CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The UNCG men's basketball team continues its road swing Saturday evening as the Spartans travel to Southern Conference co-leader Chattanooga. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at McKenzie Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN App with Darren Goldwater and Dean Keener providing the call. Additionally, the game will be broadcast on 1320 WCOG AM and the TuneIn App with Scott Pryzwansky providing the call.
Saturday's game marks the 36th meeting all-time between UNCG and Chattanooga. The Spartans trail the all-time series by a 16-19 margin but have won six out of the last seven meetings against the Mocs. Last season, UNCG and Chattanooga split the season series with each home team winning the contest. In 2012-13, the Spartans swept three games against the Mocs while also sweeping the season series in 2011-12.
Last year, Chattanooga posted a 77-67 victory at the McKenzie Arena in January as the Spartans committed 18 turnovers, which led to 28 points off those miscues. Guard Tevon Saddler (Aberdeen, Md./St. Frances Academy) led UNCG with 24 points and seven rebounds as he was 8-of-16 from the field and 8-of-11 from the free throw line. Forward Kayel Locke (Baltimore Md./McDonogh) added 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Casey Jones led the Mocs with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 8-of-12 from the line while Z. Mason added 15 points.
The Spartans secured the regular season series split with an 88-84 victory in Greensboro in late February as UNCG committed just 11 turnovers in the game. Former Spartan Kyle Cain led the way with 24 points and 10 rebounds while Saddler added 13 and Locke added 12 points. Jones again led the Mocs with 21 points and 11 rebounds while Mason had 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Two years ago, the Spartans set a UNCG single-game record with 20 3-pointers in a 94-68 victory at McKenzie Arena. Guard Nicholas Paulos (Salt Lake City, Utah/New Hampton School) led the way with a career-high 10 3-pointers as he hit 10-of-12 in the contest, including six straight at one point during the game.
The Spartans enter Saturday's game with a 6-14 overall record and a 2-5 mark in Southern Conference play. The Spartans are 2-6 on the road this season with their wins coming against Presbyterian and East Tennessee State. The Spartans are averaging 70.4 points per game while allowing 74.1 points per game.
Saddler leads the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game while adding 4.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He has scored in double figures in 15 of 18 games this year, including eight games with at least 18 points. Locke is second on the team in scoring at 13.8 points per game while grabbing 5.5 rebounds per game. He is shooting 48.4 percent (104-of-215) from the field. He has scored in double figures in 15 of 20 games, including the last seven games. Over the last seven games, Locke is averaging 16.7 points per game while shooting 52.8 percent (47-of-89) from the field.
Redshirt sophomore center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) is third on the team in scoring at 12.0 points per game and leads the team on the glass at 7.4 rebounds per game. White is shooting 53.7 percent (95-of-177) from the field and has a SoCon-best six double-doubles. Paulos is fourth on the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game and has hit a team-high 57 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Diante Baldwin (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) rounds out the Spartans averaging double figures at 10.5 points per game. Baldwin also averages 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Chattanooga enters Saturday's game with a 13-7 overall record and a 6-1 mark in Southern Conference play. The Mocs have won seven out of their last eight games. Chattanooga is 10-2 this season at home with their lone losses coming against Wofford and Georgia. The Mocs are averaging 73.0 points per game while allowing 66.5 points per game.
Jones leads the Mocs in scoring at 13.4 points per game and on the glass at 6.7 rebounds per game. He is shooting 51.4 percent (94-of-183) from the field this season. Guard Greg Pryor is second on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game and has hit 26 3-pointers.
Ronrico White is third on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game. White leads the team with 67 assists and has hit 39 3-pointers. Justin Tuoyo rounds out the Mocs in double figures scoring at 10.1 points per game and grabs 6.2 rebounds per game. Tuoyo leads the SoCon with 70 blocked shots and is shooting 52.1 percent (73-of-140) from the field. Eric Robertson leads the team with 41 3-pointers as he is shooting 52.6 percent from long range.
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