GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team hosts their lone game in the month of December Saturday night when the Spartans welcome in Belmont Abbey to the Greensboro Coliseum. Game time is set for a rare 8 p.m. tip-off. The game will be streamed on the SoCon Digital Network with links available at www.uncgspartans.com. Additionally, the game will be broadcast on 1320 WCOG AM and online via Tune In with Scott Pryzwansky and Darryl Kosciak providing the call.
The Spartans enter Saturday's game with a 3-5 overall record on the year and a 3-2 mark at home this season. UNCG has dropped five out of its last six games after opening the year with back-to-back victories. Saturday's game marks the first-ever meeting between UNCG and Belmont Abbey.
The Spartans have five different players averaging double figures on the year. Freshman guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) leads the way at 11.5 points per game and has hit a team-high 19 3-pointers. Alonso has scored in double figures in five out of eight games this year. Senior forward Kayel Locke (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) is second on the team in scoring at 10.6 points per game while also grabbing 5.1 rebounds per game.
Redshirt junior center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) leads the team on the glass, grabbing 7.1 rebounds per game while also scoring 10.4 points per game. White is shooting 55.4 percent (31-of-56) from the field. Sophomore Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) chips in 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
Junior guard Diante Baldwin (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) rounds out the Spartans in double figures this year at 10.0 points per game. Baldwin is coming off a season-high 16 points last time out at High Point. Freshman guard Demetrius Troy (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God) posted a career-high 11 points off the bench Wednesday against the Panthers, hitting 3-of-5 from long range.
Belmont Abbey, an NCAA Division II school from outside of Charlotte, enters Saturday's game with a 2-6 overall record and has dropped five straight games. The Crusaders have picked up wins this season against Mars Hill and St. Augustine while dropping games to Wingate, Chowan, North Greenville, Queens, Lees-McRae and Mt. Olive. Belmont Abbey is averaging 68.4 points per game while allowing 79.5 points per game.
Deion Lane leads the Crusaders in scoring at 18.5 points per game while also leading the team on the glass at 7.0 rebounds per game. Nick Hough is second on the team in scoring at 11.0 points per game and has hit a team-high 14 3-pointers. Ray Chen rounds out the double figure scorers at 10.8 points per game and has dished out a team-high 20 assists.
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