ASHEVILLE, N.C. – No. 3 UNCG men's basketball's run towards a SoCon Championship Tournament title concludes in the conference quarterfinals, after falling to No. 6 Chattanooga 78-68 on Saturday night.Â
The Spartans opened play with a 16-6 lead, hitting six of their first 11 attempts while holding the Mocs to just 10 points in the first eight minutes of the quarterfinal contest. Chattanooga responded in the next 10 minutes of the opening half however, outscoring the Spartans 25-9 to pull within two points at the 2:23 mark. The Spartans' ability to force turnovers were the difference maker in the opening period however, forcing 11 in the first half alone while converting those opportunities into 18 points and taking a 42-35 lead after 20 minutes.
Senior forward James Dickey led the contest in both points (10) and rebounds (6) in the first half, while hitting 4-of-6 from the floor. Junior guard Isaiah Miller added nine points as well, while dishing out four assists.Â
The Mocs tied things up midway through the second half at 57-57, taking their first lead of the night with just over nine minutes remaining in regulation. UTC went on a 10-0 run midway through the period, taking a 69-59 lead with just five minutes left on the clock. The Spartans would fight to get back into the contest with Miller scoring seven of his team-high 17 points down the stretch, but it wouldn't be enough to complete the comeback.Â
The final score would read 78-68 in favor of the Mocs as the sixth seed outscored the Spartans 43-26 in the final 20 minutes. UNCG moves to a 23-9 record on the year, with their run toward a SoCon Championship tournament title concluding in the conference quarterfinals.
Things To Know
-- Dickey delivered a double-double, scoring 12 points and pulling down a team best 11 boards
-- Kaleb Hunter finished with 13 points on the night, hitting 3-of-5 in the second halfÂ
-- The Spartans were outrebounded 40-31 on the night, with the evening's points scored in the paint reading 48-28 in favor of the Mocs.
-- UNCG –
