GREENSBORO, N.C. – Led by five players in double figures, the UNCG men's basketball team shook off a slow start and pulled away from visiting VMI in Southern Conference action Sunday afternoon at the Greensboro Coliseum. The victory improved the Spartans to 6-2 this season at home, where they will play their next two games beginning Thursday when they host SoCon leading and preseason favorite Chattanooga.

The Spartans (6-12, 2-3 SoCon) were strong on both ends of the floor in the thorough victory. UNCG connected on a season-high 58 percent shooting from the field (29-of-50) while also hitting 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from distance and 89.5 percent (17-of-19) from the free throw line. The Spartans on defense held the Keydets to just 34.8 percent (23-of-66) shooting from the field and 34.4 percent (11-of-32) from distance in the victory.

Freshman guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) turned in one of the best performances of his young career to lead the way. Alonso fell one-point shy of tying his career-high as he finished with 24 points on a stellar 9-of-11 shooting from the field, including 4-of-6 from distance. Maybe even more impressive than his scoring was his passing on the day as he finished with a career-high seven assists and only committed one turnover in 32 minutes of action.

Junior guard Diante Baldwin (Greensboro, N.C/High Point Christian) added 15 points, five assists, five rebounds and two blocked shots. Baldwin was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. Junior center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) continued his strong play as he added 14 points and eight rebounds. White continued his dominance in the post, connecting on 7-of-9 from the field, raising his field goal percentage in league games to 75 percent.

Senior guard Asad Lamot (Mebane, N.C./Eastern Alamance) scored a career-high 13 points off the bench while also grabbing six rebounds in 28 minutes of play. Lamot hit 3-of-6 from 3-point land in the victory. Sophomore forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) rounded out the double figure scorers with 11 points and six rebounds. QJ Peterson led VMI with 14 points but was held to just 4-of-17 shooting from the field.

VMI (5-11, 0-5 SoCon) raced out to an early 21-11 lead on the Spartans, thanks in large part to the 3-point shot. The Keydets hit five straight 3-pointers during the opening run, including a 3-of-3 start from Julian Eleby from behind the arc.

The Spartans settled into the game and turned the momentum with their defense as they limited the Keydets to just four points over the final 12:01 of the first half. UNCG held the Keydets to just 1-of-14 (7.1%) shooting in the final 12:01 of the first half while also forcing five turnovers as the Spartans closed the half on a 32-4 run.

Offensively, the Spartans were the exact opposite of the Keydets during the run in the first half. UNCG closed the half hitting 12 out of its last 18 shots and was 6-of-7 from the free throw line in the last 12 minutes of play. Alonso paced the surge with 10 points during the run while White and Baldwin added six points, including the shot in the closing seconds by Baldwin that gave UNCG an 18-point advantage at the break. UNCG finished the first half shooting 59.1 percent (16-of-28) from the field in the first half while VMI was just 14-of-35 (40%) from the field.

The teams traded baskest early in the second half with UNCG holding a 55-36 edge with 15:10 remaining. The Keydets had a push of their own, posting a 14-5 run to narrow the gap to 11 points at 60-49. The Spartans had an answer for each push as they battled through the VMI full court pressure.

The Keydets would never get any closer than 11 points, including a 66-55 score with 8:42 remaining. UNCG was able to put VMI away as it scored 11 straight points to extend the lead to 77-55 and end any double. Alonso again provided the spark with six points while White had a pair of dunks off of Alonso assists to cap the evening.

The Spartans continue their three-game home stretch Thursday night when they host Chattanooga. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum and will be aired on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN App. Scott Pryzwansky and Dave Odom will provide the call on the broadcast.

-UNCG-