GREENSBORO, N.C. – Keyshaun Langley tied a career-high by scoring 21 points to lead the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team during a tough 72-64 setback to Chattanooga in a rugged Southern Conference contest at the Greensboro Coliseum Thursday night.
Langley provided energy to UNCG early especially during a brief five-second burst of electricity in the first half. He made a short floater in the lane and stole Chattanooga's ensuing inbounds pass.
He also supplied a jolt early in the second half with five points in one minute that lifted UNCG into its first lead of the contest, 43-42, 12:47. His go-ahead score sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Late in the game, he added juice as he made two 3-pointers to bring UNCG within striking distance of Chattanooga.
Langley, UNCG's returning leading scorer from last season's NCAA Tournament team, scored 14 points in the second half and connected on 8-of-16 shots from the field. He also made four of the Spartan seven 3-pointers. This was the second time in UNCG's last three games in which Langley scored in double figures.
De'Monte Buckingham (seven rebounds) and Kobe Langley (four steals) added 10 points each for the Spartans.
UNCG's defense was once again at its disruptive best as it forced 17 Chattanooga turnovers and collected 11 steals. The Spartans also finished with 33 deflections as they were all over the floor and in passing lanes.
One play summed up UNCG's effort throughout the game. It occurred late in the second half. Mohammed Abdulsalam sprinted to the corner to save a loose ball. As he was falling out of bounds, he passed the ball to Dante Treacy, who drove the lane, passed the ball to Kobe Langley, who kicked it to Buckingham in the corner, who made a 3-pointer.
Quotable
UNCG head coach Mike Jones on the game and effort.
"We're all disappointed about the result, but the fight was there. I thought we competed on both ends of the floor well enough to win the game. Down the stretch, we didn't make some plays that we needed to make. I remember vividly, we got a big-time deflection all the way to the backcourt and out of sheer hustle, we sprinted after the ball, and they found a way to get a three. That one hurts you, but you love the effort and the details of how we wanted to defend Chattanooga. Overall, the effort was there, but we just have to find a way."
Keyshaun Langley on bright spots from the game.
"I feel like we did a good job of executing on the offensive end. Coming in we had three days of practice where we focused on our offense, and I think that translated into tonight. We played great defense as we usually do. I definitely think if we give this type of effort every game on both ends of the floor, we believe good things will happen for us."
Records
Chattanooga 15-4 overall, 5-1 SoCon
UNCG 10-8, 2-4
How It Happened
- Chattanooga scored 30 points over the final nine minutes.
- The Mocs took the lead for good, 50-49 following a Malachi Smith basket with 6:41 remaining.
- Smith, the SoCon's leading scorer tallied 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half.
- After that burst of brilliance, the Spartans went more than eight minutes without a field goal.
- UNCG held a 46-42 lead with 11:34 remaining following a Jalen White basket.
- Trailing, 42-38 with 15:11 remaining, UNCG held Chattanooga without a point for over six minutes.
- Abdulsalam and Bas Leyte had consecutive blocked shots on one Chattanooga possession early in the second half.
- Abdulsalam scored four of UNCG's first seven points.
- Buckingham started the scoring for UNCG with a 3-pointer.
- It's the second straight game in which Buckingham opened UNCG's scoring with a 3-pointer.
Inside the Numbers
- This was the second time this season and 25th time in his career that Keyshaun Langley scored in double figures
- Keyshaun Langley scored 21 points in a win over Elon on Dec. 19, 2021.
- This was the 14th time this season and 73rd time in his career that Buckingham has scored in double figures.
- Kobe Langley has scored in double figures seven times this season.
- This was the fourth time in five games that Langley has finished with at least three steals.
- Abdulsalam added six rebounds.
- UNCG won the battle of the benches, 29-17.
- This is the fifth time in the last six games that UNCG has had at least seven steals.
- UNCG has recorded double-digit steals in three of its six SoCon contests.
- Also scoring in double figures for Chattanooga were David Jean-Baptiste (16 points, five assists), Silvio DeSousa (15 points, 11 rebounds), and A.J. Caldwell (11 points, three 3-pointers).
Up Next
- UNCG returns home to host Samford.
- This will be Samford's first trip to UNCG since 2020.
