UNCG Men’s Basketball Dominates ETSU on National Television, 91-65
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s basketball team used its red-hot shooting to skate past Southern Conference (SoCon) foe East Tennessee State University (ETSU), 91-65, Tuesday night at the Greensboro Coliseum.
This was the third game this season scoring 90 or more points.
This was the 12th win of the season by double figures for the Spartans and third-straight game winning by 20 points or more. This is the fifth game this season, where UNCG has won by 20 or more points.
UNCG’s 50 points in the first half was the second time this season that they reached that mark, with the first time being December 18 against Warren Wilson. This was the first time this season scoring 50 points in a half against a Division I team, and it was the first time since January 27, 2018 that the Spartans scored 50 or more points in the first half. UNCG scored 53 in the first half against Samford in 2018, going on to win 98-82.
In a televised game on ESPNU, three from UNCG reached double figures, with Keondre Kennedy leading the Spartans with 21 points. Keyshaun Langley(Southwest Guilford HS) followed with 19 points, and Mikeal Brown-Jones had 11 points.
From Head Coach Mike Jones
“We are trying to get to the point where we can play to our standards on both sides of the ball the whole game. That is the challenge – to not do it in spurts. I thought our guys had great focus tonight. For the most part, that was as complete a game on both sides of the ball as we have all season.
It is human nature. You know you take your foot off the gas and you’re not as sharp as the things you are supposed to do. We try to get them to understand that regardless of whether we are down or up, home or away, or whoever we are playing, we have a standard that we set, that is about us. It is not about anybody else. It is important to keep each other accountable.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNCG held the advantage through the entire game, as there was only one tied score just 42 seconds into the game. In five minutes and 47 seconds, fourteen of UNCG’s 19 points came from Kennedy during a 19-7 run that ended with 5:06 left in the half. The lead stretched to 22 with the run as UNCG held the advantage, 40-18. The Spartans’ largest lead of the half came twice during the frame, once after a three pointer by Kobe Langley at 2:32, 48-20, and then again following a jumper from his brother, Keyshaun with 53-seconds remaining, 50-22.
ETSU ran with six-straight points to begin the second half, cutting the deficit to 21, 29-50. A 12-2 run, in favor of the Spartans grew the lead to 31, 62-31, after Keyshaun his fifth three pointer of the game with 14:38 remaining. Three minutes later, UNCG saw another 31-point advantage, 72-41, its largest gap of the game came after back-to-back free throws from Brown-Jones with 9:36 left in the game. ETSU cut the deficit to 23 just twice with the remaining time on the clock, but the Bucs were unable to get their offense going, as Cortez Johnson, Jr. concluded the night with a layup with 17 seconds to go in the game for a 26-point win, 91-65.
BY THE NUMBERS
UNCG’s 15 threes this game was the most in a game this season and in the Mike Jones era.
This is the most threes in a game since UNCG made 16 against The Citadel on February 28, 2019 in Charleston, S.C.
It is also the fifth game with double-digit three pointers made.
The Spartans outmatched the Buccaneers in field goals (55.7%-40.7%) and three pointers (55.6%-35.0%).
UNCG scored 36 points in the paint compared to ETSU’s 22.
The Spartans also outscored the Bucs in points off turnovers (17-11), bench points (32-8), fastbreak points (32-2), and second chance points (16-6).
Kennedy led the game with seven rebounds.
This was the second game this season where 11 Spartans marked the scoring column in the win. The first game was against JWU (CLT) on November 7 to open the season.
Kennedy and Keyshaun had two steals each.
Dante Treacy led the game with eight assists, adding to the Spartans’ total of 25, which is the second most in a game this season.
Kobe Langley was second on the team with five assists.
RECORDS
UNCG: 17-9, 11-2 SoCon
ETSU: 9-17, 5-8 SoCon
UP NEXT
UNCG hosts Wofford on Sunday, February 12 at 3 p.m. The first 1,000 students will receive a FREE t-shirt courtesy of UNCG Housing and Residence Life.
Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro