NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS – In a nailbiting finish, the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team was crowned the 2023 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Champions behind a tight 58-57 victory over UIC on Sunday night.
 
This was the Spartans' fourth-straight win. Three from UNCG scored in double figures, including the tournament MVP, Mikeal Brown-Jones with a game-high 15 points and nine rebounds. Kobe Langley and Keyshaun Langley each contributed 10 points. Keyshaun was also named to the All-Tournament team.
 
This was the first meeting between the two teams. UNCG snapped UIC's five-game win streak with the victory.
 
2023 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM 
Mikeal Brown-Jones, UNCG - Most Valuable Player
Keyshaun Langley, UNCG
Isaiah Rivera, UIC
Jyare Davis, Delaware
James Bishop IV, George Washington

HOW IT HAPPENED
UIC went scoreless for the first minute and a half and the Spartans opened the game with a 9-3 run. The Flames didn't delay and tied the game at 15 for the first time at the 10-minute mark on a three-pointer from Isaiah Rivera. UIC then saw its first lead with the next basket, 17-15. There were two more tied scores during the first half, including when the Spartans' Joryam Saizonou hit a three-pointer with 4:56 left on the click for a 22-all score. UIC then went on a 7-1 run to close the half and hold the lead into the break, 29-24.
 
After some back-and-forth play, UNCG utilized an 16-5 run to take a four-point lead, 44-40, with 12:12 left on the clock. With 6:39 remaining in the second half, UNCG made nine of its 10 free throws, including two from Jalen Breath in the final three seconds to tie the game one final time and then take the win, 58-57.
 
Coach Jones on could you have asked for a more exciting game to win the tournament –
"You really need games like this in the non-conference schedule. A lot of games come down to this kind of score in conference and you have got to at least have some experience in how to win it and our guys found a way. We were really tough and resilient down the stretch. That togetherness really showed up in those last four minutes to get this win. That's a heck of a basketball team. That UIC team is really good, so I'm proud of our guys."
 
Coach Jones on team culture –
"It's so important to stack days. Everybody gets lost in looking at the long-term goal, but you really have to be consistent day-after-day. That's a fight for every team in the country. Some teams can't do it, so you see them go down. Some teams figure it out and they go up and then everybody else is somewhere in the middle. We just keep preaching that we've got to focus on one day at a time and getting better with everything that we do. If we can stack days on top of each and look back a month from now or two months from now, we'll be happy with where we are and the progress that we've made."
 
Coach Jones on the trust and confidence that the staff and team members have for each other –
"We established it on day one that we got the job at UNCG. It's just been a steady progression since then. This is a confidence boost for our team just to understand that we can do it. This is a first of three championships that are on our schedule this year. We got it done in the first one and now we have to turn our attention to the second one. Really proud of our guys with their effort and their connectiveness."

BY THE NUMBERS

• Brown-Jones chipped in two blocks.
• Kobe had four steals, while Keyshaun had two.
• Breath tallied nine points and three rebounds.
• UNCG had 28 points in the paint compared to UIC's 22.
• The Spartans had seven points off of turnovers, while the Flames had two.
• There were six tied scores and eight lead changes.
• UIC outrebounded UNCG, 40-30.
• The Flames outmatched the Spartans in three shooting categories: field goal percentage (39.2-37.5), three pointers (26.7-15.8), and free throws (69.2-61.9)

RECORDS
UNCG: 5-1
UIC: 5-2
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans return home for three-straight games to begin the month of December. UNCG will open the month with non-conference foe William Peace on Friday, December 1 at Fleming Gymnasium with a start time of 7:00 p.m.
 
TICKETS
To purchase tickets for the 2023-24 UNCG men's basketball season, click here to learn more or call the UNCG Athletics Ticket Office at (336) 334-3250.