Box Score GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team saw a 15-point second half lead slip away as the Spartans dropped a 72-67 heartbreaker to Mid-American Conference power Ohio Monday night in front of 3,567 fans at the Convocation Center in the second round of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Ohio improves to 23-11 on the year and advances to the CBI semifinals, while improving to 16-2 at home this year.
“I thought it was a really good college basketball game played on both sides,” head coach Wes Miller said. “Both teams competed with all that they had tonight. You have to tip your cap to Ohio for the way they fought back in the second half. I thought we made a good run to get the lead but tired down the stretch and Ohio made some big plays.”
The Spartans finish the season with a 15-19 overall record, marking their most victories since the 2007-08 season when they finished 19-12. Additionally, this year marked the fourth time in program history that UNCG has advanced to the postseason at the NCAA Division I level and the Spartans' first round victory over Houston Baptist was their first-ever postseason win as a program.
“This is our program's first taste of postseason basketball in a long time and we are still learning how to handle late game situations and the emotions that go with it in postseason play,” Miller added. “This was a great experience for our guys and our program. This experience (CBI) will help our young team next year and beyond.”
Junior guard Diante Baldwin (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) led three Spartans in double figures with 17 points, including three 3-pointers in the loss. Sophomore forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) added 16 points and seven rebounds as he connected on 4-of-7 from deep.
The Spartans finished the game shooting 39.1 percent (25-of-64) from the field and hit 10-of-28 (35.7%) from 3-point land in the loss. UNCG held Ohio to 44.8 percent (26-of-58) shooting from the field and just 25 percent (5-of-20) from distance but the Bobcats hit two three-pointers in the final three minutes of the game to help their comeback. Antonio Campbell led Ohio with 17 points and 19 rebounds while Jaaron Simmons added 19 points and eight assists.
The Spartans came out and matched Ohio point-for-point in the early going. Junior center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) tied the game at 11-11 with a strong post move to become the 21st player in UNCG men's basketball history to reach the 1,000-career point mark. White reached the mark in his 105th career game, including his 52nd career start as he has scored 790 points over the past two seasons as a starter, finishing with 1,009 points.
After Ohio took a 16-14 lead, the Spartans responded with a 17-3 run to take a 31-19 lead and force Ohio into a timeout. Smith started the run by hitting a 3-pointer and scoring five straight before White connected on back-to-back baskets in the paint. The Spartans accelerated their run with back-to-back 3-pointers from Smith and Baldwin.
Ohio answered back and recorded an 8-0 run to pull with 36-32 with 18.4 seconds remaining. Antonio Campbell scored four point during the run for the Bobcats. Baldwin closed out the first half by scoring off a drive in traffic to send the Spartans into the locker room with a 38-32 lead.
The Spartans connected on 42.4 percent (14-of-33) from the field and hit 6-of-13 (46.2%) from 3-point land in the first half. Smith led the way with 13 points while Baldwin chipped in eight points as all five starters scored at least five points in the half. Ohio connected on 42.9 percent (12-of-28) from the field but was held to just 1-of-9 (11.1%) from distance. Treg Setty scored 10 points while Campbell had nine points and nine rebounds.
The Spartans opened the second half by taking a 44-37 lead shortly after the break as Baldwin scored the first six points of the second half. Ohio would battle back to pull within two at 47-45 on a pair of free throws from Jaaron Simmons with 13:13 remaining.
UNCG looked like it would deliver a knockout blow as it posted a 15-2 run to five the Spartans' their largest lead of the night at 62-47 with 7:45 remaining. White started the run by converting an old-fashioned 3-point play before Baldwin hit his third 3-pointer of the evening. Freshman guard Demetrius Troy (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God) hit a 3-pointer and scored off a drive to put the Spartans up by 15, seemingly in control.
Ohio showed why it has won 23 games this year as the Bobcats started to claw back into the game, closing on a 25-5 run. Ohio went to the MAC Player of the Year in Antonio Campbell and he scored six points in a 1:30 stretch to get the Bobcats going. Ohio posted a 15-2 run to pull within two at 64-62 as Simmons nailed a 3-pointer with 2:59 remaining.
Jordan Dartis would give the Bobcats a 65-64 lead as he hit a 3-pointer before senior forward Kayel Locke (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) answered with a 3-pointer of his own to put UNCG in from 67-65 with 2:15 left. The teams traded missed baskets before Campbell was fouled and hit two free throws to tie the game at 67-67.
Locke missed a chance in the paint on the ensuing possession and the Spartans played great defense on the Bobcats' turn but Dartis hit a step-back 25-foot 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring to give Ohio the 70-67 lead with 24.5 seconds remaining. Freshman guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) had a look at a quick two-pointer but it just missed and Ohio was able to hit a pair of free throws to secure the victory.
“We are a young team and that three-pointer really made us drop our heads,” Miller said. “It is a learning experience for our group to respond to a big shot by just looking to the next play. It is those types of moments that will make our program better as we learn from this experience but it was a big shot and you have to give him credit for that.”
Kayel Locke finished with eight points in the loss and finished his career sixth all-time in UNCG history with 1,522 career points. Locke now holds the UNCG record for games played with 130, including 115 career starts. He is seventh all-time with 652 career rebounds.
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