Box Score
Jay Joseph scored 22 points and collected seven rebounds |
ELON, NC – The UNC Greensboro men's basketball team set a new school record for points scored in a game, but it wasn't enough as Elon pulled out a thrilling triple-overtime 112-108 victory over the Spartans Saturday night in the regular season finale at Alumni Gym.
With the win, Elon improves to 11-17 on the season and 7-9 in Southern Conference action. UNCG slips to 11-16 overall and 7-9 in league play. Elon gets the tie-breaker with UNCG and secures the third seed in the North Division, while the Spartans claim the fourth seed for the conference tournament.
The 220 combined points sets a new UNCG single-game scoring record. The 108 points scored for the Spartans also sets a new school record, passing the 104 scored against East Tennessee State two seasons ago.
The contest featured 18 ties and 24 lead changes in 55 minutes of play. UNCG shot 52.2% (36-of-69) for the game, including a sizzling 65.4% in the first half, but Elon held the advantage in rebounding, turnovers, steals, second chance points and bench points. The Spartans sank 13 of their 28 3-point attempts on the night and outscored the Phoenix in the paint, 32-28. Elon hit 79.2% (38-of-48) from the free throw line, while the Spartans connected on 71.9% (23-of-32) of its attempts from the charity stripe.
A jumper by Scottie Rice gave the Phoenix the lead for good at 105-104 with 1:56 to play in the decisive third overtime, igniting a 9-1 run. A pair of free throws by Matt Nowlin capped the run, putting Elon's lead out of reach at 112-105 with just six seconds remaining.
Senior Ronnie Taylor scored a career-high 27 points, while connecting on 6-of-7 3-point attempts. Taylor also set a new career-high with 11 assists. Fellow senior Jay Joseph added 22 points for the Spartans, while Ronnie Burrell scored 19 on 6-of-9 shooting. Josh Gross had a double-double with 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Dwon Clifton contributed with 10 points before fouling out.
Montell Watson paced five Phoenix players in double-figures with 23. Scottie Rice added 19 points, while Jackson Atoyebi scored 18. Matt Nowlin chipped in with 17 and Gary Marsh added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
