GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team returns to action Saturday evening as the Spartans host the preseason Southern Conference favorite Mercer Bears. The game is set for a 5 p.m. tip-off at the Greensboro Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the ESPN App with Pete Yanity and Darryl Kosciak on the call.
The Spartans enter Saturday's game with a 13-5 overall record and a 4-1 mark in Southern Conference play. UNCG has won two-straight games and nine out of its last 11 games. The Spartans are 9-1 at home this season, including 6-1 at the Greensboro Coliseum. UNCG is coming off a 72-58 victory Thursday night over The Citadel, holding the nation's 11th-ranked scoring offense to its lowest scoring output in almost two years.
Senior forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) posted his second double-double of the year in the win. Smith scored a team-high 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He enters Saturday's game 62 points shy of joining the 1,000-career point club at UNCG.
On the year, the Spartans are averaging 72.2 points per game while holding opponents to a conference-best 61.6 points per game. UNCG is shooting 43.9 percent (467-of-1063) from the field and 35.7 percent (178-of-498) from 3-point land. Opponents are shooting 41.7 percent (369-of-884) from the field and 29.9 percent (103-of-344) from distance.
Junior guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) leads the Spartans in scoring at 17.2 points per game. Alonso leads the team with 64 made 3-pointers, connecting on 44.1 percent. He has also hit on 87 percent of his free throws this year (47-of-54). Smith is second on the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game while second on the team on the glass grabbing 5.5 rebounds per game. He is also second on the team with 34 offensive rebounds and second on the team with 36 made 3-pointers, connecting on 32.1 percent.
Sophomore forward James Dickey (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God) leads the team and the SoCon on the glass at 8.4 rebounds per game while adding 8.1 points per game. Dickey leads the league with 60 offensive rebounds and is shooting 48.2 percent (54-of-112) from the field. Freshman guard Isaiah Miller (Covington, Ga./Newton) adds 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game off the bench. Miller is shooting 51.4 percent (57-of-111) from the field.
Junior guard Demetrius Troy (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God) leads the team with 69 assists while adding 6.3 points per game. Troy is shooting 31.9 percent (23-of-72) from 3-point land. Senior forward Jordy Kuiper (Groningen, Netherlands/Canaries Basketball Academy) adds 5.2 rebounds and 6.2 points per game while connecting on 20 3-pointers.
Saturday's game marks the 10th meeting all-time between UNCG and Mercer. The Spartans trail the all-time series by a 3-6 margin but have won the past three meetings. Last year, UNCG swept the season series by posted a 68-66 victory at the Greensboro Coliseum and a 72-66 win in Macon. The Spartans averaged 70.0 points per game in the two meetings, shooting 43.5 percent (47-of-108) from the field and 41.9 percent (18-of-43) from 3-point land. Mercer averaged 66.0 points per game against UNCG while shooting 42.7 percent (44-of-103) from the field and 29.4 percent (10-of-34) from distance.
Alonso averaged 25.5 points per game last season against Mercer, hitting 70 percent (14-of-20) from the field, 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from 3-point land and 88.2 percent (15-of-17) from the free throw line. Dickey averaged 10.0 points and 9.0 rebounds against the Bears, connecting on 66.7 percent (8-of-12) from the field. Jordan Strawberry led Mercer against UNCG with 18.0 points and 4.0 assists per game. Desmond Ringer added 13.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while Ria'n Holland chipped in 13.0 points while shooting 33.3 percent (3-of-9) from deep.
Mercer enters Saturday's game with a 10-9 overall record and a 3-3 mark in Southern Conference play. The Bears have won three-straight games with wins over Samford, Chattanooga and VMI. Mercer lost its first three league games against ETSU, Furman and Western Carolina. The Bears are 2-6 on the road this year. Mercer is averaging 76.4 points per game while allowing 67.0 points per game against. The Bears are shooting 47.4 percent (501-of-1058) from the field and 39.8 percent (165-of-415) from 3-point land. Opponents are shooting 42.7 percent (441-of-1033) from the field and 35.5 percent (165-of-465) from deep.
Ria'n Holland leads three Bears in double figure scoring at 19.0 points per game, ranking second in the SoCon. Holland is shooting 47.5 percent (48-of-101) from 3-point land and 83.6 percent (56-of-67) from the free throw line. Demetre Rivers is second on the team in scoring at 10.6 points per game and has hit 23 3-pointers. Stephon Jelks leads the team with 7.6 rebounds per game while adding 10.6 points per game. Jelks is shooting 52.8 percent (28-of-53) from 3-point land. Jordan Strawberry leads the team with 78 assists while adding 8.4 points per game. Desmond Ringer chips in 8.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 53.2 percent (58-of-109) from the field.
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