GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team returns home to the Greensboro Coliseum for the first of six straight home games beginning Friday afternoon when the Spartans welcome in Belmont Abbey as part of the HPU Classic. Game time Friday is set for 2 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum and will be streamed on the SoCon Digital Network with Scott Pryzwansky and Darryl Kosciak on the call. Additionally, Parker Southern will provide the audio broadcast on TuneIn and online at www.uncgspartans.com/radio.
The Spartans enter Friday's game with a 3-2 overall record after finishing in the top spot on the weekend at the HPU Classic at the Millis Center with a 2-1 record and a plus-18 scoring differential. UNCG rebounded from an opening loss to the host Panthers by posting back-to-back wins over North Dakota State and Navy, both by double figures.
Senior guard Diante Baldwin (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) leads the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game. Baldwin was named to the HPU Classic All-Tournament Team Tuesday and has scored in double figures all five games this year. He is third on the team with 4.8 rebounds per game while leading the team with 18 assists and 12 steals. Junior forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) is second on the team in scoring at 10.4 points per game while leading the team on the glass at 6.4 rebounds per game. Smith has hit 10-of-30 (33.3%) from 3-point land this season.
Sophomore guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) is third on the team in scoring at 9.8 points per game. Alonso is shooting 31.3 percent (10-of-32) from distance this year. Sophomore Demetrius Troy (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God) is coming off a career-high 15 points Sunday against Navy. Troy is averaging 7.8 points per game and is shooting 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from distance.
Senior center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) is coming off an 11-point performance against Navy Sunday and averages 7.4 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game. Junior forward Jordy Kuiper (Groningen, Netherlands/Canaries Basketball Academy) adds 4.6 rebounds per game while freshman forward James Dickey (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God) is second on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game.
Friday marks the second meeting all-time between UNCG and Belmont Abbey. The Spartans posted an 84-61 victory last year against the Crusaders, recording 22 assists on 32 field goals. UNCG connected on 50.8 percent (32-of-63) from the field while Belmont Abby hit 41.8 percent (23-of-55) from the field.
Alonso led four in double figures with 14 points while Smith added 13 points and White chipped in 12 points. Troy had a strong game off the bench with eight points and six assists. Deion Lane led the Crusaders with 13 points as Belmont Abbey committed 20 turnovers in the loss.
Belmont Abbey enters Friday's game with a 3-2 overall record. The Crusaders are coming off a 93-33 victory over Christendom Tuesday night. Belmont Abbey is shooting 47.8 percent (143-of-299) from the field and 40.7 percent (48-of-118) from 3-point land through the first five games.
Deion Lane leads the Crusaders in scoring at 16.0 points per game and on the glass at 6.2 rebounds per game. Drexler Clark is second on the team in scoring 14.0 points per game and shooting 50 percent (10-of-20) from 3-point land. Jacob Wilson adds 12.4 points per game and is shooting 91.7 percent (22-of-24) from the free throw line. Gunnar Hardarson leads the team shooting 53.3 percent (16-of-30) from 3-point land and is averaging 11.4 points per game.
-- UNCG --
