GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team hits the road for a pair of games this week, beginning Thursday evening when the Spartans travel to Charleston, S.C., to take on Southern Conference foe The Citadel. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at McAlister Field House. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the ESPN App with Kevin Fitzgerald and Dave Weinstein providing the call. Additionally, the game will be aired on 1320 WCOG AM and online via Tune In with Scott Pryzwansky on the call.
The Spartans enter the week with a 3-4 record in SoCon action and have won two out of their last three games with wins over VMI and Samford. UNCG will wrap up its first run through the SoCon this weekend after its games at The Citadel and Mercer before starting the second half of the league schedule. The Spartans are looking for their first road win of the year Thursday and their first since defeating The Citadel last year Feb. 7, 2015.
Thursday's game marks the 28th meeting all-time between UNCG and The Citadel. The Spartans lead the all-time series by an 18-9 margin, including wins in seven out of the last nine meetings. Head coach Wes Miller is 4-2 in his career against the Bulldogs, including a season series split last year in which both road teams won games. The Citadel posted a 72-53 victory in Greensboro wile the Spartans came back for a 79-63 victory at McAlister Field House.
Center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) averaged 16.0 points and 8.5 rebound per game against The Citadel last year. White connected on 65 percent (13-of-20) from the field in two games. Former Spartan Nicholas Paulos added 13.0 points per game in the series as he hit 8-of-11 (72.7%) from long range. Guard Diante Baldwin (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) scored 17 points and dished out a career-high eight assists in the Spartans win in Charleston last year while senior forward Kayel Locke (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) added 11.0 points per game.
Former Bulldog Ashton Moore led The Citadel in the two games, averaging 30.0 points per game against UNCG – 28 in Greensboro and 32 in Charleston. In fact, the top four scorers for The Citadel last year against the Spartans are no longer on the team for the Bulldogs. Brian White is the top returning scorer from the series, averaging 6.5 points per game against UNCG.
UNCG is averaging 71.4 points per game this year while allowing 74.0 points per game against. The Spartans are shooting 43.8 percent (521-of-1190) from the field and 35.6 percent (174-of-489) from 3-point land. Opponents are shooting 46 percent (498-of-1082) from the field and 40.8 percent (168-of-412) from distance.
The Spartans are the only team in the Southern Conference where all five starters are averaging double figures. Freshman guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) leads the way with 12.5 points per game, tops among all league freshmen. Alonso has scored in double figures 13 times this year and leads the team with 49 3-pointers. White is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game while leading the team on the glass with 7.2 rebounds per game. He is shooting a league-high 62.2 percent (97-of-156) from the field this year.
Locke is third on the team in scoring at 11.5 points per game and second on the glass with 5.2 rebounds per game. He scored 17 points Sunday against Samford to move into a tie for 10th all-time in UNCG scoring history. Baldwin adds 10.4 points per game while leading the team with 91 assists and 33 steals. Sophomore forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) rounds out the double figure scorers at 10.2 points per game. Smith is coming off a team-high 20 points against Samford, including 5-of-10 shooting from 3-point land as he ranks second on the team with 36 3-pointers.
The Citadel enters Thursday's game with a 9-11 overall record and a 2-5 mark in league play. The Bulldogs have also won two out of their last three with wins over Furman and Western Carolina before falling in overtime at East Tennessee State last time out. The Citadel is the highest scoring team in the SoCon, averaging 89.9 points per game but the Bulldogs also allow the most points at 92.0 points per game.
The Bulldogs have attempted the most shots from the field in the SoCon with 1405 and the most 3-pointers with 705 attempts. Opponents have attempted the most free throws against, averaging 28.8 attempts per game (577 total). Derrick Henry leads The Citadel in scoring at 16.5 points per game and on the glass with 4.5 rebounds per game. Henry has connected on 103-of-123 (83.7%) from the free throw line this year.
Quinton Marshall is second on the team in scoring at 12.5 points per game. Marshall is third on the team with 36 3-pointers, hitting at 35.3 percent. Warren Sledge rounds out the Bulldogs in double figures at 10.2 points per game. Sledge is second on the team with 45 3-pointers, connecting on 40.2 percent. Freshman Quayson Williams leads the team with 46 3-pointers, hitting 37.7 percent and averaging 9.3 points per game.
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