GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team returns to its old stomping grounds Saturday afternoon as the Spartans host a Southern Conference game in Fleming Gymnasium on campus for the first time since 2010 when UNCG hosts East Tennessee State. Game time is set for 5 p.m. on campus and will be streamed on the SoCon Digital Network. Additionally, the game will be broadcast on 1320 WCOG AM and online via Tune In with Scott Pryzwansky and Darryl Kosciak on the call.

The Spartans enter Saturday's game with a 9-14 overall record and a 5-5 mark in Southern Conference play. UNCG has won three out of its last four games and four of its last six contests. The Spartans are 8-3 at home this season and 1-0 in Fleming, posting an 86-69 win over Greensboro College in the season opener. The eight home wins are the most since 2013-14 (9-7) and .727 home winning percentage is their highest since going 10-3 in 2007-08.  

The Spartans are averaging 72.7 points per game while allowing 74.5 points per game. UNCG is shooting 44.2 percent (602-of-1363) from the field and hitting 36.2 percent (203-of-561) from 3-point land. The Spartans are the only team in the SoCon that has five players averaging double figures.

Senior forward Kayel Locke (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) leads the way with 12.9 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. Locke is averaging 22.3 points per game over the last three games entering Saturday. Freshman guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) is second on the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game. Alonso has hit a team-high 59 3-pointers and is shooting 40.1 percent from distance.

Junior center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) is third on the team in scoring at 12.1 points per game. White leads the team and ranks second in the league on the glass grabbing 7.1 rebounds per game. He is shooting a league-high 63.7 percent (109-of-171) from the field this year. Junior guard Diante Baldwin (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) leads the team with 117 assists while adding 10.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) rounds out the Spartans in double figures at 10.0 points per game. Smith is second on the team with 40 3-pointers made.

East Tennessee State enters Saturday's game with a 14-9 overall record and a 7-3 mark in league play. The Bucs have gone 3-3 over their last six games with two of the wins coming in overtime. ETSU is 5-8 on the road this year, including a 3-3 mark in SoCon action. The Bucs are averaging 78.4 points per game while allowing 74.4 points per game. ETSU is shooting 45.6 percent (633-of-1388) from the field and 36 percent (178-of-494) from 3-point land.

Ge'Lawn Guyn leads the Bucs in scoring at 17.6 points per game. Guyn, a senior transfer from Cincinnati, leads the team with 54 3-pointers and has hit 38 percent from deep. He has also been to the free throw line 85 times, connecting on 74.1 percent. T.J. Cromer is second on the team in scoring at 15.9 points per game. Cromer is second on the team with 48 3-pointers made (37.8%) and leads the team with 88 free throw attempts (80.7%). Isaac Banks leads the team on the glass grabbing 6.0 rebounds per game while Cromer leads the team with 67 assists. Lester Wilson is third on the team with 38 made 3-pointers, hitting 41.3 percent.

Saturday's game marks the 22nd meeting all-time between UNCG and East Tennessee State. The Spartans trail the all-time series by a 13-8 margin. The two teams split the regular season series last year with the road team winning each game. UNCG won 80-79 in Johnson City last year while ETSU won 65-62 at the Greensboro Coliseum. This season, the Spartans suffered an 86-83 loss in Johnson City as the Spartans held an 83-80 lead with 1:37 remaining but the Bucs would hit two 3-pointers in the final minute, including the game-winning shot with 6.1 seconds remaining. Alonso led UNCG with 21 points while White and Locke added 19 points apiece. Guyn scored a game-high 28 points while Cromer posted 20 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer.

All three games played since ETSU returned to the SoCon have been decided by a total of seven points. ETSU will be making its first appearance in Fleming Gymnasium since January 18, 2005 when the Spartans posted a 78-75 victory over the Bucs.

-UNCG-