UNCG Men’s Basketball Stunned by Wofford in SoCon Quarterfinal
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Graduate student Keondre Kennedy paced the third-seeded UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s basketball team with a season-high 26 points, as the sixth-seeded Wofford Terriers edged the Spartans, 67-66, in a Southern Conference (SoCon) quarterfinal match.
Senior Dante Treacy tallied 13 points, while junior Mikeal Brown-Jones registered 11 points. Brown-Jones went 5-for-5 in field goals and had two blocks to lead the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Kennedy put the first points up on the board with a quick jumper just 21-seconds into the game. After some back and forth, Kennedy scored the Spartans’ first three-pointer of the game and Bas Leyte followed up with a layup at 14:17 to take a one-point advantage, 11-10. In a span of five minutes, there were three tied scores with the last one at 7:15 when Corey Tripp drained a three pointer to tie the game at 22. UNCG went on a 14-9 run to conclude the final seven minutes of the half and held onto a five-point lead, 36-31.
UNCG saw its largest lead of seven three times in the second half, with the last one at 15:37 where the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year, Kobe Langley, stole the ball and raced down court for a layup, 45-38. The Spartans stayed in front of the Terriers until Wofford’s Messiah Jones made three-straight layups to take the lead, 50-48. Kennedy’s jumper less than a minute later, tied the game at 50. After B.J. Mack hit a layup with 9.5 seconds on the clock to put Wofford back on top 65-64, the Spartans called a timeout and found Treacy for a driving layup to regain the lead with 3.6 remaining. The Terriers would have the final possession, inbounding the ball to Mack as he drove through a sea of defenders to drop in the game-winner at the buzzer, 67-66.
From Head Coach Mike Jones
“First, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for just allowing me to be in this profession and to lead this flock of men I get to lead. I tip my hat to Dwight Perry. He was put into a tough situation to start this year. He did an incredible job of competing. They were able to continue to win throughout the year. For us, it’s a heartbreaker. Our guys played their hearts out. I am proud of my guys; I love my guys. It has been an incredible year. We’ve got to have great resolve and stand up like men, lift our heads high and go on and compete for whatever our next opportunity may be.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Wofford outmatched UNCG in the paint, 44-26.
The Spartans outshot the Terriers in field goals (49.0-45.2) and three pointers (36.8-19.0).
There were 13 lead changes and seven tied scores.
Kennedy led the Spartans with six rebounds.
Bas Leyte, Keyshaun Langley, and Brown-Jones each had five rebounds.
RECORDS
UNCG: 20-12, 14-4 SoCon
Wofford: 17-15, 8-10 SoCon
Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro