BIRMINGHAM, ALA. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team fell to Samford, 79-70, on Thursday night at the Pete Hanna Center in The Southern Conference (SoCon) play.

Mikeal Brown-Jones paced the Spartans with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Kobe Langley was second with 15 points. Kobe also chipped in six assists, four rebounds, three steals, and a career-high two blocks.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Samford scored the first basket of the game and with an and-one play from Jalen Breath at 19:13, UNCG saw its only lead of the game, 3-2. The Bulldogs' offense was active as they went on an 8-0 run to go up seven, 10-3, with 15:08 on the clock. The Spartans followed with an 8-2 run cutting the deficit to one, 12-11. Samford climbed to its first double-digit lead with 6:55 left on the clock, 23-13. The two teams traded buckets for the rest of the half and the Bulldogs went into the locker room with a 13-point advantage, 40-27.
 
The Spartans fought from one end of the floor to the other in the second half, ultimately outscoring the Bulldogs, 43-39. UNCG did not allow Samford to make a three pointer in the second half, but the Bulldogs held the advantage throughout the half. Samford saw its largest lead of 14 four times in the half with the final with 9:54 left on the clock following a jumper from Jaden Campbell. UNCG came within six, 76-70, with 49 seconds remaining, but Samford closed the game with three made free throws for a 79-70 victory.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Keyshaun Langley registered five assists and a season-high five steals.
• Joryam Saizonou chipped in eight points and three assists.
• This was the fifth game this season where Brown-Jones has scored 20 or more points.
• UNCG had 13 points off turnovers, while Samford had eight.
• The Spartans had 25 points off the bench compared to the Bulldogs' 16.
• Samford held the edge in field goal percentage, 47.3-41.0, and three-point percentage, 36.4-34.5.

RECORDS
UNCG: 11-5, 2-1 SoCon
Samford: 14-2, 3-0 SoCon
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans continue their SoCon road trip as they battle Chattanooga on Saturday, January 13 with a start time of 7:00 p.m. at McKenzie Arena. This game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
 
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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.