December 31, 2012

GAME NOTES (PDF)

GREENSBORO, N.C. – For the second straight game and the third time this season the UNCG men's basketball season will hit the court against a foe from the Atlantic Coast Conference as the Spartans travel to Raleigh Monday to face No. 23 N.C. State New Year's Eve. Game time is set for 5 p.m. at the PNC Arena and will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU and the Watch ESPN App with Tom Hart and Dereck Whittenburg providing the call. Additionally, the game will be radio broadcast on 1320 WCOG AM and online at www.uncgspartans.com.

Monday's game marks the eighth meeting all-time between UNCG and N.C. State with the Wolfpack holding a 7-0 record all-time against the Spartans. The teams last met three years ago to the day as the Wolfpack posted an 89-67 victory over UNCG at the Greensboro Coliseum. Guard Korey Van Dussen (Zeeland, Mich./Zeeland East) scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting as a true freshman in the loss.

The game also marks the 49^th meeting all-time between UNCG and a team from the ACC as the Spartans are 1-47 all-time against league foes. UNCG's lone victory came Nov. 9, 2007 with an 83-74 victory at Georgia Tech. UNCG has already fallen this season to both Virginia Tech (96-87) and most recently Wake Forest (84-70), both at the Greensboro Coliseum. Additionally, Monday's game marks the seventh time UNCG has played on New Year's Eve and the first since playing N.C. State in 2009. The Spartans are 1-5 all-time on Dec. 31, including three losses to ACC opponents.

UNCG enters the game 2-8 record on the year, including a 0-4 mark on the road this season. The Spartans have dropped three straight games falling to James Madison, UNCW and most recently Wake Forest. UNCG is averaging a Southern Conference-best 77.3 points per game but allowing 80.5 points per game, the most of any team in the SoCon.

Junior guard Trevis Simpson (Douglas, Ga./Coffee) leads the team and the SoCon in scoring at 20.3 points per game.  Simpson has scored in double figures all 10 games this season and has surpassed the 20-point mark in four games, including twice in the past three games.

Senior guard Derrell Armstrong (Mechanicsville, Md./Allegany CC) is second on the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game. Armstrong is tied for second on the team with 16 three-pointers while also ranking second on the team on the glass at 5.4 rebounds per game. Freshman forward Kayel Locke (Owings Mills, Md./McDonogh) rounds out the double figure scorers as he chips in 11.0 points per game as a reserve while grabbing 4.6 rebounds per game.

North Carolina State enters Monday's game ranked No. 23 in the nation as it owns a 10-2 overall record, including a perfect 7-0 mark at home. The Wolfpack have won six straight with wins over Connecticut, Cleveland State, Norfolk State, Stanford, St. Bonaventure and most recently Western Michigan.

C.J. Leslie paces five players in double figures scoring as he averages 15.3 points per game while grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game. T.J. Warren is second on the team in scoring despite only starting two games as he averages 13.6 points per game. Warren is shooting 68.9 percent (71-of-103) from the field and 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from long range.

Richard Howell leads the Wolfpack on the glass grabbing 9.3 rebounds per game to go along with his 13.5 points per game. Lorenzo Brown adds 12.2 points, while Scott Wood chips in 11.3 points per game. Wood is shooting 43.5 percent (30-of-69) from three-point land.

- UNCG -