NORFOLK, Virginia - Sophomore Abria Trice poured in a career-high 20 points to lead UNCW to a 76-54 victory over Old Dominion in Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball action Sunday at the Ted Constant Center.
The Seahawks picked up their third straight victory and their first win in 43 tries against the Lady Monarchs as they improved to 11-7 overall and 4-3 in league play. The Lady Monarchs slipped to 6-13 and 3-4 with the 22-point setback.
Trice powered a UNCW lineup that shot 46.8 percent (29-of-62) from the floor for the contest and knocked a season-high nine three-pointers as it was 9-of-20 (.450) from beyond the arc.
Junior Jessica Freeman and sophomore Alisha Andrews joined Trice in double figures as the duo tallied 16 points each. junior Ayoola Weaver pulled down a game-best 10 caroms and Trice pitched in a career-high nine caroms to power the Seahawks to a 44-28 advantage on the glass.
Senior Tia Lewis notched 16 points and junior Jackie Cook added 11 for ODU, who shot 42.9 percent (21-of-49) from the floor, but finished the game with 21 turnovers.
Trice sparked UNCW to a 29-24 halftime advantage as she scored 12 points in the opening frame, including a pair of three-pointers and a free throw during a 20-10 run that erased a 14-9 Lady Monarchs edge and gave the Seahawks a five-point edge at the break.
Early in the second half, the two sides exchanged baskets before a jumper by Weaver at the 17:27 mark ignited a 17-4 spurt that gave the Seahawks a commanding 51-33 cushion with exactly 12 minutes remaining.
The Seahawks would maintained a double-figure advantage the rest of the way, using a 12-1 stretch in the final minutes to take its largest lead, 74-50, on a layup by junior Karneshia Garrett with 76 seconds left to play before the both sides exchanged baskets to determine the final margin.
Both teams return to action Thursday with 7 p.m. road contests. UNCW continues its three-game road swing at Northeastern while ODU travels to William and Mary.
GAME NOTES:
The win by UNCW snapped the third-longest winning streak by one school over another, according to research conducted by The Seattle Times/UC Santa Barbara.
UNCW reached the 70-point plateau for the fifth time this season and improved to 5-0 in those contests. The Seahawks also moved to 18-1 under Cooper-Dyke when reaching the 70-point plateau.
The Seahawks shot above 40 percent for the ninth time this season and improved to 8-1 when doing so. The Seahawks also moved to 26-4 under Cooper-Dyke when making more than 40 percent of its field goal attempts.
UNCW's nine three-point field goals established a new season high in that category. The Seahawks previous season high was eight, set against NC State on Nov. 20.
The Seahawks failed to record double figure steals for the first time in seven games and just the fourth time this season as it finished with seven thefts.
UNCW surpassed the 20-assist plateau for the second time this season and the eighth time under Cooper-Dyke as it finished with 21 helpers.
The 47 points scored by the Seahawks in the second half established a new season high in that category, breaking the old mark of 46, set in the second half of UNCW's 90-63 win at North Carolina A&T on Jan. 2.
The Seahawks out-rebounded its opponent for the first time in five games and just the fifth time this season.
UNCW's bench out-scored ODU's reserves by a 29-12 margin. Freeman accounted for more than half (16) of that total.
The two teams combined for 73 points in the paint, with UNCW holding a slim 38-35 edge in that category.
UNCW posted a 16-4 advantage in second-chance points, including a 8-1 edge in the second half.
Reached double figures in points for the seventh time this season and the 17th time in her career. Has scored in double figures in each of the last three contests.
Pulled down a season-high seven rebounds, shattering previous season high of five, set on two prior occasions.