GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team continues its three-game home stretch Thursday night when the Spartans host Southern Conference leader and preseason favorite Chattanooga. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the ESPN App with Scott Pryzwansky and Dave Odom on the call. Additionally, the game will be aired on 1320 WCOG AM and online via Tune In with Tim Bickford and Darryl Kosciak on the call.

The Spartans enter the game as one of four teams (Chattanooga, Mercer, Furman) in the SoCon with an unblemished home record this year as UNCG has posted wins over Furman and VMI. The Spartans are 6-2 overall in Greensboro this season but own a 6-12 overall record heading into Thursday night. Home teams as a whole have dominated SoCon play this year, posting a 20-8 (71.4%) record in league play, including a 19-4 (82.6%) for the top eight teams in the conference.

Thursday's game marks the 38th meeting all-time between UNCG and Chattanooga. The Spartans trail the all-time series by a 16-21 margin, but have won six out of the last nine meetings, including three out of the last four at the Greensboro Coliseum. Last season, the Mocs swept the season series with an 81-72 victory at home and a 61-58 victory in Greensboro with a controversial last-second 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The two games were hotly contested with the Spartans shooting 43.2 percent (51-of-118) from the field and 34.8 percent (8-of-23) from 3-point land. Chattanooga connected on 41.9 percent (44-of-105) from the field ad hit 15-of-39 (38.5%) from long distance. The Mocs held a considerable advantage at the free throw line, hitting 39-of-62 (62.9%) while UNCG was just 20-of-40 (50%).

Guard Diante Baldwin (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) averaged 10.5 points and 4.0 assists per game against the Mocs while forward Kayel Locke (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) added 10.0 points per game. Justin Tuoyo led Chattanooga in the two games, averaging 11.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game. Greg Pryor added 10.5 points per game while Eric Robertson chipped in 9.5 points per game.

Four Spartans are averaging double figures this year and five players average at least 9.9 points per game. Junior center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) leads all Spartans in scoring at 12.4 points per game and leads on the glass with 7.1 rebounds per game. White is shooting 63.8 percent (90-of-141) from the field and 64.3 percent (27-of-42) from distance. Freshman guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game and has scored the most points on the team this season with 221. Alonso leads the team with 45 3-pointers and is shooting 42.1 percent from distance. He also leads the team shooting 85.7 percent (30-of-37) from the free throw line.

Locke is third on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game and second on the glass with 5.1 rebounds per game. Baldwin rounds out the Spartans in double figures at 10.7 points per game. He also leads the team with 81 assists and 30 steals while grabbing 4.8 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) adds 9.9 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game.

Chattanooga enters Thursday's game with a 16-3 overall record and a 5-1 mark in the Southern Conference. The Mocs are ranked No. 50 in the latest NCAA RPI report. Chattanooga has won 11 out of its last 12 games, including three straight and are 5-3 on the road this season. The Mocs are accomplishing this feat without the services of preseason SoCon Player of the Year Casey Jones, who has missed the last 13 games due to injury.

Tuoyo leads all active players in scoring at 11.1 points per game and is shooting 53.4 percent (70-of-131) from the field. He is third on the team on the glass grabbing 5.1 rebounds per game while leading the team with 43 blocked shots. Tre' McLean is second on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game and second on the team with 5.6 rebounds per game. McLean has also hit 20 3-pointers this year.

Pryor rounds out the Mocs in double figures scoring at 10.5 points per game while leading the team with 68 assists. He is shooting 39.7 percent from distance, having hit 27 3-pointers. Robertson leads the team with 46 3-pointers, hitting at a 43.8 percent clip while averaging 8.5 points per game.

-UNCG-