GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team returned home to the Greensboro Coliseum Monday night and suffered a 76-68 loss to Triad rival High Point. The Spartans tied the game in the middle of the second half but HPU took the lead back with a late 11-2 run and held off the UNCG final charge down the stretch.

“High Point is a really good team and Scott has done a good job there building a great program,” head coach Wes Miller said. “We made a big effort to go inside tonight and had success, but foul trouble was certainly a factor for us. We need Kayel and RJ to be really good for us this year and I thought they both played well tonight when they were on the floor.”

The Spartans had four players in double figures in the loss as they shot 51.9 percent (27-of-52) from the field but only hit 5-of-19 (26.3%) from long range. UNCG controlled play in the paint as redshirt sophomore center RJ White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) and junior forward Kayel Locke (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) combined for 27 points on 13-of-17 shooting form the field. White was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field while Locke was 6-of-10 as they converted the chances they were given.

The Spartans also committed 16 turnovers in the loss and were out-rebounded by a 33-25 margin, including 12 offensive rebounds for HPU. The Panthers finished the game shooting 21-of-49 (42.9%) from the field and 6-of-16 (37.5%) from distance. High Point held a distinct advantage at the free throw line, converting 28-of-33 while UNCG was just 9-of-15. John Brown led the Panthers with 24 points as he was 7-of-13 from the field and 10-of-12 from the line while DeVante Wallace chipped in 15 points.

The Spartans and Panthers came out of the gate and traded baskets back and forth for most of the first half that saw the game tied six times, including 21-21 with 5:29 left as Tevon Saddler (Aberdeen, Md./St. Frances Academy) hit a jumper from the elbow. High Point responded with nine straight points and posted a 14-3 run to take a 35-24 lead. DeVante Wallace hit a 3-pointer in the run while Lorenzo Cugini nailed two from the outside during the spurt. Senior Nicholas Paulos (Salt Lake City, Utah/New Hampton School) hit a 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left in the half to send the Spartans into the locker room trailing 35-37.

The Spartans connected on 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from the field and hit 3-of-8 (37.5%) from distance, but committed 11 first half turnovers. Eight different Spartans scored in the first half with Paulos leading the way with six points. High Point connected on 42.9 percent (12-of-28) from the field and hit 5-of-11 (45.5%) from long range. The Panthers also held a 15-12 edge on the glass, including eight offensive rebounds. Cugini led the Panthers with 13 points off the bench while John Brown added 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting.

The Spartans came out of the halftime break and quickly scored the first six points of the second half to trim the deficit to 35-33. Saddler scored four points in the run and Locke added a basket in the paint as UNCG made a concerted effort to go inside. The Panthers answered back with a 10-2 run to extend the lead to 45-35, but Brown picked up his third foul in the sequence.

UNCG took advantage of his absence as it pounded the ball inside posting a 10-0 run tying the game at 45-45 with 9:50 remaining. White scored six points in the run while Locke added four points as the Spartans went to the paint during their run. Brown came back in the game and scored five straight points to give the Panthers the lead back.

After Saddler scored four straight to pull within three at 52-49, the Panthers posted an 11-2 run to take a 63-51 lead. Wallace was the catalyst for High Point as he scored all 11 points during the run, capping the spurt with a 3-pointer in transition. The Spartans kept battling and notched a 7-1 run in the closing minutes to pull within four at 72-68 when Paulos hit a 3-pointer, but HPU connected on its final four free throws to secure the victory.

Saddler finished the night with 14 points and four assists as he was 6-of-7 from the free throw line and 4-of-12 from the field. Paulos added 12 points in 37 minutes of action, connecting of 4-of-8 from long range. Junior forward Ben Dickinson (Alexandria, Va./Loyola Marymount) added six points in 14 minutes off the bench as he was 3-of-4 from the field.

The Spartans return to action Saturday afternoon as they travel to Clinton, S.C., for a meeting with Presbyterian. Game time is set for 2 p.m. and will be aired on the Big South Digital Network.

-UNCG-