ATHENS, Greece — Head Coach Candi Whitaker and the Griffon Women's Basketball team returned early Thursday morning from a 10-day overseas tour in Greece where they completed a perfect 3-0 record against international competition.

The trip marked the first foreign tour in program history and has already played a key role in getting an early jump start on the season.

"I could not be more pleased with how our trip to Greece went, both on and off the court," Coach Whitaker said. "We talked a lot about the significance of this opportunity and how important it was to capitalize on the unique time we had as a team. We got better each game, and I loved watching our team play and experience new things together."

GAME 1: 72-59 WIN
The Griffons pulled away late in a physical first game against the Greek All-Stars. They shot 58.8% from the field, dished out 22 assists on 30 made shots and pulled down 16 offensive rebounds. The Griffons were led by Connie Clarke with 16 points and eight rebounds, Mackenzie Hart with 13 points and five rebounds and Mary Fultz with 12 points. Twelve total Griffons scored in the contest.

GAME 2: 76-56 WIN
Finding their footing, the Griffs dominated in a 20-point win in their second game in Athens. The team shot 40% from the field, grabbed 18 offensive boards and once again shared the ball with 15 assists in the win. Brionna Budgetts lead the team in scoring with 18 including shooting 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Kassandra Caron followed closely with 16 points, four rebounds and three steals.

GAME 3: 82-55 WIN
The final game of the foreign tour concluded with a barrage of 3-pointers in a dominant 82-55 win. The Griffons made 13 from behind the arc including 4-for-6 shooting from Jordan Cunningham. Cunningham finished with 13 points overall and two rebounds. Three other Griffons finished in double figures in addition to Cunningham, including Mary Fultz with 12, Kassandra Caron with 11 and Tiani Ellison with 10. Once again, the Griffons finished with 22 assists on 30 made field goals including five assists from point guard Alyssa Bonilla.

BEYOND THE COURT
In addition to the three games, the Griffons were busy exploring and learning about the history in Greece. After a long day of travel, the Griffs arrived in Athens and toured the city by bike, seeing landmarks such as the City Center, Acropolis and Parthenon and the first Olympic Stadium. The next day involved a deeper dive into the Acropolis with a guided tour of the Acropolis Museum and a hike up to the Parthenon.

One of their favorite excursions of the trip was next, a full-day boat tour on the Mediterranean Sea to three Greek islands: Hydra, Poros, and Aegina. Island stops were filled with cliff jumping, shopping, and lots of gelato. Other highlights of their time in Athens include a local Greek cooking class, a stop by the court Giannis Antetokounmpo grew up on, and a tour of the archeological site of Delphi in the mountains of Central Greece.

Following the three games, the Griffons spent the remainder of their trip on the island of Santorini, famous for the beautiful white house villages built into the sides of the cliffs. They also climbed the Nea Kameni Caldera, an active volcano off the coast of Santorini and swam in the natural hot springs.
 
"I just want to continue to say how grateful we are to our athletic department and university and all of our donors who contributed to making this trip a reality. We are excited to continue to work hard and build off of this experience to put a great product on the floor this year," Whitaker said.