GREENSBORO, N.C. – In a very packed and loud Fleming Gymnasium, the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team utilized its sixth man to earn a 70-65 victory over ETSU on Wednesday night in The Southern Conference (SoCon) action.
 
With the win over the Bucs and Furman claiming a narrow win over Samford, the Spartans are now tied for first with the Bulldogs. Both teams have a 7-2 conference record.  
 
Three Spartans recorded double figures with Kenyon Giles pacing the game with 23 points. Donovan Atwell tallied 16 points and Ronald Polite III registered 11 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
ETSU drained a three-pointer to start the scoring, but the Spartans responded with seven straight points for a 7-3 lead at 16:09. The score toggled back and forth as ETSU tied the game for the second time, 11-11, with 13:05 on the clock. Another seven-point run for the Spartans put them up 18-12 with 10:18 left in the half. UNCG stayed ahead until ETSU's Quimari Peterson made a three-pointer at 3:25, 29-28, for the Bucs first lead since the 18:38 mark. A driving layup from Polite III at 2:04 was the final bucket of the half giving the Spartans a 30-29 lead heading to the locker room.
 
ETSU registered the first basket of the second half, 31-30, within the first 40 seconds. UNCG fought back and went up three, 35-32, with 17:58 on the clock before the Bucs tied the game with a three-pointer, 35-35. UNCG's offense was present for the next 11:16 as the Spartans held the lead and saw their largest gap of nine, 54-45, with 11:13 remaining in the half. The Bucs' Jaden Seymour made back-to-back free throws to tie the game, 58-58, and Peterson hit a jumper for a two-point lead, 60-58. The score toggled until UNCG's 9-2 run in the final minutes secured another gritty 70-65 victory.

 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Jalen Breath led the game with 10 rebounds.
• Malik Henry and Atwell each tallied six rebounds.
• Twelve of Atwell's points came from his 4-for-5 three-point shooting.
• This was the 16^th game this season where three or more Spartans scored double figures.
• UNCG had the advantage in field goal percentage (51.9-36.8), three-point percentage (43.8-37.5) and free throw percentage (75.0-70.0).
• The Spartans had the edge in points in the paint (26-20) and second chance points (17-11).
• ETSU won the battle in bench points (16-11) and points off turnovers (14-6).

RECORDS
UNCG: 14-8, 7-2 SoCon
ETSU: 12-10, 5-4 SoCon
 
TICKETS
To secure your tickets for UNCG men's basketball home games click HERE for options including single games and group discounts, flex plans, and full season ticket options.  The home basketball schedule includes eight (8) home games at First Horizon Coliseum and Six (6) home games at Fleming Gymnasium. To learn more about upcoming ticket promotions or to purchase over the phone call the UNCG Ticket Office at 336-334-3250. 
 
PURCHASE UNCG GEAR
UNCGgear.com is your one-stop shop for all of your official UNCG merchandise! From apparel to accessories, there is something for everyone!
 
UP NEXT
UNCG will begin the second round of SoCon games hosting Wofford on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the First Horizon Coliseum at 6:00 p.m. This game will serve as Reading Day.