UNCG Can't Dig Out of Early Hole

UNCG 67 - Chattanooga 77

UNCG Athletics
UTC Atheltics

UNCG 28 - Chattanooga 39

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Saddler (24)
Leader Rebounds: Saddler, Paulos (Tied - 7)
Leader Assists: Saddler, Potts (Tied - 3)
Team FG: 27-60 (45.0%)
Team 3 Pt: 2-10 (20.0%)
Team FT: 11-19 (57.9%)
Rebounds: 39
Turnovers: 18

Chattanooga Stats
Leader Points: Jones (22)
Leader Rebounds: Stoke (8)
Leader Assists: White (4)
Team FG: 24-51 (47.1%)
Team 3 Pt: 5-21 (23.8%)
Team FT: 24-33 (72.7%)
Rebounds: 33
Turnovers: 12

Thoughts
First off, I think it's time I stop looking at every game Chattanooga plays as the game where I find out if they are "for real". They are indeed for real and Z Mason is a wonderful player. I think they have a real chance to win the SoCon and go to the NCAA Tournament.

Having said that, UNCG let a golden chance slip away from them on Saturday night. The Spartans struggled for the first half. Luckily I wasn't anywhere near a TV and didn't have to watch any if it. When I turned on the TV, I found out that Z Mason had been in foul trouble and that G was down 11 at the break. Really ??? So, to see UNCG not only come back but to take a 3 point lead with around 6 to play, I was impressed. But the Mocs are a good team and they responded well. In the end, you just can't spot a good team a double digit halftime lead on their floor and expect to win the game.

Not much more to say than that. Looking ahead, UNCG has 2 winnable home games this coming week. With the schedule getting tougher as February rolls on, the Spartans need to pick up the next 2 to gain some confidence and momentum. This team is still a work in progress and I think we all need to remember that fact. This team is playing a lot of younger players. the "up's and down's" are just how things work with young teams. With March looming, the only thing that really matters is getting on a roll now. Hopefully, that will start on Thursday night. Go Spartans !!!

Chattanooga Preview

Sorry, but there won't be a Chattanooga game preview. Quick turnaround and sick kids have made for a tough time blogging. 

Look for recap tomorrow. Go Spartans !!!

Preseason Preview: Southern Conference

On the eve of UNCG's first game (exhibition against Lees-McRae), it' time to look at the teams of the Southern Conference. My buddy John over at MocsMania has been doing one preview a day written by all of us that contribute to his "Scanning the SoCon" weekly Q&A series. I have decided that as opposed to doing a cookie cutter preview of the whole SoCon, I would post individual links to each of those previews. I am also going to post the preview that I wrote for UNCG in its entirety. Some of the things that John asked us to look at in our previews were schedules, new players and best/worst case scenarios for our teams.

Appalachian State

There's a solid core of six guys right now (Burgess, Neal, Hamilton, Canty, Baskin and Obacha) who will start and probably will be joined by Kobani and the remaining sixth-man guard is up for grabs to make the eight-man rotation. As far as a season overview, App has a really solid chance to finish high up in this conference. Anything less would be a disappointment.

Chattanooga

The conference schedule features just one game against league favorites, Davidson and Elon. It also features just one game against the bottom two in the preseason polls, Georgia Southern and The Citadel. So the conference schedule basically balances out. There are trips to Furman and The Citadel to open SoCon schedule, and home dates with Samford and Wofford. If everything works out, there is a chance for a really fast start in SoCon play.

The Citadel

Clearly, the increase in non-D1 scheduling is partly about trying to fill out a home schedule as a low-major, with the reduction of the SoCon's league schedule to 16 games probably a factor. I do wonder, though, if the conference is trying to "game" the RPI to a certain extent.

Davidson

NCAA rule changes to protect the ball-handler and help the scoring should benefit the Wildcats. They led the nation in free throw shooting last season at 79.5% and should be excellent free throw shooters again.

Elon

With all five starters returning from last year’s squad, Elon has a terrific opportunity to unseat the two-time defending Southern Conference champion Davidson Wildcats.

Furman

The Paladins are a team that is hard to figure, but they are likely better than UNCG, The Citadel and Georgia Southern on paper heading into the season. Look for Furman to start putting things together come March, and though a conference tournament title might be several years away, I wouldn't be shocked if Furman won a game in Asheville once again this season.

