GREENSBORO, N.C. – Bas Leyte and
Miles Jones posted career-high scoring totals to propel the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team to an 86-66 triumph over The Citadel in a Southern Conference contest at the Greensboro Coliseum Thursday night.
Quotable
UNCG head men's basketball coach Mike Jones.
"In the last couple of games, our focus and intensity level has changed particularly on the defensive end. That's what it was all about tonight against these guys. They're such an explosive scoring team that we had to be locked in and connected on the defensive end. A lot of the stuff we got offensively was because our defense was solid. Our goal was to be playing our best basketball as we got into February and headed into the tournament."
Records
The Citadel 10-13, 4-8
UNCG 15-10, 7-6
In extending their winning streak to three games, the Spartans enjoyed a fun night. They crammed the stat sheet with lots of numbers. The list of superlatives from the game is longer than a CVS receipt.
So, let's get straight to the details.
Statistical Standouts
- Leyte finished with 20 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field.
- His effort helped UNCG score a season-high 48 points in the paint.
- Leyte added eight rebounds. He has 28 boards in UNCG's last three games.
- Jones energized the Spartans with 12 points and six rebounds.
- It was the first time in Jones' career that he scored in double figures.
- Kaleb Hunter continued his strong performances with a season-high 19 points.
- Hunter also collected six rebounds.
- Mohammed Abdulsalam led UNCG with 10 rebounds, one shy of his season-high.
- He finished with double digit rebounds for the seventh time in his career.
- Abdulsalam scored nine points.
- UNCG made 53.8 percent of its shots (35-for-65), the fourth time this season it finished above 50 percent shooting.
- UNCG scored a season-high 44 points in the first half.
How It Happened
- UNCG led by double figures for the final 24 minutes, 26 seconds of the contest.
- UNCG took control with a 17-2 burst in the first half that transformed a 7-5 deficit into a 22-9 bulge with 9:47 remaining.
- The Spartans held The Citadel without a basket for over seven minutes during its first half surge.
- When The Citadel closed to 30-22 with under five minutes remaining in the first half, the Spartans closed the first half on a 14-6 run to open a 44-28 halftime lead.
- It was the third straight game that UNCG led by double digits at intermission.
- UNCG started the second half with seven straight points capped by Abdulsalam's layup to take its biggest lead of the contest, 51-28, with 17 minutes remaining.
- That basket finished a 10-0 UNCG run that bridged the first and second halves.
- It was the ninth game this season in which UNCG has scored at least 10 straight points.
- Even though The Citadel made several scoring thrusts, it never got its deficit below double digits.
- The Bulldogs closed to within 72-61 with 4:27 remaining, the Spartans put the game away with a pair of Leyte baskets and a Kobe Langley hoop.
Inside The Numbers
- Since the start of the 2016-17 season, UNCG has won 72 games by double digits.
- This was UNCG's 140th victory since the start of the 2016-17 season.
- UNCG has held three consecutive opponents below 35 percent shooting.
- UNCG's bench outscored The Citadel, 21-8, the 10th straight game that the Spartans won the battle of the benches.
- The Spartans have allowed an average of 6.6 made 3-pointers in their last three games.
- UNCG held The Citadel 13 points below its season scoring average.
- In its last two wins over Western Carolina and The Citadel, UNCG has led by double digits the entire second half.
- Leyte has scored in double figures nine times this season and 10 times in his career.
- Leyte has finished with at least five rebounds in 20 games this season, including seven straight contests.
- Hunter has scored in double figures in five of UNCG's last six games, including the last three in a row.
- Hunter has reached double figures 40 times in his splendid career.
- The Citadel got 23 points from Jason Roche along with 21 points and 10 rebounds from Hayden Brown.
Up Next
- UNCG hosts Mercer on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 3 p.m.
