GREENVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team defeated in-state rival East Carolina, 82-78, Saturday afternoon inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.

Justin Neely and Lilian Marville both recorded season highs. Neely recorded 23 points and eight rebounds to pace the Spartans, while Marville tallied 22 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED
UNCG's Noah Norgaard made the first and second basket for the Spartans for a 4-2 advantage with 18:31 on the clock. From there, the Pirates took the lead and extended it to nine, their largest of the game, until the Spartans went up two, 23-21 following a 13-4 run with 8:32 left in the half. A three-pointer at 3:30 from Marville gave UNCG a seven-point cushion, 35-28. The score toggled back and forth until Neely was able to finish the half with an and-one play for UNCG's largest gap of the game, 41-33.

Neither team was able to make a basket to start the second half until Marville drained a jumper at 18:23, 43-33. The Spartans saw a 12-point lead, their largest advantage of the game, following an and-one play from Domas Kauzonas, 46-34. The Pirates scored six-straight points to cut the lead to six, 46-40, but UNCG maintained the advantage. East Carolina tied the score twice with the latter knotted at 65-65 before a called timeout by the Pirates at 3:19. The Spartans responded with a 7-2 run to go up five, 72-67. The Pirates continued to fight, but the Spartans held the edge to eventually claim an 82-78 victory.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Donald Whitehead Jr.'s four assists is a game high, as he also chipped in eight points and two steals.
• Whitehead Jr. went a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line.
• KJ Younger notched eight points.
• Neely's nine field goals made is a season best.
• Marville went 8-for-8 at the charity stripe for a season high.
• East Carolina had the slight advantage in field goal percentage (47.7-47.5) and three-point percentage (25.0-23.8).
• UNCG shot 87.5 percent (21-for-24) from the free-throw line, for its highest of the season.

RECORDS
UNCG: 2-8
ECU: 3-6

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UP NEXT
The Spartans will return home for a five-game slate that will begin with William Peace on Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:00 p.m. at Bodford Arena.

UNCG will then play at the First Horizon Coliseum for the first time this season on Tuesday, Dec. 16 against Greensboro foe NC A&T at 7:00 p.m.