Georgia Southern

The two best players on the roster will be redshirting this year and the best player on the floor hasn’t played a game in 2 years. Most likely all 4 signess will see major minutes this year and outside of Dunnican at 6’8 nobody on the roster is over 6’7.

Samford

The much anticipated return game with Kentucky (2 for 1) did not materialize. Apparently the fine print in the contract said "Kentucky State", not University of Kentucky. The out of conference schedule includes (among others) Indiana, Florida Gulf Coast, ETSU and Marquette away and Austin Peay at home.

Western Carolina

Under ninth year head coach Larry Hunter, the Catamounts return five seniors to this years team – Brandon Boggs (guard), Tawaski King (forward), Josh Mendenhall (forward), Trey Sumler (guard) and Tom Tankelewicz (guard). This group of seniors is expected to provide the veteran leadership that was lacking from last season’s team, void of any seniors.

Wofford

The key for the Terriers will be finding more offensive production. A year ago Karl Cochran took about 40% of the teams shots, and was not a particularly great shooter. They need to find a way to create more open looks for Cochran so that his shooting percentage can go up.

Spartans Split a Pair of Games in Asheville

UNCG 87 - Chattanooga 81

UNCG Athletics
Chattanooga Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 32 - Chattanooga 43

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Derrell Armstrong (25)
Leader Rebounds: Derrell Armstrong (8)
Leader Assists: Trevis Simpson (5)
Team FG: 29-55 (52.7%)
Team 3 Pt: 11-24 (45.8%)
Team FT: 18-31 (58.1%)
Rebounds: 31
Turnovers: 10

Chattanooga Stats
Leader Points: Z Mason (20)
Leader Rebounds: Z Mason (8)
Leader Assists: Ronrico White (4)
Team FG: 27-55 (49.1%)
Team 3 Pt: 6-20 (30.0%)
Team FT: 21-29 (72.4%)
Rebounds: 34
Turnovers: 10


UNCG 61 - Elon 68

UNCG Athletics
Elon Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 29 - Elon 31

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (16)
Leader Rebounds: Derrell Armstrong (11)
Leader Assists: Van Dussen, Parker (Tied 3)
Team FG: 22-71 (31.0%)
Team 3 Pt: 8-22 (36.4%)
Team FT: 9-16 (56.3%)
Rebounds: 46
Turnovers: 6

Elon Stats
Leader Points: Sebastian Koch (15)
Leader Rebounds: Lucas Troutman (10)
Leader Assists: Sebastian Koch (3)
Team FG: 21-49 (42.9%)
Team 3 Pt: 8-17 (47.1%)
Team FT: 18-26 (69.2%)
Rebounds: 40
Turnovers: 13

Paulos Highlights

Paulos & Spartans Rout Chattanooga

UNCG 94 - Chattanooga 68

UNCG Athletics
Chattanooga Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 47 - 29

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Nicholas Paulos (30)
Leader Rebounds: Kelvin McNeil (8)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (7)
Team FG: 34-70 (48.6%)
Team 3 Pt: 20-36 (55.6%)
Team FT: 6-10 (60.0%)
Rebounds: 37
Turnovers: 6

Chattanooga Stats
Leader Points: Z Mason (21)
Leader Rebounds: Z Mason (8)
Leader Assists: Ronrico White (3)
Team FG: 19-53 (35.8%)
Team 3 Pt: 5-12 (41.7%)
Team FT: 25-33 (75.8%)
Rebounds: 39
Turnovers: 15

Thoughts
UNCG had 27 assists and 6 turnovers. That is a stat that will win for UNCG every single time. I really don't think I need to spend a bunch of time on analysis of this game. Nicholas Paulos hit 10-12 3's, UNCG made 20 3 point shots as a team and shared the ball in a way I haven't seen in many years.

I really hope this is the start to the Spartans playing with a more team concept and not trying to get individual stats.

Go Spartans !!!

