UNCW Women's Basketball Routes Barton 75-44
The Seahawks opened their season with a dominant defensive performance at Trask Coliseum on Tuesday night.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Basketball
UNCW women's basketball defeated Barton College 75-44 on Tuesday night at Trask Coliseum in the team's season opener. The Seahawks led 44-23 at halftime and held Barton to a single point in the third quarter.
Why it matters
The win sets an early tone for a Seahawks squad whose head coach says the team's defense will drive its results this season. Multiple scoring threats were on display, a balance head coach Nicole Woods has identified as a major advantage.
UNCW forced 25 turnovers, converted them into 34 points, and finished with 14 steals and 17 fast-break points, while Loghan Johnson recorded a team-high 11 rebounds for a double-double. The available figures cover only this single game, so how these marks compare with prior seasons is not established.
The players
Nicole Woods
Nicole Woods is the head coach of the UNCW women's basketball program, who said the team will go where its defense goes this year.
Loghan Johnson
Loghan Johnson is a UNCW women's basketball player who grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds for a double-double in the season opener.
The details
UNCW led 20-10 after the first quarter and added 24 points in the second to take a 44-23 halftime lead. Four Seahawks reached double figures, with Thompson, Hicks and Johnson each scoring 14 and Sienna Dauer adding 10.
Timeline
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: UNCW defeats Barton College 75-44 in the season opener at Trask Coliseum.
Saturday, November 7, 2026, at noon: UNCW hosts North Carolina Central at Trask Coliseum.
Season Trajectory
The opener establishes the defensive identity Coach Nicole Woods has said will define UNCW's season, with the Seahawks converting 25 forced turnovers into 34 points in a single game. Whether that formula holds against stronger conference opponents will determine if the early result signals a sustained contender or an early-season mismatch.
The Seahawks' 14 steals and 25 forced turnovers show the defensive pressure fans can expect to see at Trask Coliseum, which matters for anyone tracking the team's early rotation. Fantasy and pickup-game observers will note Johnson's double-double and the four players who reached double figures.
The takeaway
UNCW's opener shows that forcing turnovers can drive a lopsided result, and tracking whether that pressure holds against tougher opponents will reveal how real the early momentum is.
What happens next
UNCW women's basketball hosts North Carolina Central at Trask Coliseum on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at noon.
Further reading
Find more local coverage in Wilmington Basketball.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WWAYTV3.
