UNCG’s Abdulsalam Scores Career High in Loss to Furman
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s basketball team dropped a tough 69-57 contest to Furman University Sunday afternoon at the Greensboro Coliseum, to split the season series with the Paladins.
The Spartans, Samford, and Furman are now in a three-way tie for first with a Southern Conference (SoCon) record of 8-2.
Graduate student Mohammed Abdulsalam tallied a career-high 23 points. He was the only Spartan to score double figures. He also contributed eight rebounds, for a team high.
From Head Coach Mike Jones
“In the last few games, Mo was getting in foul trouble, reverting back to his old ways from last year. We had a man-to-man talk, explaining why he was getting these fouls. Let’s go back to what you were doing in the beginning of the season, which is be smart, pick your spots, and play the way you’re capable of playing. And he did it tonight.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
Furman quickly went on a 12-2 run to start the game in just over three minutes. The Spartans went on a 9-3 run to cut the deficit to six, 10-16. The Paladins’ Marcus Foster made a three pointer before a nine-point run to tie the game at 19 with 8:46 remaining in the half. The two teams went back and forth until UNCG scored nine-straight points again for its first lead of the game, 32-31, with two minutes left in the half. Furman tied the game again with a free throw from Ben Vanderwal before ending the frame with a 5-1 run, 37-33.
UNCG opened the second half with a jumper from Abdulsalam that cut the deficit to two, 35-37, but the Paladins’ offensive pursuit quickly expanded the lead to 11 with a nine-point run, 46-35. With a 6-2 run late in the frame, UNCG was down six, and two minutes later the Spartans saw its last single digit deficit. Furman’s largest lead of the game came with 26-seconds left in the game, 69-54.
From Coach Jones
“Right from the start, we just weren’t connected. Furman did not have to struggle a lot early in the game. We didn’t finish the first half the way we wanted. We did the same thing in the second half. We had some opportunities to really take the lead or tie the game and we weren’t able to do that.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Abdulsalam went 9-for-10 in field goals and 5-for-7 in free throws.
Dante Treacy tallied seven points and six assists
UNCG outscored Furman in free throws 64.3 percent to 57.7 percent.
The Spartans had 42 points inside the paint, compared to the Paladins’ 28.
UNCG also had 10 points from the bench compared to Furman’s eight.
RECORDS
UNCG: 14-9, 8-2 SoCon
Furman: 17-8, 8-2 SoCon
UP NEXT
The Spartans hit the road for two games, taking on Mercer first on Thursday, February 2 at 7 PM in Macon, Ga. They then head to Charleston, S.C. to play The Citadel on Saturday, February 7.
Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro