UNCG Men’s Basketball Abdulsalam Records Double-Double in 69-49 Win Over Mercer
MACON, GA. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s basketball team extended its SoCon road record to 5-0 behind a 69-49 victory over Mercer on Thursday night in Hawkins Arena.
The Spartans, Samford, and Furman remain in a three-way tie for first with a SoCon record of 9-2. This was the 10th win of the season by double figures for the Spartans.
Graduate student Mohammed Abdulsalam recorded his second double-double of the season and third of his career with 15 points and matched his career-best with 16 rebounds. Both were team highs. The first time Abdulsalam had 16 rebounds was an 80-81 loss to Western Carolina on February 24, 2021.
Three other Spartans tallied double figures, including Keondre Kennedy and Mikeal Brown-Jones each with 12 points and Keyshaun Langley with 11.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Mercer made the first jumper of the game for its only lead of the contest. The Bears tied the game three times in the first three minutes of the game, before UNCG kept the lead. The Spartans first double-figure lead came at 10:42 with a three pointer from Keyshaun. Up by eight with 9:06 left in the half, the Spartans went on an 18-4 run for a 20-point advantage, 41-21, heading to the locker room.
UNCG maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half. Following a 12-3 run, the Spartans saw its largest lead of 25 with 4:29 left in the game, 62-37, on a jumper from Keyshaun. UNCG climbed to a 25-point lead two more times, including at 3:53 with a free throw from Kennedy and at 1:16 on a dunk from Cortez Johnson, Jr. Mercer’s Harrison Drake tossed the ball up for a last second three pointer to cut the deficit to 20 at the buzzer, 69-49, as UNCG claimed the win.
BY THE NUMBERS
Abdulsalam went 7-for-9 in field goals for the night.
Keyshaun and Kennedy each had six rebounds.
Kennedy also contributed four assists, one block, and two steals.
Abdulsalam and Kobe Langley also had two steals each.
UNCG had 46 points in the paint, compared to Mercer’s 18.
The Spartans had the lead for all but 21 seconds of the game.
RECORDS
UNCG: 15-9, 9-2 SoCon
Mercer: 11-13, 4-7 SoCon
UP NEXT
The Spartans play their second-straight road game against SoCon foe The Citadel on Saturday, February 4 with a start time of 1 p.m.
Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro