SPARTAN ESSENTIALS
Who: No. 3 Samford (20-10)
Where: Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville | Asheville, N.C.
When: Saturday, March 5, 2022 | 8:30 p.m. 
Watch (ESPN+) | Live Stats | Listen
Game Notes: UNCG | Samford

GREENSBORO, N.C. – A new month started earlier this week.
 
A new season begins Saturday: One long on pressure and short on tomorrows.
 
The emotion will be higher. The intensity fueled by urgency will be greater. The play will be fierce. The focus will be sharper.
 
Only one team will survive.
 
This is the reality for the sixth-seeded UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team as it opens defense of its Southern Conference Tournament championship against third-seeded Samford in a quarterfinal contest beginning at 8:30 p.m. inside of the Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville Saturday.
 
With a sparkle in their eye and a pounding in their heart, the Spartans enter the tournament in an unfamiliar spot – as a No. 6 seed. This will be the first year since 2016 that UNCG will be in the visiting uniform in its first tournament game.
 
Historically, the No. 6 seed hasn't been pleasant for the Spartans, who are 1-5 all-time as a No. 6 seed since joining the SoCon. UNCG has lost five straight contests as a No. 6 seed.
 
Recently, No. 6 seeds have shined. In each of the last two SoCon Tournaments, the No. 6 seed has escorted the No. 3 seed out of the event. Chattanooga beat UNCG in 2020 and VMI dismissed Furman last year.
 
UNCG will have a significant edge in tournament experience. March has been UNCG's favorite month. Since 2017, UNCG has won 10 SoCon Tournament games, two SoCon tournament championships, and appeared in the SoCon Tournament title game in four of the last five years.
 
Series History

• UNCG is 25-21 all-time in the SoCon Tournament.
• Samford is 7-13 all-time in the SoCon Tournament.
• UNCG is 2-0 all-time against Samford in the SoCon Tournament.
• The Spartans beat Samford 81-76 in 2015 in the first round and 77-70 in the 2019 quarterfinals.
• UNCG leads the all-time series, 20-11.
• Samford ended a 10-game losing streak to UNCG with a 55-49 victory in the last matchup between the programs on Feb. 19 in Birmingham.

 
Regular Season Contests
UNCG 61, Samford 58, Jan. 21, 2022, Greensboro, N.C.
Keyshaun Langley's game-high 15 points helped UNCG end a three-game skid. The Spartans survived a seven-minute scoreless drought in the second half which saw Samford slice UNCG's 10-point lead to two with under three minutes remaining. De'Monte Buckingham added 13 points and three steals. Logan Dye and Ques Glover scored 14 points each for the Bulldogs. Jaron Rillie added 10 points, and Wesley Cardet finished with 11 rebounds for Samford.  
 
Samford 55, UNCG 49, Feb. 19, Birmingham, Ala.
Kobe Langley led UNCG with 15 points and a career-best eight rebounds. Bas Leyte added 13 points and gave UNCG its only lead of the game, 2-0. Kaleb Hunter scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half. In finishing with 20 points, Glover fueled a decisive 10-0 run with back-to-back 3-pointers that helped Samford open a 14-point first-half lead. UNCG trailed by three points on several occasions in the second half.
 
A Look At UNCG

• Buckingham was named to the All-SoCon Media Third Team earlier this week.
• Buckingham leads UNCG in scoring (12.3 points per game) and rebounding (6.3).
• In addition to ranking ninth in the SoCon in rebounding, Buckingham is fourth in the SoCon in 3-point field goal percentage (42.4), seventh in defensive rebounding (4.8), and 11th in 3-pointers made per game (2.1).
• Leyte led UNCG in scoring during the month of February with an 11.1 points per game average over eight games.
• The Langley twins averaged a combined 21.3 points per game between them in February.
• Kobe Langley is fourth in the SoCon in steals per game (1.7) and 14th in assists per game (3.0).
• UNCG leads the SoCon in scoring defense and rebounding margin.

 
A Look At Samford

• Samford finished the regular season by winning eight of its final 10 games.
• The 20 wins mark the first 20-win regular season for Samford since 1998-99.
• Samford head coach Bucky McMillan was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year by the media, and Glover earned first team All-SoCon honors by both the coaches and the media.
• Glover currently ranks third in the SoCon in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per game. He also ranks second in the league in assists (4.4 pg.) and seventh in free throw percentage (80.0%).
• The No. 3 seed is the program's highest in the event since joining the SoCon.
• Other double-digit scorers for Samford are Dye (12.9 points per game), Jermaine Marshall (12.8), and Jaden Campbell (10.2).
• Marshall leads the Bulldogs in rebounding per game at 8.1, which is third in the SoCon.

 
Up Next

• The winner continues its quest for the SoCon Tournament title in Sunday's semifinal contest at 6 p.m. on ESPN. The winner will play wither No. 2 seed Furman, No. 7 Mercer or No. 10 Western Carolina.