Simpson Leads UNCG to Weekend Sweep

UNCG 66 - Samford 64

UNCG Athletics
Samford Athletics

Halftime: UNG 39 - Samford 34

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (30)
Leader Rebounds: Kayel Locke (9)
Leader Assists: Kelvin McNeil (4)
Team FG: 21-55 (38.2%)
Team 3 Pt: 4-12 (33.3%)
Team FT: 20-29 (69.0%)
Rebounds: 39
Turnovers: 14

Samford Stats
Leader Points: Tim Williams (19)
Leader Rebounds: Tim Williams (9)
Leader Assists: Rajon Kelly (6)
Team FG: 22-55 (40.0%)
Team 3 Pt: 7-22 (31.8%)
Team FT: 13-18 (72.2%)
Rebounds: 35
Turnovers: 13

Thoughts
It was the first time I'd seen UNCG go out and win in a close contest. The Spartans came out and got a couple of big defensive stops against one of the top teams in the North Division. Trevis Simpson absolutely went off in the 2nd half by scoring 22 of UNCG's 27 points. It was an impressive performance by someone who didn't want his to fall in another close game.

UNCG 77 - Chattanooga 69

UNCG Athletics
Chattanooga Athetics

Halftime: UNCG 41 - UTC 31

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (41)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (9)
Leader Assists: Jordan Potts (5)
Team FG: 26-64 (40.6%)
Team 3 Pt: 11-29 (37.9%)
Team FT: 14-20 (70.0%)
Rebounds: 39
Turnovers: 12

Chattanooga Stats
Leader Points: Z Mason (18)
Leader Rebounds: Z Mason (11)
Leader Assists: Gee McGhee (6)
Team FG: 22-50 (44.0%)
Team 3 Pt: 6-18 (33.3%)
Team FT: 19-27 (70.4%)
Rebounds: 34
Turnovers: 14

Thoughts
Trevis Simpson and the UNCG 3 point shooting was the story for the first half of this game. Simpson went 6-7 from behind the arc in the first half and then made some spectacular finishes in the second half on the way to tying a school record for single game scoring. But I think the key to this game was David Williams making big steals and getting big rebounds that helped turn back the Mocs 2nd half comeback attempt.

I was a good way to cap off a solid week of basketball by the Spartans. Now they will need to carry the momentum going forward if they want to get back into the SoCon North race.

Mocs Release Schedule

Chattanooga released their 2012-2013 Men's basketball schedule today.

UTC returns home to host Appalachian State (Jan. 17) and Western Carolina (Jan. 19) before a trio on the road. Trips to Elon (Jan. 24), UNCG (Jan. 26) and Georgia Southern (Feb. 2) lead into a strong home stretch.

The regular season concludes with four key SoCon North matchups. The Mocs host UNCG (Feb. 21) and Elon (Feb. 23) before closing the year at Western Carolina (Feb. 28) and Appalachian State (Mar. 2).

6N Chattanooga (11-20) - 3S Ga Southern (14-14)

When: Friday, March 2 8:30 pm
Where: US Cellular Arena (7,654)
TV: None/SoCon TV

Chattanooga Athletics
GSU Athletics

12/1 Chattanooga 76 @ Ga Southern 84 Recap - Recap
1/28 Ga Southern 75 @ Chattanooga 72 Recap - Recap

Chattanooga Stats
Last Game: Samford (W 86-78) Recap
PPG: 70.6
RPG: 39.1
APG: 14.5
Leader Points: Omatr Wattad (12.4)
Leader Rebounds: Drazen Vlovaric (6.5)
Leader Assists: Keegan Bell (6.2)
FG %: 41.5
3 Pt %: 33.5
FT %: 68.0

Ga Southern Stats
Last Game: Davidson (L 54-71) Recap
PPG: 66.7
RPG: 31.7
APG: 12.3
Leader Points: Eric Ferguson (14.8)
Leader Rebounds: Eric Ferguson (7.1)
Leader Assists: Willie Powers (5.4)
FG %: 46.7
3 Pt %: 35.7
FT %: 67.0

My Pick
After the defensive sluggfest I expect in the 6 pm game, this one should have some real tempo to it. I expect to see both teams play sloppy, but at a frenetic pace. Since I feel compelled to pick an upset, I'm taking the Mocs to win for the first time away from the Roundhouse. Score ... 86-79.

UNCG-Chattanooga Highlights & Press Conference

From WRCB in Chattanooga, here is a video of the end of the UNCG-Chattanooga game.

Wes Miller's Post Game Press Conference from GoMocs.com ...

Blog Updates

Hey guys ... Just thought I'd point out a few other SoCon related blogs that I think everyone should definitely bookmark and go read. I link to most of these below, but I thought I would just make a post to remind everyone that there are a lot of great conference related sites around.

