CATONSVILLE, Md. – The juice, defensive intensity, and execution that helped the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team win seven games in November reappeared.
Those essential elements made UMBC's perfect home record, and an early seven-point deficit disappear.
The Spartan defense locked down UMBC when it mattered most to finish its tough three-game road trip with a satisfyingly sweet 62-51 victory over UMBC at Chesapeake Employees Insurance Arena in a non-conference contest Thursday night.
UNCG limited the Retrievers to four points over the final 9 minutes, 24 seconds. During that time, UMBC's ballhandlers were surrounded by a cluster of arms, legs, and torsos created by UNCG's relentless defense. The Spartans protected the basket with bulldog tenacity. Open shots were a rumor for UMBC.
It was hardwood poetry at its best.
Fueled by clutch 3-pointers in the final five minutes from
Kobe Langley and
De'Monte Buckingham, UNCG terminated a two-game slide.
Records
UNCG 8-4
UMBC 5-6
Quotable
UNCG head coach Mike Jones on the victory.
"We played some good competition during this trip. It's nice to come out on top against a good team on its home floor. I thought we recommitted ourselves to play as hard as we could defensively and be solid with the things that we do for 40 minutes. It was a team effort and I thought everybody was committed to playing for the whole game instead of little stretches and being satisfied with 30 minutes of basketball. It didn't go perfect, but the guys didn't hang their heads. They hung in there and had great resolve throughout the game."
Statistical Standouts
How It Happened
- UNCG finished the game with an 18-4 run over the final 9:25.
- All three of Buckingham's second half baskets were 3-pointers, including a dagger that swelled UNCG's lead to 58-51 with 1:53 remaining.
- With the Spartans clinging to a slim one-point lead, Kobe Langley drained a 3-pointer to push their advantage to 53-49 with 3:38 left.
- Trailing, 47-44, following a pull-up jumper from UMBC's Ray Salnave with 9:25 remaining, Buckingham started a decisive 7-0 run with a game-tying 3-pointer.
- Treacy's layup with 8:12 remaining gave the Spartans the lead for good, 49-47.
- UNCG allowed 23 points in the second half.
- Miles Jones had a nice sequence in which he scored on one end of the floor and then blocked a shot on UMBC's next possession during the second half.
- UNCG held UMBC to 1 for 12 from 3-point distance in the second half.
- UMBC's final four points of the contest were from the free-throw line.
- UMBC missed its final 11 shots thanks to UNCG's sticky defense.
First Half Highlight Reel
- Abdulsalam made a steal, raced the length of the floor, and dunked it in the face of a UMBC player.
- Keshaun Langley finished a brilliant alley-oop dunk from his brother to give UNCG a 26-25 lead with 85 seconds remaining in the first half.
- Kobe Langley ended the first half with a deep 3-pointer to beat the buzzer that gave UNCG a 29-28 edge at intermission. Jalen White had the assist on that hoop.
Inside the Numbers
- UNCG scored 11 consecutive points during the first half to reverse a 17-13 deficit.
- It was the sixth game this season in which UNCG had a run of at least 10 or more straight points.
- This was the ninth time this season that Buckingham has reached double digits in scoring.
- He has 68 career double digit scoring games.
- This is the 10th time in UNCG's last 11 games that Buckingham has finished with at least six rebounds.
- This was Kobe Langley's third game in double figures this season.
- UNCG has won 70 games by double digits since the start of the 2015-16 season.
- Amazingly, UNCG held each America East opponent it defeated this season to 51 points.
- This was the fifth opponent that UNCG held below 60 points this season.
- UNCG won the rebounding battle, 37-28.
- Keondre Kennedy led UMBC with 14 points.
Final Word
Buckingham on the win.
"A win like this builds character throughout our team. You're going to go through some bumps in the road throughout the season. It was a great time to face adversity and we responded well.
Buckingham's reaction to Abdulsalam's dunk.
Big Mo definitely turned me up on the dunk. I was loving that because we had been waiting for him to get a dunk all season. It's a blessing to come up to Baltimore to play the game we love and get a win."
Up Next
- UNCG hosts Johnson & Wales on Tuesday, Dec. 21 inside of Fleming Gym to finish the non-conference portion of its schedule.
- Please contact the ticket office (336-334-3250) by noon on Tuesday to reserve your $8 seat when you mention the flyer.
