UNCG Men’s Basketball Snaps Marshall’s Win Streak with Victory, 75-67
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s basketball’s Keyshaun Langley led the Spartans with 18 points as UNCG claimed a Tuesday evening victory over Marshall, 75-67, inside the Greensboro Coliseum.
The victory marks the third time this season that the Spartans have seen four players in double-figure scoring. The Spartans snapped the Herd’s nine-game win streak.
From Head Coach Mike Jones
“We knew that they are an explosive offensive team. They were averaging over 80 points a game, and they really benefit from turning the ball over. We had a stretch where we turned the ball over a lot and you can see the spurtability, as Clark Kellogg says, with how quickly they can score. But for the most part we made it a half-court game, we didn’t have to score against five defenders and when we do that, we can be pretty good.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Spartans begun an 11-2 run at the 18:40 mark of the first half and mounted the run for the next 2:50 of the period. Keondre Kennedy powered the run with a pair of field goals as the Spartans enjoyed a seven-point lead, 11-4, through the first four minutes. Marshall posted an 11-0 run in response that lasted the next 4:40 of the period as the Thundering Herd claimed a four-point lead, 15-11. UNCG and Marshall traded field goals for the next four made baskets as the Thundering Herd held a three-point lead, 19-16, with 9:02 remaining.
After Marshall made a three-point field goal with 8:02 remaining, the Spartans produced a 7-0 run over the next 2:43 of the period sparked by a Dante Treacy layup. The run gave UNCG a one-point lead, 23-22, with 5:22 remaining. Both sides then posted five-point runs followed by a 6-0 run from Marshall beginning at the 3:35 mark and lasting the next 2:45 to extend the lead to five points. The Spartans countered with a 6-0 run of their own to end the period thanks to two Donovan Atwell three-point field goals in the final minute to send UNCG into the locker room with a one-point advantage, 34-33.
UNCG extended their run to 6-1 to start the second half as Bas Leyte’s layup reclaimed the lead 27 seconds into the period. A three-point field goal from Kennedy at the 18:32 mark sparked a new 8-2 run for the Spartans lasting the next 2:55 of the period and extended the lead to six points, 44-38. UNCG kept their lead at five 5:45 into the half, but the Thundering Herd cut the lead down to one with 12:23 remaining. Kobe Langley and Kennedy teamed up for a four-point burst over the next minute to bolster the lead back to five, 53-48. Marshall responded with three-straight three-point field goals in one minute to claim a four-point lead.
The Spartans responded out of the timeout with a 7-0 run lasting the next 1:12 of the period with a three-point basket by Kobe Langley sparking the run. That run spread to 15-2 in a rally that lasted until the 4:12 mark of the period. UNCG held Marshall scoreless for a 3:46 stretch when the Spartans extended their run. The Spartans’ lead reached ten points with 2:55 remaining and dipped no lower than eight for the remainder of the contest as UNCG claimed the win.
From Coach Jones on the importance of this game
“They were one of the hottest teams in the country. They lost their first game on a buzzer beater and hadn’t lost since with double-figure wins down the stretch. They had a great start to their season, but as we know it is not about the start of the season, it’s about how you build toward February and March. That’s what we are looking to do. It is certainly a step in the right direction, as we head into our league play after the holidays.”
BY THE NUMBERS
The Spartans shot 44.4 percent for the contest, but bolstered their field goal percentage in the second half by shooting 51.7 percent from the field.
UNCG held Marshall to 36.3-percent shooting in the second half and 37.5 percent for the contest.
Keyshaun Langley(Southwest Guilford HS) shot 7-of-13 from the field while adding three assists and two steals.
Kennedy posted 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting and pulled down seven rebounds.
Bas Leyte posted his second-career double-double with ten points and ten rebounds.
Mohammed Abdulsalam added ten points and five rebounds.
Kobe Langley(Southwest Guilford HS) added nine points and three assists off the bench.
Mikeal Brown-Jones added six points and career-high ten rebounds off the bench.
Dante Treacy posted a game-high six assists.
UNCG held a 45-41 edge in rebounds with a 19-15 advantage on second chance points.
This is the ninth game this season where the Spartans led at the half.
RECORDS
Marshall: 9-2
UNCG: 5-6
UP NEXT
The Spartans stay home, but move into the Fleming Gym for a 3 p.m. contest against Warren Wilson Sunday afternoon.
Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro