UNCG-Davidson Box Score
Box Score
Josh Gross had a career-high 18 points |
GREENSBORO, NC – Kenny Grant established new career-highs with 21 points and eight rebounds and Brendan Winters scored 22 points, including five three-pointers, as Davidson won its 10th game in a row and snapped UNC Greensboro's 11-game homecourt winning streak, 78-69, in men's basketball action at Fleming Gymnasium on Saturday night.
Davidson, which entered the day with the seventh-longest winning streak in the nation, remained perfect in the Southern Conference with an 11-0 conference mark to go with a 15-7 overall record. UNC Greensboro, which lost for the third time in the last four games, fell to 13-8 overall and 6-4 in conference play. The Spartans remained tied atop the Southern Conference's North Division standings with Chattanooga, which lost at home to Elon on Saturday afternoon. Davidson remained atop the SoCon's South Division.
UNC Greensboro was led by Josh Gross' career-high 18 points. He was one of five Spartans in double-figures. Ronnie Burrell added his seventh double-double of the season and the 14th of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Ricky Hickman added 14 points and Kevin Oleksiak and Ray Bristow chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
“We felt the way to get back in it was to press and force the tempo, get out of the half-court game,” said UNCG coach Fran McCaffery. “The big key was Grant's penetration, I thought. We never really got him under control.
“We have a small margin for error,” said McCaffery. “We have a young team with five freshmen playing in our regular rotation. We have a thin bench, too, and we just keep fighting. I'm proud of these guys right now.”
Davidson jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead before UNC Greensboro settled down. The Spartans, sparked by a tremendous block by Burrell from behind, went on a 13-2 run after the block to open up a 17-12 lead midway through the first half. However, UNCG committed 17 first half turnovers, which proved costly as Davidson took a 31-28 lead into halftime.
The Wildcats stretched the lead to 10 points with 14:07 to play on a three-pointer by Jason Richards. UNCG got the margin back to five less than a minute later on a pair of shots by Ray Bristow, the second a three-pointer that got the crowd of 1,339 back into it.
But Davidson countered with an 11-3 run, with Winters accounting for five of those points, to take its largest lead to that point, 59-46. After that, UNCG would not get closer than seven (68-61).
UNCG's 11-game winning streak at home had established a new school record and was its first setback this season. The Spartans last lost at Fleming Gymnasium was on February 17 of last season against Appalachian State, 82-60.
Davidson held UNCG freshman Kyle Hines in-check most of the night. Considered by some as the top candidate for Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, Hines was held to six points and six rebounds and did not record a blocked shot for the first time all season. Hines entered the game with 79 blocked shots on the year, already a UNCG single-season record and ranking second in the nation behind Fairfield's Deng Gai.
AGATE
DAVIDSON (15-7, 11-0 SoCon)
Winters, 8-17 1-3 22; Grant, 8-16 4-8 21; Morton, 3-11 5-6 13; Kosmalski, 4-5 4-4 13; Richards, 2-5 0-0 5; Meno, 1-1 0-0 2; Grace, 1-1 0-0 2; Johnson, 0-2 0-0 0; Sander, 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-58 14-21 78.
UNC GREENSBORO (13-8, 6-4 SoCon)
Gross, 8-18 0-1 18; Hickman, 4-9 3-4 14; Oleksiak, 3-6 4-4 11; Burrell, 2-7 6-7 10; Bristow, 4-12 0-0 10; Hines, 2-5 2-6 6; Everette, 0-1 0-0 0; Johnson, 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 23-60 15-22 69.
Halftime: Davidson, 31-28. 3-point goals-Davidson 10-22 (Winters, 5-7; Morton, 2-7; Kosmalski, 1-1; Grant, 1-5; Richards, Jason 1-1; Johnson, 0-1), UNC Greensboro 8-22 (Hickman, 3-5; Gross, 2-8; Bristow, 2-6; Oleksiak, 1-2; Burrell, 0-1). Fouled out--Davidson-None, UNC Greensboro-None. Rebounds-Davidson 36 (Kosmalski, 10), UNC Greensboro 39 (Burrell, 10). Assists-Davidson 11 (Grant, 6), UNC Greensboro 12 (Hickman, 5). Total fouls-Davidson 20, UNC Greensboro 21. A-1339