Obviously, I talk about UTC fan Jon's site MocsMania. However, another UTC fan has decided to start making posts again at what used to be one of my favorite sites ... SoConFans. This site should be a must read for UNCG fans right now as we are in the race for a division title. That site always has an updated version of "If it ended today ..." pairings for the SoCon Tournament.

Another very good site is the Western Carolina blog Purple & Gold. While it's not a basketball only site, it's definitely a basketball heavy site at this time of the year.

From the other division of the conference are two very good low country related sites. There's the Citadel geared Sports Arsenal and the Charleston site King Kresse. The Charleston site will be a good read this week for G fans.

Also, let's not forget to mention again the UNCG Sports Blog.

Spartans Win Another Nailbiter

UNCG 77 - Chattanooga 76

Times-Free Press
UNCG Athletics
Chattanooga Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 38 - Chattanooga 37

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (28)
Leader Rebounds: Aloysius Henry (7)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (5)
Team FG: 25-60 (41.7%)
Team 3 Pt: 12-25 (48.0%)
Team FT: 15-20 (75.9%)
Rebounds: 35
Turnovers: 14

Chattanooga Stats
Leader Points: Drazen Zlovaric (22)
Leader Rebounds: Jahmal Burroughs (12)
Leader Assists: Keegan Bell (6)
Team FG: 24-64 (37.5%)
Team 3 Pt: 4-23 (17.4%)
Team FT: 24-30 (80.0%)
Rebounds: 43
Turnovers: 15

Thoughts
UNCG got hit with an ambush on Saturday night. 5,000 rabid fans and a determined basketball team dressed in black were waiting to jump them at McKenzie Arena. When they did jump them, it was almost a complete knockout. Through 10 minutes, UNCG had 3 made baskets and 8 turnovers. But the Spartans got up off the mat to take a 1 point lead at halftime and a 10 point lead in the second half.

The game ended in a scenario that has played out for the Spartans a lot over the past month and a half. Trevis Simpson made a big basket, Derrell Armstrong made a driving layup and David Williams made a block to preserve the win.

Elon lost at Samford earlier in the day. So, the UNCG win put them alone in first place in the North division by 1 game with 4 to play. This season appears to be coming down to the regular season finale in Burlington to decide the North Division Champion.

UNCG (10-15) @ Chattanooga (10-16)

When: Saturday, February 11 7:30 pm
Where: McKenzie Arena (10,928)
TV: None

Chattanooga Atheltics

Preseason Preview

1/19 Chattanooga 72 @ UNCG 81 Recap

UNCG Stats
Last Game: @ Samford (W 71-69) Recap
PPG: 69.2
RPG: 36.0
APG: 11.8
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (17.7)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (5.2)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.6)
FG %: 39.8
3 Pt %: 32.7
FT %: 68.1

Chattanooga Stats
Last Game: Elon (W 83-75) Recap
PPG: 71.4
RPG: 39.3
APG: 15.0
Leader Points: Omar Wattad (13.3)
Leader Rebounds: Drazen Zlovaric (6.8)
Leader Assists: Keegan Bell (6.4)
FG %: 42.6
3 Pt %: 35.3
FT %: 67.4

Thoughts
UNCG has already managed to at least earn a split in this far west SoCon road trip. Now it's time to get greedy. If the Spartans can grab a win on Saturday night, they will set themselves up to really make a challenge for the North Division crown. The other two competitors in that race are playing each other in Birmingham. So, it is very important for UNCG to escape "the Roundhouse" with a win.

The last time these two teams met at the greensboro Coliseum, Derrell Armstrong put up a career high 29 points. However, the Mocs frustrated current SoCon scoring leader Trevis Simpson. Simpson ended the night with just 5 points to go along with his 5 fouls. UNCG did manage to hit a season 14 3 pointers, as UTC was more than happy to play UNCG fast paced style.

Historically, UNCG has had success in this arena. It was the sight of one of the bigger upsets in program history. On March 4, 2005 UNCG defeated a Davidson team that had gone undefeated through conference play in the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament, 73-68. The Spartans lost the follow day to the host Mocs by 4.

As for this trip to the "Scenic City", let's hope the Mocs (who have dropped 7 of their last 8) are again interested in playing UNCG's frenetic pace. Also, let's hope that UNCG is able to shoot the ball better than they did at Samford. UTC is a very athletic team with several very good post players. Aloysius Henry will need to continue his strong play. Also, Aaron Brackett will need to pick back up his level of play in order for the Spartans to sweep this road trip. Go Spartans !!!

