GREENSBORO, N.C.  –  UNCG men's basketball prepares for one of its biggest contests of the regular season this Saturday, facing off in a rematch with ETSU in Johnson City at 4 p.m. The Bucs took the pair's previous meeting in Greensboro by a final score of 64-57, and currently sit in a tie with UNCG for second in the Southern Conference. While the Spartans are currently on a five-game winning streak in conference play, the Bucs just recently saw their own five-game streak come to an end against Mercer, a streak that was started on that win over UNCG in mid January. 

Who: ETSU
Where: Freedom Hall | Johnson City, Tenn.
When: Saturday, Feb. 1 | 4 p.m. EST
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Series History
-- ETSU leads its series against the Spartans 17-14 all-time, after defeating UNCG 64-57 in Greensboro on January 8th
-- The Spartans were on a four-game winning streak against the Bucs before that recent loss, with one of those victories clinching UNCG's 2018 SoCon Tournament title and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament

Five Facts To Know
-- UNCG's plus-7.3 turnover margin is the top mark in the nation, making them the only team in Division I with a seven-or-higher mark
-- In addition to leading the SoCon in conference scoring (22.7), Isaiah Miller ranks third in the country with 58 steals
-- Forward Kyrin Galloway recorded 15 points and three blocks against Western Carolina, giving the senior 102 rejections for his career. He is one of just six Spartans to record 100 blocks since 1988
-- The Spartans have jumped all the way into No. 67 in the most recent NET rankings. UNCG is ranked ahead of every other member of the SoCon, C-USA, CAA, Big South, Big Sky, Big West, Sun Belt, OVC, WAC, Summit, Horizon, Southland, America East, NEC, MAAC, Patriot, SWAC and MEAC
-- A win over ETSU would give UNCG eight road wins on the year, tying the third most the program has ever had in a single season. The Spartans have had more than eight road wins just two times prior, 11 in the previous season and 11 in the 1994-95 campaign

The Bucs
-- The Bucs have an 18-4 record on the year, and are 12-1 when playing at home. Their recent loss to the Bears is the only loss the team has had in Freedom Hall this year
-- ETSU has more blocks on the year than any other team in the Southern Conference, led by senior center Lucas N'Guessan, who has 26 rejections
-- The Bucs are 12th in the country in total steals (197) and 16th in turnover margin (+4.3), trailing only the Spartans for a conference best in those two categories

Coming Up Next
UNCG comes back home for its first game in Greensboro since January 18th, hosting the Citadel on the 5th of February. The Spartans will be on the search for a season series sweep against the Bulldogs, having beaten the side in their past 12 meetings overall.

-- UNCG –