GREENSBORO, N.C. — Samford women's basketball opened Southern Conference play Thursday night, battling through four competitive quarters before falling 73-64 to UNC Greensboro at Bodford Arena.
Samford showed resilience throughout the match up, erasing an early deficit and taking a nine-point lead late in the first half. After scoring just seven points in the opening quarter, the Bulldogs responded with a strong second period, shooting over 50 percent from the field to build a 27-18 advantage at halftime.
The Bulldogs continued to push in the third quarter, leaning on balanced scoring and timely perimeter shooting to maintain their edge. Samford knocked down eight three-pointers on the night and shot a perfect 16-for-16 from the free-throw line, keeping the contest tight heading into the final period.
UNC Greensboro used a decisive fourth-quarter surge to pull ahead, outscoring Samford 33–19 in the final 10 minutes. Despite the late push by the Spartans, the Bulldogs remained within striking distance down the stretch.
Kaylee Yarbrough led Samford with 15 points, while Sierra Godbolt added 13 off the bench. Briana Rivera chipped in nine points and four rebounds, and Emily Snoddy anchored the interior with seven points, five rebounds, and two blocks. This is Yarbrough's eighth straight game leading the bulldogs in scoring.
The Bulldogs will look to build on their conference-opening performance as they continue Southern Conference play on the road at Western Carolina on Saturday January 10th at 1 p.m.
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