Box Score
Ronnie Taylor had nine assists and no turnovers in 37 minutes against the Cougars |
Greensboro, NC - The UNC Greensboro men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker, 72-70, to the Southern Conference South Division leading College of Charleston Cougars Tuesday night at Fleming Gymnasium despite a game-high 21 points from Jay Joseph. UNCG slips to 4-10 on the season and 1-3 in SoCon play, while the Cougars improve to 12-2 overall and 4-0 in league play.
With UNCG trailing by two as the game clock wound down, Ronnie Taylor's driving layup missed off the left side of the rim and was knocked out of bounds. The officials conferred and awarded the ball to the College of Charleston, and the Cougars were able to run out the remaining seconds to secure the victory.
The College of Charleston hit five 3-pointers in the first half, compared to UNCG's zero, to take a 35-28 lead into the intermission. Marcus Johnson connected on three of the Cougars bombs for nine first half points.
UNCG went on a 12-2 run midway through the second half to take a 49-47 lead, with Joseph scoring nine of the Spartans' 12 points during the run. A pump fake freed Joseph at the foul line where he connected for his ninth point to cap off the Spartans' run. After both teams traded baskets, Thomas Mobley buried a 3-pointer to ignite a modest 7-0 run to put the Cougars back up 57-51.
Trailing 69-62 late in the game, UNCG's Ronnie Burrell picked up two offensive rebounds before getting the stick back and getting fouled. His free throw closed the Cougar's lead to 69-65. Taylor followed on the Spartans' next possession with a 3-pointer from the top of the key to draw his squad within one, 69-68.
With the game on the line, Charleston's Mike Benton put back an errant shot with a thunderous dunk to put the Cougars up three, 71-68. Rodney Blackstock's stick back on the other end once again pulled the Spartans back to one, 71-70. With 11.4 seconds left in the game, Quinton Hollis was fouled and sent to the free throw line. Hollis made his first, but missed his second. The Spartans brought down the miss and called a timeout to set up their final play of the game.
Jay Joseph paced the Spartans with 21 points on the night, 17 coming in the second half. Joseph connected on 7-of-10 field goals, including three 3-pointers in the second half of play. Ronnie Burrell recorded his third double-double of the season as he scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Dwon Clifton added 10 points and five rebounds. Ronnie Taylor scored nine points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out nine assists, while not committing a single turnover in 37 minutes of play.
Stanley Jackson led four Cougars in double-figures with 18 points. Thomas Mobley scored 17 points, while Marcus Johnson added 13. Tony Mitchell chipped in with 12 points. Mike Benton was held to just six points on the evening, but pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds and blocked five shots.
For the game the Cougars outshot the Spartans, 44.3% to 44.1%, but the Spartans claimed a 41-33 advantage on the glass. Charleston hit 10-of-27 3-point attempts on the night, while the Spartans connected on 5-of-15.
UNCG will hit the road for a two-game road trip beginning on Saturday, January 17, at Appalachian State. Tip-off is set for 1 pm. The Spartans will then travel to Western Carolina where they will square off against the Catamounts on Monday, January 19, at 7 pm. The College of Charleston will return to the hardwood on Saturday at new SoCon member Elon.
