UNCG Men’s Basketball Edged by ETSU in Heartbreaker, 63-62
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s basketball team fell to ETSU on Saturday afternoon at Freedom Hall in their Southern Conference (SoCon) regular season finale, 63-62.
Three Spartans scored double figures, led by Keyshaun Langley and Bas Leyte with 12 points each. Kobe Langley scored 11 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half saw four tied scores and six lead changes. Following a 16-all score, ETSU went on an 8-0 run, for its largest lead of the half, 24-16. The Spartans went on their own offensive run with nine-straight points for a one-point advantage, 25-24, at 5:03. The Bucs tied the game at 25 and finished the half with an 8-4 run for the lead before heading to the locker room, 33-29.
The second half went back and forth for the first seven minutes of the frame. With the game tied at 39, ETSU used a 14-4 run to open a 10-point lead, 53-43. UNCG bounced back with seven-straight points over the next two-plus minutes to pull within one, 60-59. After a three-pointer from Jordan King for a four-point lead in favor of the Bucs with 27-seconds left, Keondre Kennedy drained his own three pointer with 12 seconds to come within one again, 63-62. The Spartans forced a turnover in their offensive zone and with nine seconds left saw a three bounce in and out for ETSU to secure the win, 63-62.
BY THE NUMBERS
Both teams had 22 points in the paint and 13 points off turnovers.
UNCG outscored ETSU 24 to eight in bench points.
Mohammed Abdulsalam tallied a game-high nine rebounds.
Keondre Kennedy chipped in eight points and seven rebounds.
Keyshaun had a game-high three steals.
RECORDS
UNCG: 20-11, 14-4 SoCon
ETSU: 12-19, 8-10 SoCon
UP NEXT
With the loss, UNCG earned the number three seed in the 2023 Southern Conference Tournament. The Spartans are set to face the six-seeded Wofford Terriers on Saturday, March 4 at 8:30 p.m.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Nextstar affiliates. The Tournament will take place in Asheville, N.C. at the Harrah Cherokee Center.
Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro