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UNC Greensboro

big mo
Carlos Morales
68
Mercer Mercer 10-5,3-4 SoCon
81
Winner UNC Greensboro UNCG 11-5,6-2 SoCon
Mercer Mercer
10-5,3-4 SoCon
68
Final
81
UNC Greensboro UNCG
11-5,6-2 SoCon
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Mercer Mercer 33 35 68
UNC Greensboro UNCG 41 40 81

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

UNCG's Finishing Kick Too Much For Mercer

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team used another strong finishing kick to sprint past Mercer, 81-68, in a Southern Conference contest at the Greensboro Coliseum Wednesday night.
 
Senior guard Isaiah Miller led five players in double figures with a game-high 22 points to help UNCG to its fifth consecutive triumph. The Spartans have won 10 of their last 12 games. 
 
Junior guard Angelo Allegri (career-high-tying eight rebounds) and sophomore guard Keyshaun Langley (six assists) finished with 12 points each. Senior center Hayden Koval (11 points) and freshman A.J. McGinnis (10) combined for all 21 of the Spartan bench points. Junior guard Kaleb Hunter added nine points.
 
All of the Spartan weapons of mass destruction were on display during a solid performance that ended with them shooting 47 percent, taking six charges, and scoring 40 or more points in each half.
 
 UNCG's ruthless siege came from so many angles that Mercer must have thought it was taking a geometry test, especially in the final 8 minutes, 53 seconds after it closed to within, 63-60. 
 
Fueled by taking charges on three consecutive possessions, UNCG's dynamite defense squeezed the Bear attack, fueling an 18-8 burst highlighted by dunks, layups, and deep 3-pointers to conclude the contest. 
 
In taking a pair of offensive fouls down the stretch, McGinnis proved to be one persistent lighthouse around which the storming chaos of the Spartan defense revolved. Kobe Langley forced another one as the Spartans attacked the SoCon's third-ranked scoring offense with a combination of aggression, brute force, and purpose. 
 
Records
Mercer             10-5 overall, 3-4 SoCon
UNCG            11-5, 6-2
 
Inside the Numbers
  • The Spartans transformed those offensive fouls into points that swelled their lead to 74-63 with 5:16 remaining.
  • This was the second straight game in which UNCG limited an opponent to under 10 points in the final eight minutes.
  • UNCG shot 50 percent (17-for-34) and grabbed eight of its 15 offensive rebounds in the second half.
  • Allegri ended the game by making his 100th career 3-pointer at 8:45 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Again, we love round numbers.
  • It was the 26th time in the last two years that Allegri made at least two 3-pointers in a game.
  • Allegri has scored in double figures in consecutive games.
  • This was the 87th time in his splendid career that Miller has reached double figures.
  • This was Miller's sixth game this season with at least 20 points.
  • Miller has scored 1,686 career points.
  • Abdulsalam had six rebounds and a thunderous one-handed dunk with 2:11 remaining that rocked the house.
  • This was the 12th time this season that Abdulsalam had at least six rebounds.
  • This was Koval's 61st career game in double figures.
  • UNCG overcame a slow start in which it faced a quick 12-7 deficit.
  • UNCG's first two baskets of the contest were dunks from Miller and Koval.
  • Mercer made seven of its first eight baskets.
  • However, the Spartans held them to 25 percent shooting over the final 14 minutes of the first half (5-for-20).
  • Naftali Alvarez scored eight of Mercer's first 14 points. He finished with 12 points.
  • The Spartans clustered four of their five made 3-pointers in the first half during an 18-4 run to gain control.
  • The shooting exhibition was punctuated by consecutive triples from McGinnis, Langley, and Koval.
  • UNCG held Mercer without a basket for a stretch of 7:05 of the first half.
  • Miller finished his 10-point first half with a fadeaway jumper over two defenders at the buzzer to give the Spartans a 41-33 advantage.
  • Felipe Haase led the Bears with 17 points.
  • Ross Cummings, Mercer's leading scorer, collected 10 points.
  • UNCG improved to 7-1 this season when holding teams below 70 points.
  • This was the fourth time in the last five games that UNCG scored at least 80 points.
  • This was UNCG's 62nd double digit victory in the last five years.
 
Up Next
  • UNCG hosts Virginia Military Institute Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m.
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