Post Game Press Conference - Chattanooga

Huge production from the bench ...

UNCG Outlast Mocs for Third Straight Win

UNCG 81 - Chattanooga 72

News & Record Recap
Times-Free Press Recap
UNCG Athletics Recap
UTC Athletics Recap

Halftime: UNCG 37 - Chattanooga 31

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Derrell Armstrong (29)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (11)
Leader Assists: Derrell Armstrong (4)
Team FG: 28-63 (44.4%)
Team 3 Pt: 14-34 (41.2%)
Team FT: 11-19 (57.9%)
Rebounds: 35
Turnovers: 8

Chattanooga Stats
Leader Points: Omar Wattad (19)
Leader Rebounds: Drazen Zlovaric (13)
Leader Assists: Keegan Bell (3)
Team FG: 25-59 (42.4%)
Team 3 Pt: 6-18 (33.3%)
Team FT: 16-26 (61.5%)
Rebounds: 40
Turnovers: 16

Thoughts
I thought it was a great team effort last night to pull out the win. Trevis Simpson was just having an off night and Derrell Armstrong really helped to pick him up. With the combination of Armstrong, Nick Paulos (8 pts) and Kyle Randall (15 pts) Help UNCG's bench to out score the Mocs bench 49-12.

Poor free throw shooting almost allowed Chattanooga to make a furious comeback. However, a big 3 pointer from Korey Van Dussen (7 pts & 4 rebs) put a dagger in the Mocs. From there, the Spartans dropped in enough free throws to pull away.

UNCG has now won 3 straight games and is sitting a position to make a huge push towards contending in the North. With Elon, Chattanooga and App State losing on Thursday, UNCG now finds itself tied for second (.5 game back in the loss column). That's huge thinking back to where they were at only 7 days ago.

UNCG Gets Some Good Press

I don't remember if I've said it here in the blog, but the Chattanooga Times-Free Press does probably the best job of covering all of the SoCon basketball teams. UTC's beat writer, David Uchiyama, is very plugged into what is happening all around the conference. So, If you're ever in need of some UNCG news, you can usually find some articles there.

Having said that, there is a very good article posted about the UNCG coaching transition. I thought the comments by Korey Van Dussen and Trevis Simpson about the mid season change to Wes Miller were interesting. They are the kind of comments that I would expect and part of the reason why I wasn't a huge fan of making the move in the middle of the year. However, I think it also speaks to the tremendous job that Miller has done to not only keep this team together, but to get the guys to buy into the program for the rest of the season.

There is also a preview article for tonight's game posted at the Time-Free Press.

Chattanooga (9-10) @ UNCG (4-14)

When: Thursday, January 19 7 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: None/Spartan All-Access (free)

Chattanooga Athletics

Preseason Preview

UNCG Notes
Last Game: @ Citadel (W 67-66) Recap
PPG: 65.8
RPG: 34.9
APG: 11.6
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (16.5)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (4.7)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.6)
FG%: 38.7
3 Pt %: 31.9
FT %: 64.4

Chattanooga Notes
Last Game: @ Samford (L 70-81) Recap
PPG: 70.7
RPG: 39.9
APG: 16.0
Leader Points: Ricky Taylor (13.2)
Leader Rebounds: Drazen Zlovaric (6.9)
Leader Assists: Keegan Bell (7.1)
FG %: 42.2
3 Pt %: 35.7
FT %: 66.9

Thoughts
UNCG played some inspired basketball this past weekend in the low country of SC. All of the breaks went their way. Some of the breaks included everyone in the North Division taking a step backwards and leaving the Spartans with a chance to really get back into the race for a bye. UNCG is only 1.5 games back (1 in the win column) of Elon, UTC, App State and Western Carolina. With ASU-WCU and UTC-Elon playing games against each other on Saturday, the Spartans can take another huge step forward this weekend. However, it all starts with beating the Mocs.

Chattanooga hasn't won a game on the road this season. They've lost at places like Kentucky and Indiana, but also at Samford. This points to a bigger problem for the Mocs. It would be nice to jump on the Mocs and see if they'll lose hope early. The Mocs have the talent to be one of the best in the SoCon, but they've been very erratic this season. It'll be interesting to see which UTC team shows up in Greensboro.

