CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The UNCG men's basketball team wraps up the first swing through the Southern Conference schedule Monday night as the Spartans battle Chattanooga on the road at the McKenzie Arena in Southern Conference play. Game time is set for 7 p.m. Monday and will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the ESPN App with Chris Goforth and Todd Agne on the call. Additionally, the game will be radio broadcast on TuneIn with Scott Pryzwansky on the call.
The Spartans enter the game riding a five-game winning streak after Saturday's 98-82 win at Samford. The Spartans are 16-5 overall on the year and 7-1 in SoCon play, sitting alone in second place in the league standings. UNCG's 16 wins already ranks 10th most in program history while the 7-1 start to league play ties the best start in SoCon history for the Spartans with last year's team.
Junior guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) led the Spartans to the offensive victory Saturday at Samford. Alonso connected on 8-of-9 from 3-point land, moving into second place in the all-time career list for made 3-pointers with 264. He surpassed Jay Joseph, Nicholas Paulos and Mikko Koivisto Saturday night, moving from fifth to second. He trails only Scott Hartzell for the all-time lead as Hartzell holds the record with 309 makes.
The Spartans' 98 point output Saturday was a season-high while their 53 first half points also was tops on the year. UNCG connected on a program-record 76.2 percent (16-of-21) from 3-point land in the win as five different players scored in double figures. Senior forward Jordy Kuiper (Groningen, Netherlands/Canaries Basketball Academy) scored a career-high 16 points in the win, hitting 4-of-5 from distance.
The Spartans enter the game having won five-straight games and 12 of their last 14 contests. UNCG is 5-4 on the road this season, including 3-1 in SoCon play. The Spartans are averaging 73.3 points per game while shooting 44.7 percent (545-of-1220) from the field and 37 percent (208-of-562) from 3-point land. Opponents are averaging 62.7 points per game while shooting 41.6 percent (436-of-1047) from the field and 31.1 percent (128-of-412) from distance.
Alonso leads the Spartans in scoring at 17.5 points per game, ranking second in the league. He is second in the conference with 77 made 3-pointers and is shooting 47 percent from deep. Senior forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game. Smith also averages 5.5 rebounds per game and is second on the team with 38 offensive rebounds. He is second on the team with 45 made 3-pointers, hitting 34.1 percent from long range.
Sophomore forward James Dickey (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God) leads the team and the SoCon in rebounding at 8.2 caroms per game. Dickey also averages 8.4 points per game and is shooting 51.9 percent (68-of-131) from the field. Freshman guard Isaiah Miller (Covington, Ga./Newton) is fourth on the team in scoring at 7.4 points per game while shooting 51.5 percent (67-of-130) from the field off the bench. Kuiper adds 6.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 33.8 percent (24-of-71) from 3-point land. Junior guard Demetrius Troy (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God) leads the team with 85 assists while adding 6.5 points per game and shooting 32.9 percent from deep.
Chattanooga enters Monday's game with a 7-15 overall record and a 1-8 mark in Southern Conference play. The Mocs have lost nine out of their last 10 games with their lone win coming Wednesday night at home against Samford (78-71). In their last four losses, the Mocs have lost by a combined 18 points, including two overtime games and one game at the buzzer. Chattanooga is 6-6 at home this year and 1-4 at McKenzie Arena in league play. The Mocs are averaging 69.5 points per game while shooting 43.7 percent (531-of-1215) from the field and 35.2 percent (189-of-537) from 3-point land. Opponents are averaging 71.7 points per game while shooting 47.4 percent (590-of-1244) from the field and 34.9 percent (134-of-384) from distance.
Nat Dixon leads three Moc players in double figure scoring at 14.3 points per game while grabbing 4.5 rebounds per game. Dixon leads the team with 49 3-pointers, connecting on 40.5 percent from deep. Dixon has gone to the free throw line a team-high 87 times, shooting 74.7 percent. Makinde London is second on the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game while ranking second in the league with 7.9 rebounds per game. London is shooting 35.2 percent (31-of-88) from 3-point land. Rodney Chatman rounds out the double figure scorers at 12.0 points per game while leading the team with 104 assists. Chatman has hit 32 3-pointers, connecting on 32.3 percent. Makale Foreman is second on the team with 46 3-pointers, hitting 38 percent on the year.
Monday's game marks the 42nd meeting all-time between UNCG and Chattanooga. The Spartans trail the all-time series by a 23-18 margin and have dropped four out of the last six meetings to the Mocs. The past two years, the teams have split the regular season series. Last season, UNCG posted a 73-68 victory in Greensboro before suffering its worst loss of the Southern Conference season with a 91-68 defeat at Chattanooga. In the two games last year, the Spartans averaged 70.5 points per game while shooting 44 percent (51-of-116) from the field and 31.3 percent (10-of-32) from distance.
Alonso led UNCG against the Mocs averaging 16.5 points per game, shooting 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from 3-point land and 9-of-10 (90%) from the free throw line. Troy averaged 9.0 points and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 63.6 (7-of-11) from the field. Chattanooga averaged 79.5 points per game while shooting 47.5 percent (58-of-122) from the field and 39.5 percent (15-of-38) from distance. Former Moc Justin Tuoyo averaged 18.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while Tre' McLean chipped in 17.0 points per game against UNCG. London added 11.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, shooting 66.7 percent (8-of-12) from the field.
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