GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team continues its four-game home stretch Friday night as the Spartans host NCAA Division III member Ferrum College on campus at Fleming Gymnasium in the Coleman Building. The game is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on the SoCon Digital Network with Scott Pryzwansky and Darryl Kosciak on the call. Links will be available at www.uncgspartans.com.
UNCG enters Friday's game with a 1-1 overall record after posting an 82-48 win over North Carolina Wesleyan Wednesday night in Fleming Gym. The Spartans opened the season with a 60-48 loss at Atlantic Coast Conference foe Virginia last Friday. The Spartans are averaging 65.0 points per game while shooting 41.6 percent (47-of-113) from the field and 23.1 percent (12-of-52) from 3-point land. UNCG is out-rebounding opponents by a 39.5-29.0 margin, including 15.0 offensive rebounds per game. Opponents are averaging 54.0 points per game while shooting just 37.2 percent (35-of-94) from the field and 27.3 percent (9-of-33) from distance.
Senior forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) leads the team in scoring at 14.0 points per game while averaging 6.0 rebounds per game. Smith leads the team with six made 3-pointers on the year. Sophomore forward James Dickey (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God) is second on the team in scoring at 10.0 points per game while grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game. Dickey is shooting 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the field.
Sophomore forward Kyrin Galloway (Milton, Ga./Milton) chips in 9.5 points per game and is shooting 72.7 percent (8-of-11) from the field. Senior forward Jordy Kuiper (Groningen, Netherlands/Canaries Basketball Academy) is second on the team with 6.0 rebounds per game while averaging 7.5 points per game.
UNCG and Ferrum have met four times in program history with the Spartans owning a 4-0 record against the Panthers. The two teams played four times from 1985-87, with two games coming in Greensboro and two coming in Virginia. The Spartans won the first-ever meeting 83-76 December 14, 1985 on the road and won the last meeting 76-72 in Greensboro Nov. 24, 1987.
Ferrum College in an NCAA Division III member that posted a 10-15 record last year, including a 5-9 mark in USA South Conference play. The Panthers opened the 2017-18 season with a 70-66 victory over Randolph Wednesday night. D'Andre Mullen led the Panthers with 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep while Rashad Reed added 14 points and Marcus Huff chipped in 12 points.
Last year, Josh Grimard led the Panthers in scoring at 14.2 points per game while grabbing 5.4 rebounds per game. Grimard hit a team-high 64 3-pointers, connecting on 36.8 percent. Mullen is the second-highest returning scorer for Ferrum after averaging 7.3 points and dishing out 70 assists. Ferrum is coached by first-year head coach Tyler Sanborn. Sanborn was a standout at Guilford College, leading the Quakers to back-to-back NCAA Division III Final Four appearances in 2009 and 2010.
-- UNCG --
