GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team closes out the regular season with two home games this week, beginning Thursday night when the Spartans welcome in The Citadel for a 7 p.m. tip-off at the Greensboro Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the ESPN App with Pete Yanity and Dave Odom providing the call. Additionally, the game will be aired on 1320 WCOG AM and online via Tune In with Cabell Philpott and Darryl Kosciak on the call.

Thursday's game is slated as the Student Giveaway Frenzy. The first 1,000 students will received a free Spartan Dab t-shirt while the next 1,000 students will receive a mystery gift. Additionally, one student will walk away from halftime with a Spring Break trip for two that includes round-trip airfare and a five-night hotel stay to Las Vegas, Miami or New York City – the winning student's choice.

The Spartans enter Thursday's game in a dogfight for a top six seed in the SoCon Tournament. The top six seeds in the tournament earn a first round bye. UNCG is tied with both Western Carolina and Mercer for fifth place overall with an 8-8 league record with two games to go in the regular season. The Spartans can finish as either the No. 5, No. 6 or No. 7 seed in the tournament.

UNCG can clinch a bye in numerous ways, including two wins in their final two games as the Spartans control their own destiny. UNCG can earn a bye as early as Thursday with help from around the league with a Spartans' win and a Western Carolina loss. Additionally, the Spartans can claim the bye with a win over Mercer Sunday.

Thursday's game marks the 29th meeting all-time between UNCG and The Citadel. The Spartans lead the all-time series by a 19-9 margin and have won eight out of the last 10 meetings between the two teams. UNCG has won the last two meetings, both of them on the road. The Spartans won in McAlister Field House 79-63 last year and picked up a 102-95 victory in Charleston Jan. 28.

The Spartans scored a season-high 102 points in the victory at The Citadel. The 102 points are the most for UNCG since scoring 110 points in a double overtime game against Chattanooga January 27, 2011. The 102 points are the most scored in a regulation game since scoring 104 point in a win over East Tennessee State January 14, 2002. Additionally, the Spartans placed three players with at least 20 points in the victory with Kayel Locke (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) (30), Diante Baldwin (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) (23) and Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) (21).

The Spartans enter Thursday's game with a 12-17 overall record and an 8-8 mark in Southern Conference play. UNCG has won three straight, including two wins against the top four teams in the conference in Wofford and Chattanooga. The Spartans are 9-4 at home this season, including a 5-2 mark in SoCon play. UNCG has only lost one league game in the Greensboro Coliseum this year, dropping a 73-60 contest to Chattanooga in January. The Spartans are averaging 72.7 points per game while allowing 74.1 points per game. The Spartans are shooting 44.8 percent (760-of-1697) from the field and hitting 35.6 percent (245-of-688) from 3-point land.

Four Spartans are averaging double figures this year and five players average at least 9.0 points per game. Alonso is tied for the team lead in scoring at 12.9 points per game. He leads the team with 72 3-pointers made and is shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point land. Locke also averages 12.9 points per game while adding 5.4 rebounds per game. He is shooting 46.4 percent (147-of-317) from the field ... He is coming off a career-high three field goal attempts in the Spartans' win at Chattanooga.

Junior center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) is third on the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game. White also leads the team on the glass grabbing 7.0 rebounds per game. He is shooting 62.3 percent (144-of-231) from the field and is coming off an 11-of-12 shooting performance at Chattanooga. Baldwin rounds out the Spartans in double figures scoring at 11.4 points per game. He leads the team with 143 assists on the year and is grabbing 5.2 rebounds per game ... His 2.0 assist/turnover ratio ranks fifth in the SoCon. Sophomore forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) chips in 9.4 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game. Smith is second on the team with 46 made 3-pointers

The Citadel enters Thursday's game with a 10-19 overall record and a 3-13 mark in Southern Conference play. The Bulldogs have dropped seven straight games and are 3-11 in league play away from home, including 1-6 in SoCon action. The Bulldogs have picked up league wins against Furman, Western Carolina and VMI. The Citadel enters the game as the top scoring offense in the country, averaging 87.1 points per game. The Bulldogs are also allowing the most points in the country at 92.7 points per game. The Citadel is shooting 42.2 percent (862-of-2044) from the field and 32.1 percent (331-of-1030) from 3-point land.

Derrick Henry leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 16.3 points per game. Henry has gone to the free throw line a team-high 196 times, connecting on 79.6. Additionally, he has hit 39 3-pointers at a 30.7 percent clip. Quinton Marshall is second on the team in scoring at 12.2 points per game. Marshall is third on the team with 50 3-pointers made, hitting at 33.3 percent. Warren Sledge rounds out the double figure scorers at 10.3 points per game and has hit a team-high 60 3-pointers. Quayson Williams is second with 59 made 3-pointers while P.J. Boutte leads the team with 163 assists. 

-UNCG-