The Spartans on the other hand, have turned themselves around by doing 2 things that they haven't done well for a while ... shoot better and play better defense. Now I know the overall numbers in the Citadel game don't look that great, but it was the second half defense that UNCG brought to the court that gave them the chance to win at the end.

The last time UNCG made a bunch of Youtube "Sportscenter" type plays, they came out the next game flat and lackluster. Hopefully, the Spartans have learned from this experience and will bring intensity and heart to the court on Thursday night. Go Spartans !!!

SoCon Standings

Just wanted to give a quick update on the SoCon standings as everyone now gets back into conference play.

North
1. Elon (2-0)
Wins: Furman, @ UNCG
1. Western Carolina 2-0
Wins: Samford, UNCG,
3. App State (1-1)
Wins: UNCG
Losses: @ Ga Southern
4. Samford (0-1)
Losses: WCU
5. Chattanooga (0-2)
Losses: @ Ga Southern, @ Charleston
6. UNCG (0-3)
Losses: @ App State, @ WCU, Elon

South
1. Charleston (2-0)
Wins: Chattanooga, Citadel
1. Davidson (2-0)
Wins: @ Wofford, Furman
1. Ga Southern (2-0)
Wins: Chattanooga, App State
4. Wofford (1-1)
Wins: Citadel
Losses: Davidson
5. Furman (0-2)
Losses:@ Davidson, @ Elon
6. Citadel (0-2)
Losses: @ Charleston, @ Wofford

SoCon League Preview - Chattanooga

UT - Chattanooga
Last Year: 16-16 (12-6)
Finish: Tied 1st North Division
Postseason: None
Final 10: 4-6
Coach: John Shulman (8th yr)

OOC Games:
@ Indiana, @ Butler, Kennesaw State, Warren Wilson, Savannah State, Gardner-Webb, @ Mercer, Spalding, @ Kentucky, Hiwassee College, Longwood

Additions:
- 6'-5" F Z. Mason - Ole Miss Football Transfer (Nashville, TN)
- 6'-9" F Drazen Zlovaris - Georgia Transfer (Novi Sad, Serbia) 0.9 pts, 0.5 rebs 2009-2010 season.
- 6'-6" SF Lance Stokes - ESPN Rated 87 (Orlando, FL)
- 6'-1" SG Ricco White - ESPN Rated 77 (Knoxville, TN)
- 6'-7" PF Jared Bryant - ESPN Rated 77 (Cincinnati, OH)
- 6'-7" SF Trey Brown - ESPN Unrated (Brandon, MS)

Losses:
- DeAntre Jefferson (Graduated) 8.2 pts, 6.4 rebs
- Jeremy Saffore (Graduated) 3.4 pts, 3.3 rebs
- Troy Cage (Graduated) 4.1 pts, 2.5 rebs
- Jeff Smith (Graduated) 1.5 pts, 0.5 rebs

Top returners:
- Omar Wattad 14.3 pts, 3.7 rebs, 2.0 asists
- Keegan Bell 9.7 pts, 3.3 rebs, 5.7 assists, 0.9 steals
- Ricky Taylor 13.0 pts, 3.7 rebs
- Chris Early 9.3 pts, 6.3 rebs

Spartans Fall in Heartbreaker at Chattanooga

UNCG 110 - Chattanooga 111 2OT

News & Record
Times Free Press
UNCG Athletics
UTC Athletics

Korey VanDussen's career high 33 points weren't enough to over come Ricky Taylor's 41 points, as UTC surged back from a 109-102 deficit with less than 2 minutes remaining in double overtime. Trevis Simpson (13 pts) had hit a layup to send the game into the 2nd overtime, but missed a shot in the lane to give the Spartans the win.

It was an odd game that saw UNCG jump out to a quick 11-2 lead only to have the Mocs dominate for the rest of the half and part of the second half. UNCG found itself down 49-29 before getting on senior Brandon Evans's back. Evans scored all 28 of his points in the second half and overtimes.

It looked as though the Spartans had stolen the game after Kyle Randall's 3 pointer near the end of regulation. However, Keegan Bell (24 points) made a deep 3 pointer to extend the game.

4 Spartans fouled out of the contest, and UTC shot an amazing 53 free throws for the night. UNCG offset that by making 17 3 pointers out of 43 attempts (39.5%).