GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team returns home to the Greensboro Coliseum Monday night as the Spartans host Triad Rival High Point for the second straight season. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed in full HD for free on the SoCon Digital Network. Additionally, the game will be radio broadcast on 1320 WCOG AM and on the TuneIn App with Scott Pryzwansky and Darryl Kosciak providing the call.
The Spartans are coming off a strong showing Saturday night on the road at perennial Big Ten power Indiana before falling 87-79. UNCG set an Assembly Hall record in the loss as it hit 14 3-pointers, the most all-time by an opponent in the 44-year history of the famed building. The Spartans connected on 14-of-23 (60.9%) from long range in the loss, including 7-of-9 (77.8%) in the second half where they out-scored the Hoosiers 45-37.
Senior guard Nicholas Paulos (Salt Lake City, Utah/New Hampton School) and sophomore guard Clay Byrd (Connelly Springs, N.C./East Burke) combined for 12 of the 14 3-pointers on the night as they finished a combined 12-of-19 (63.1%) from distance. Paulos led all scorers with a season-high 24 points as he was 9-of-12 from the field and 6-of-8 from distance while also grabbing six rebounds, dishing out three assists and notching three steals. Byrd scored a career-high 20 points as he was 7-of-13 from the field and 6-of-11 from long range.
The short-handed Spartans have been ravaged by injuries so far this season with five guards missing time so far this year. UNCG only dressed eight scholarship players and 10 total players at Indiana. The Spartans' injuries have forced UNCG to rely heavily on the starting five in Paulos, Byrd, Kayel Locke (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh), sophomore Tevon Saddler (Aberdeen, Md./St. Frances Academy) and redshirt sophomore center RJ White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco).
Those five players have combined to average 63.7 points and 25.0 rebounds per game while the bench is only averaging 8.8 points and 7.0 rebounds. Additionally, the Spartan starters are playing 76.5 percent of the team's minutes this year. UNCG has three players averaging over 32 minutes per game, including Paulos who plays a Southern Conference leading 37.8 minutes per game.
The Spartans are averaging 72.5 points per game while allowing 76.7 points per game with a 1-5 record on the year. All five starters are averaging double figures on the year with Saddler leading the way with 15.7 points per game. He also chips in 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game while leading the team with 41 free throw attempts. White is second on the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game and leads the team with 7.0 rebounds per game. White was held scoreless for the first time this season at Indiana, playing just 14 minutes due to foul trouble.
Locke is third on the team in scoring at 12.0 points per game while grabbing 4.7 rebounds per game. Paulos chips in 11.5 points per game and is shooting 42.9 percent (18-of-42) from 3-point land. Byrd rounds out the double figure scorers at 11.0 points per game and has hit 19-of-50 (38%) from distance.
High Point enters the game with a 4-2 record on the year with wins over CSU Bakersfield (4OT), Arkansas Pine Bluff, Hawaii and William Peace while falling to Richmond and Clemson most recently Saturday night. The Panthers are averaging 73.2 points per game and allowing 71.3 points per game.
John Brown leads the Panthers in scoring at 18.4 points per game while grabbing 5.0 rebounds per game. Brown is shooting 58.6 percent (41-of-70) from the field. Brian Richardson is second on the team in scoring at 11.5 points per game and has dished out 15 assists while hitting nine 3-pointers. DeVante Wallace rounds out the double figure scorers with 10.2 points per game and has hit 11 3-pointers. Six different Panthers are averaging at least 7.4 points per game this year.
Monday's game marks just the 10th meeting all-time between UNCG and High Point despite just 15 minutes separating the two teams. The Spartans trail the all-time series by a 7-2 margin but posted an 82-74 victory at the Greensboro Coliseum last year. In that game, UNCG led for all by 19 seconds as Locke and former Spartan Kyle Cain combined to score 42 points and grab 16 rebounds.
Locke led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds as he was 7-of-12 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free throw line. Cain added 21 points and seven rebounds, shooting 9-of-13 from the field. Saddler chipped in 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. Allan Chaney led High Point with 21 points and 12 rebounds while Brown added 19 points and eight rebounds while only playing 22 minutes due to foul trouble.
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