointer by Luksyte in the final seconds to take a 32-21 lead into the locker room.

UNCW never relinquished its double-digit lead in the second half, leading by as many as 18 midway through the frame before an 8-0 run pulled WSSU within, 10, 56-46, with 4:29 on the clock. That would be as close as the Lady Rams would get, as the Seahawks scored nine of the last 13 points to determine the final margin.   

Notes: Both teams struggled from the free-throw line, posting identical 8-of-15 (.533) efforts at the charity stripe ... UNCW has held its opponents below 30 points in each of the last three halves it has played... Luksyte, junior Whitney Simmons and sophomore Sheronda McLean all dished out a team-high three assists in the contest ... Luksyte is now 5-of-6 from three-point range this season ... Johnson has scored in double figures in three of the last four games dating back to last season ... Taylor is now just one rebound away from tying Elizabeth Bell for eighth place on the school’s all-time rebounding list (599).