Box Score
Jay Joseph & Ronnie Taylor |
Greensboro, NC - Jay Joseph scored 18 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out six assists to lead UNC Greensboro past Liberty Wednesday night on "Senior Night" in Fleming Gymnasium. Joseph and fellow senior Ronnie Taylor left the game with 7.4 seconds left in regulation to a standing ovation from the home crowd.
With the win, UNCG improves to 11-15 on the season and gives the Spartans a modest three-game win streak. Liberty, the Big South regular season champion, slips to 14-14 this season.
After Liberty claimed a 2-1 lead in the game's opening minute, UNCG went on a 14-0 run and never again relinquished the lead. The Spartans pushed their lead to as many as 15, 25-10, in the first half with Taylor running the point. Taylor then suffered a cut above his left eye and was forced to sit out the remainder of the first half. In that time, Liberty went on a 13-3 run of their own to cut trim the Spartans' lead to five, 28-23. A Joseph 3-pointer and an electrifying Josh Gross dunk on a fast break once again gave the Spartans a ten point cushion, 33-23, with 3:56 left in the half. The Flames once again rallied, scoring seven points, while holding the Spartans scoreless for the remainder of the half to set the score 33-30 at the break.
UNCG was clinging to a two point lead, 41-39, with 14:11 left in regulation. Over the next 4:32 the Spartans went on a 16-4 run to pull ahead 57-43, with Taylor scoring seven of those points after returning from his injury. The Spartans took their biggest lead of the game, 65-49, when Taylor knifed through traffic to hit a layup with just over four minutes left in the game. Liberty made one final run at the Spartans, cutting the lead to eight, but would manage to get no closer.
Joseph, already the school's all-time leading scorer, eclipsed the 1,600 point plateau this evening reaching 1,603. Taylor added 11 points and five rebounds in his final game in Fleming Gymnasium. Ronnie Burrell, the Southern Conference Player of the Week, chipped in 14 points and four rebounds. As a team the Spartans shot 50.8 percent, hitting 32-of-63 from the field.
Gabe Martin paced the Flames with 19 points and 11 rebounds, tallying his second double-double of the season. Ryan Mantlo added 10 points and 11 rebounds, recording his first double-double of the season. Jason Sarchet added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench. The Flames shot just 35.5% from the floor, but outrebounded the Spartans, 43-37.
UNCG will play its final game of the 2003-2004 regular season on Saturday, February 28, at Elon. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm at Elon's Alumni Gym.
