CARROLLTON, Ga. – The University of West Georgia women's basketball team hits the road for a weekend swing through the Northeast, beginning with a Friday night matchup against Stonehill College. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET at Merkert Gymnasium on November 13.
The Wolves (2-1) enter the contest riding a two-game winning streak after picking up back-to-back victories over Alabama State and Fort Valley State. Stonehill (0-3) is still searching for its first win of the season after opening the year with three consecutive road contests.
Friday's matchup marks the first-ever meeting between West Georgia and Stonehill.
West Georgia has found its stride following its season-opening setback at Georgia, winning its last two contests. The Wolves opened their home schedule with an 80-78 overtime victory against Alabama State on November 7 before returning to The Coliseum on Tuesday night to take down Fort Valley State, 89-50.
Against the Wildcats, freshman Mya Jones led the way with a career-high 18 points, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. The Carrollton native also added four steals to help pace the Wolves defensively.
Senior Grace O'Gara put together a standout performance of her own, recording her first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 11 assists. Her performance marked just the second points-and-assists double-double in The Coliseum's history.
West Georgia also received a dominant effort on the glass from senior Ongalea Afu, who hauled in a career-high 17 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end, in her return to the lineup.
Defensively, freshman Kobi Barnes continues to make her presence felt in the paint. Barnes recorded five blocks against Fort Valley State, bringing her season total to 13 through three games. She currently ranks third nationally in blocks per game at 4.3.
Friday's contest will be a special one for senior guard Grace O'Gara, who returns to her home state of Massachusetts for a pair of games this weekend.
A native of Worcester, O'Gara will be playing just 57 miles from her hometown when the Wolves take the floor against Stonehill. West Georgia will remain in Massachusetts through the weekend before traveling to Lowell for a Sunday afternoon matchup against UMass Lowell. O'Gara has been a key contributor for the Wolves through the opening three games, averaging 14.0 points and 5.7 assists per contest. Her 5.7 assists per game currently lead the United Athletic Conference.
Senior guard Sydne Tolbert continues to approach a significant milestone in her West Georgia career. Tolbert enters Friday's contest with 934 career points, just 66 shy of becoming the 12th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark. The Louisville, Kentucky, native scored 16 points in Tuesday's win over Fort Valley State, marking her 45th career double-digit scoring performance. She currently ranks 15th on UWG's all-time scoring list.
The Skyhawks enter Friday's matchup with an 0-3 record after opening the season with road losses at Providence, No. 13 Notre Dame and DePaul.
Stonehill most recently fell to DePaul, 95-63, on November 8. The Skyhawks were led by Reese Roggenburk and Megan Sias, who each finished with 13 points.
Head coach Trisha Brown is in her 25th season leading the Stonehill program and has accumulated 455 career victories.
Friday's game will be broadcast on NEC Front Row.
