GREENVILLE, S.C.  – UNCG men's basketball gets back in the win column this Saturday against Furman, beating the Paladins 86-73, to move to 3-2 in Southern Conference play. Isaiah Miller would come within just two points of his fourth straight 20-plus point performance, while five Spartans scored in double-digits overall. 

The Spartans set the tone for the night on an alley-oop finish to Kaleb Hunter on their very first possession, with the sophomore scoring a total of seven in the first half alone. After falling behind by as many as five points, UNCG responded with a 9-0 run to jump out to a 15-11 lead midway through the opening period. 

The two sides traded punches throughout the remainder of the opening period, with the Paladins securing a 10-2 run later in the half, and the Spartans closing out the opening 20 minutes on an 11-2 run. UNCG would take a 34-27 lead into the halftime break, riding 15 points from their bench, and shooting 14-for-31 (.452) from the floor.

UNCG tallied five steals in the first four minutes of the second half, stretching their seven-point lead to 14 before the first media timeout. The Spartans moved ahead by as many as 16 points before the hosts were able to cut the difference to as little as four points with three minutes remaining. 

Six straight points from Hunter helped move the Spartans back into a double-digit lead however, with UNCG pouring in 14 of the last 19 points on the evening. Hunter and Miller combined for 20 points in the second half alone, with the latter putting up a team-high 18 for the entirety of the matchup, as the Spartans rode to an 86-73 win. 

Things To Know
-- Sophomore Mohammed Abdulsalam scored a career-high 10 points, while James Dickey's seven assists were a personal best

-- Dickey came within a bucket and three assists of his first career triple-double, pulling down a game-high 12 boards

-- The Spartans dished out 20 assists as a team, the second-most they've had in a single game this year

-- Combining for 16 steals on the day, Isaiah Miller recorded a game-high of six, while Hunter's four were a career best

Up Next For The Spartans

The Spartans stay on the road next Wednesday, facing off with The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. at 7 p.m. They have lost just nine of their 37 matchups against the Citadel all-time, and have not dropped a decision to the Bulldogs since the start of 2015. The Spartans currently own an 11-game winning streak against the side.

-- UNCG –