Tuesday, November 29, 2016

ESPN3, 7 pm: UNCG Men's Basketball Hosts Crosstown Rival North Carolina A&T for the Battle of the Boro Tuesday

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The UNCG men’s basketball team continues its six-game home stretch Tuesday night as the Spartans host crosstown rival North Carolina A&T for the Battle of the Boro at the Greensboro Coliseum. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN3 and the ESPN App with Scott Pryzwansky and Darryl Kosciak on the call. Additionally, Parker Southern will produce and audio broadcast on TuneIn and online at www.uncgspartans.com/radio.

The first 1,000 UNCG students will receive a FREE Greensboro t-shirt and local group Citizen Shade will perform at halftime.



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GAME NOTES

UNCG enters Tuesday’s game with a 4-2 overall record and has won three straight games for the first time in non-conference play since 2014-15. The Spartans’ 4-2 record through the first six games of the season is their best start since the 2004-05 campaign when that team opened with a 4-2 record on its way to a 7-2 record through the first nine games. The 2004-05 team finished the year with an 18-12 record, the fifth most wins in program history at the NCAA Division I level. The Spartans’ best finish as an NCAA Division I program came in the 1994-95 season when they opened with a 12-2 record on their way to a program-best 23-6 mark.

UNCG is averaging 66.0 points per game while holding opponents to a league-low 58.0 points per game. The Spartans are shooting 42.8 percent (152-of-355) from the field and 35 percent (55-of-157) from distance through six games. UNCG is also out-rebounding opponents by a 34.5-27.7 margin, including 14.3 offensive rebounds per game.

Six different Spartans are averaging at least 7.0 points per game this season with three Spartans in double figures. Senior guard Diante Baldwin (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) leads the team and ranks 15th in the Southern Conference in scoring at 12.3 points per game. Baldwin ranks fourth on the team on the glass at 4.5 rebounds per game while leading the team with 23 assists and 15 steals. In fact, his 15 steals leads the entire SoCon at 2.5 thefts per game. Sophomore guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) is second on the team in scoring at 11.0 points per game. Alonso has hit 38.5 percent (15-of-39) from 3-point land this year and 81.8 percent (9-of-11) from the free throw line.

Junior forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) rounds out the Spartans in double figures at 10.5 points per game. Smith leads the team on the glass at 5.8 rebounds per game, including a team-high 17 offensive rebounds. He is also shooting 32.4 percent (12-of-37) from distance. Senior center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) is fourth on the team in scoring at 7.5 points per game while adding 5.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Demetrius Troy (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God) adds 7.4 points per game while junior forward Jordy Kuiper (Groningen, Netherlands/Canaries Basketball Academy) chips in 7.3 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Tuesday’s game marks the 18th meeting all-time between UNCG and N.C. A&T. Additionally, it is the 15th time the two teams have played at the Greensboro Coliseum, but just the third time since it became the home court of the Spartans. UNCG trails the all-time series by an 11-6 margin to the Aggies. N.C. A&T opened the series by winning the first five meetings from 1990-94 before UNCG posted wins in six out eight meetings from 1995-2002. N.C. A&T has won the last four meetings from 2010-15, including a 77-68 victory at the Corbett Center last year. The Aggies jumped out to a 20-point first half lead (44-24) and held off the Spartans’ second half charge. UNCG connected on just 38.1 percent (24-of-63) from the field while N.C. A&T connected on 55.3 percent (21-of-38) from the field. The Aggies also went to the free throw line 38 times in that victory. Alonso scored a game-high 25 points in the loss, courtesy of seven 3-pointers while White added 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field. Bruce Beckford led the Aggies with 21 points while Sam Hunt chipped in 20 points on the strength of 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point land.

North Carolina A&T enters Tuesday’s game with a 1-4 overall record and has dropped its last four games. The Aggies opened the season with a 67-50 win over Greensboro College before dropping games to East Carolina, Grambling, Western Kentucky and Jacksonville. N.C. A&T is averaging 55.6 points per game while allowing 62.6 points per game ... The Aggies are shooting 42.3 percent (101-of-239) from the field and 27.7 percent (23-of-83) from distance.

Sam Hunt leads the Aggies in scoring at 13.0 points per game. Hunt has hit a team-high nine 3-pointers this year, shooting at a 26.5 percent clip. Davaris McGowens is second on the team in scoring at 10.6 points per game. McGowens leads the team on the glass with 7.2 rebounds per game. He has gone to the free throw line a team-high 28 times, hitting at 67.9 percent.

Eliel Gonzalez is third on the team in scoring at 8.3 points per game .Gonzalez leads the team with 14 turnovers. James Whitaker chips in 7.5 points per game while Donte Watson adds 7.0 points per game.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA GREENSBORO ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

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