LEXINGTON, VA. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team picked up a hard-fought 85-78 road win over the VMI Keydets on Wednesday at Cameron Hall in Lexington.  
 

Justin Neely paced the Spartans with an impressive 22 points and a career-high 22 rebounds. According to UNCG records, the last time a Spartan collected 20 or more rebounds in a single game was James Dickey on March 15, 2020, when he recorded 20 boards against Mercer. Neely now joins elite company with 20 or more boards in a single game: Tom Nelson (27), Bruce Shaw (25), Kyle Hines (21) and Dickey (20). Neely's 22 rebounds are the most in a single game in UNCG's Division I era.
 

Donald Whitehead Jr. was second on the team with 18 points and three assists. KJ Younger contributed 15 points, two assists and three rebounds.  
 

HOW IT HAPPENED 
Neely started the scoring off with back-to-back free throws for a 2-0 lead at 19:05. VMI responded with a three-pointer at 18:21, 3-2, but Neely registered eight of his 14 first-half points in the initial four minutes, putting the Spartans back up each time, 8-6, with 16:23 on the clock. The score was tied for the first time, 12-12, as the Keydets' AJ Clark went 1-for-2 at the free throw line at 13:54. VMI went on a 12-7 run to put it up five, 24-19, with 8:39 remaining in the first half. UNCG responded with a 12-1 run, giving the Spartans a six-point cushion, 31-25, with 5:36 on the clock. VMI came within three, following a three-pointer from TJ Johnson, 33-30, but UNCG went into the break with a five-point lead, 38-33.  
 

The Spartans saw their first double-figure lead of the game at 16:09 on Whitehead Jr.'s layup, 49-38. The Keydets fought each possession and saw spurts of single-digit deficits, but UNCG climbed to a 20-point cushion with 10:05 left in the half, 70-50. VMI went on a 24-9 run, cutting the deficit to five, 79-74, with 44 seconds left. Down the stretch, UNCG executed on both ends of the floor converting at the free-throw line and coming up with key defensive stops to seal the 85-78 victory.  
 

• UNCG bested VMI in field goal percentage (47.4-42.6), three-point percentage (42.1-35.1) and free throw percentage (69.7-59.1).  

• The Spartans also had the advantage in points in the paint (30-24), fast break points (13-2) and bench points (21-17).  

• This is the third time this season Valentino Pinedo has had three blocks in a game.  

• This is the seventh game this season where Neely has contributed 20 or more points.  

• This is his 12th double-double of the season and 19th career.