SPARTAN ESSENTIALS
Who: UMBC (5-5)
Where: Chesapeake Employees Insurance Arena | Catonsville, Md.
When: Thursday, December 16 | 7 p.m. 
Watch (ESPN3) | Live Stats | Listen
Game Notes: UNCG | UMBC

BALTIMORE – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team finishes its three-game road trip by visiting UMBC Thursday night. This will be the first meeting between the Spartans and Retrievers in 9,088 days.
 
This contest also represents UNCG's penultimate non-conference game of the 2021-22 campaign. The Spartans host Johnson & Wales in Fleming Gym on Tuesday to close the books on their non-conference slate.
 
This will be UNCG's second game this year against an America East opponent. The Spartans edged Vermont, 54-51, in Greensboro on Nov. 27. UMBC and UNCG were members of the Big South Conference together during the mid-90s.
 
UMBC is 3-0 at home this season, winning by 38 points (Penn State-York and Columbia) and 31 points (American). That equates to a 35.6 point average margin of victory in three home games for UMBC.
 
Last Time Out

• De'Monte Buckingham scored 20 points in a 74-64 loss to Towson on Tuesday.
• UMBC dropped an 89-77 decision to Princeton on Monday night despite having three players in double figures led by L.J. Owens' 14 points.

 
Series History

• UNCG leads 7-1.
• The Spartans won the last matchup, 81-77, on Jan. 29, 1997.
• UNCG has won four straight meetings against UMBC.
• UMBC's lone victory in the series was 78-70 in Greensboro on Feb. 18, 1995.
• UNCG won the Big South in 1995 with a 14-2 league mark with its only losses to Towson and UMBC.
• Five of UNCG's triumphs in this series have been by double digits.
• UNCG is 4-0 all-time at UMBC.

 
A Look At UNCG

• In three career games against Maryland schools, Khyre Thompson is averaging 15 points.
• Thompson, who scored a season-high 14 points against Towson, is 5-for-5 in 3-pointers against Coppin State and Towson this season.
• Buckingham leads UNCG in scoring (13.6 points per game) and rebounding (8.0).
• Against Towson, Buckingham scored eight points in 19 seconds late in the second half.
• Buckingham is third in the SoCon in defensive rebounding (6.3 per game).
• In addition, he is fourth in rebounding, fifth in free-throw percentage (85.3), and 11th in 3-point field goal percentage (42.0).
• Bas Leyte is second on the Spartans in scoring (9.3) and rebounding (5.8).
• Leyte, who is tied for 13th in the SoCon in rebounding, has scored in double figures in four of UNCG's last six games.
• Kaleb Hunter has scored 800 career points.
• Hunter is averaging 7.3 points per contest.
• UNCG finished with a season-best 15 assists and shot 52.1 percent against Towson.
• UNCG is 1-2 on the road this season.
• UNCG leads the conference in rebounding margin (+11.1).
• The Spartans are second in scoring defense (65.3), defensive rebounding percentage (76.9), offensive rebound percentage (36.4).
• They are fourth in field goal percentage defense (39.4).
• UNCG is ninth nationally in rebounding margin (11.1), 14th in total rebounds (443), and 50th in rebounds per game (40.27).

 
A Look At UMBC

• The Retrievers have lost three straight – all on the road to Delaware, Georgetown, and Princeton.
• UMBC owns an 87-77 road victory over Pittsburgh on Nov. 27.
• Keondre Kennedy (14.2 points) and Darnell Rogers (12.6) are UMBC's leading scorers.
• Kennedy is shooting 48.6 percent from the floor and 43.6 percent from three.
• L.J. Owens chips in a 9.8 point per game clip.
• Owens, Rogers, and Kennedy have combined to make 54 3-pointers, which is 58 percent of UMBC's total of 93 for the season.
• UMBC's top rebounder is Yaw Obeng-Mensah, who grabs 5.3 boards per outing.
• In the loss to Princeton, UMBC shot 45.8 percent.
• This is UMBC's first home game since Dec. 1.

 
Up Next

• UNCG returns home to meet Johnson and Wales on Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. in a game that will be played in Fleming Gym.

 
Upcoming Important Dates

• UNCG hosts Wofford on Saturday, Jan. 1 at 5 p.m.
• The Spartans also host Furman on Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. in a game televised nationally on ESPN News. There will be rally towels distributed that night to the first 2,000 fans.