vs. UNC Greensboro (1-2) vs. Missouri State (2-0)
JQH Arena
Springfield, MO
November 17th, 2007
The Missouri State Bears (2-0) dominated the UNC Greensboro Spartans (1-2) in a lopsided 87-64 victory tonight in Springfield, MO. The Bears' control over the game was evident, as they led by as many as 34 points before the Spartans managed to close the gap to 23 points at the final buzzer.
Missouri State's dominance allowed them to play numerous backups in the second half, giving their starters a much-needed rest. In the first half, the Bears outscored the Spartans 49-29, and maintained their lead throughout the second half.
The Bears were led by Dominick Ames, who scored 17 points on 8-14 shooting in just 18 minutes, while Rickey Perez contributed 13 points, going 9-9 from the free-throw line. Off the bench, Fernandez Mance added 12 points on 5-7 shooting, including 2-4 from beyond the arc, and Jeffrey Hart totaled 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.
For the Spartans, Kyle Hines was the top scorer with 20 points, and Kendall Toney added 15 points, 4 shots from three-point range. Despite their efforts, the Spartans struggled to keep up with the Bears throughout the game.
Missouri State's commanding performance showcased their depth and the potential of their bench players. With a mix of solid offense and strong defense, the Bears never let the game get close and secured their second win of the season, improving to a 2-0 record, while the Spartans fell to 1-2.
UNCG has a week off before they host South Carolina Upstate next Saturday in their home opener.
vs. South Carolina Upstate (0-5) vs. UNC Greensboro (2-2)
Fleming Gymnasium
Greensboro, NC
November 24th, 2007
The UNC Greensboro Spartans rallied in the second half to defeat the South Carolina Upstate Spartans tonight, 75-64.
South Carolina Upstate held a 38-31 lead at halftime, but UNC Greensboro mounted a comeback, outscoring their opponents 44-26 in the second half. The home team's offense was led by Kendall Toney and Kevin Oleksiak, both contributing 17 points each. Dwayne Johnson added 8 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, while Darrius Sellers also pulled down 9 boards, a career-high for the senior point guard.
On the other side, South Carolina Upstate's Arvydas Moore led all scorers with 18 points. Neil Alleyne contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds, while Britton Munns tallied 9 points and 10 assists, falling just a point short of a coveted double-double.
UNC Greensboro's bench was crucial in the victory, as Landon Clement came off the bench to score 11 points, going 4-for-10 from the field and 3-for-8 from beyond the arc. It was a welcome performance from Clement, who shot just 25% from the floor through the first three games of the season.
The win improved UNC Greensboro's record to 2-2, while South Carolina Upstate stayed winless at 0-5. The Spartans have a week off before hosting Kent State next weekend.
South Carolina Upstate South Carolina Upstate at UNC Greensboro Spartans
vs. Kent State (1-7) vs. UNC Greensboro (3-2)
Fleming Gymnasium
Greensboro, NC
December 1st, 2007
The UNC Greensboro Spartans (3-2) defeated the Kent State Golden Flashes with a 75-63 victory tonight at home in Greensboro. The Spartans' Kyle Hines led the team with a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, while also contributing 2 steals and 3 blocks. Kendall Toney added 17 points, going 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Kevin Oleksiak got to the free throw line 10 times and scored 13 points, and Michael Mitchell came off the bench to pour in 12 points and five rebounds in just 11 minutes of action.
The Golden Flashes had a standout performance from Robert McCalebb, who scored 15 points, dished out 5 assists, and had 3 steals. Jacob Toppert also contributed 12 points and 5 rebounds for Kent State, and Stanley Bremer scored 10 points.
UNC Greensboro started strong with a 42-28 lead at halftime. UNCG led by as many as 20 points in the second half as they maintained a double-digit lead throughout.
Spartans' head coach Lee Williamson commented on the team's progress, saying, "Getting above .500 is an important milestone for us. It shows our growth and dedication as a team, and we plan to keep pushing forward and improving as the season goes on. Winning both games of this homestand is huge for us, as well."
The Spartans won both games of this homestand against South Carolina Upstate and Kent State, although it's notable the two teams have a combined record of 2-13. UNCG will have a step up in competition in two days when they face an ACC opponent on the road when they face the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Kent State Golden Flashes at UNC Greensboro Spartans
vs. UNC Greensboro (3-3) vs. Virginia Tech (4-3)
Cassell Coliseum
Blacksburg, VA
December 5th, 2007
The Virginia Tech Hokies (4-3) narrowly edged out the UNC Greensboro Spartans (3-3) tonight, 72-67. Despite being the underdogs, the Spartans kept the game closer than expected, even leading at halftime, 36-34. Kyle Hines led the Spartans with an impressive performance, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Mikko Koivisto contributed 11 points off the bench, with three 3-pointers.
For the Hokies, Kalu Parker was the top scorer with 19 points, supported by Leslie Cox and Jeffrey Bain, who scored 15 and 14 points, respectively. Bain also grabbed 8 rebounds. Alex Konare contributed 10 points and 6 rebounds, while Cary Cobb added 4 points and 5 rebounds.
The Hokies trained by as many as 10 points in the first half, but cut the Spartans' lead to just 2 points at halftime. They showed more strength in the second half, though, and were able to pull ahead late and hit enough shots down the stretch to stave off UNCG's hopes of retaking the lead late.
With the win, the Hokies improve their record above .500 to 4-3. UNCG, on the other hand, falls to .500 with a 3-3 record.
Next up for the Spartans is a road game at Wofford in an early season in-conference tilt against the Terriers. It will be both teams' conference-opener.
Tough loss to Tech! Hines is playing really good. Always great to see you posting, in here or in your legendary Frizzell story.
Thanks, man! Yeah, I just win so much at this point in my other legacy that I wanted to shake things up a bit to have a challenge. Definitely will continue posting my other legacy, as well! I’m having a lot of fun playing CH 2K8 lately!
vs. UNC Greensboro (4-3) vs. Wofford (3-4)
Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium
Spartanburg, SC
December 8th, 2007
Kyle Hines led the UNC Greensboro Spartans to an 87-75 victory over the Wofford Terriers in their conference opener. Hines was dominant, scoring 34 points on 16-of-22 shooting, grabbing 9 rebounds, and adding an assist and a steal.
The Spartans (4-3, 1-0) trailed at halftime, 39-36, but they rallied in the second half, outscoring the Terriers 51-36 to secure the victory. Hines was supported by Mikko Koivisto, who scored 15 points off the bench, and Landon Clement, who added 11 points. UNC Greensboro shot an impressive 58% from the field, connecting on 36-of-62 attempts, including 6-of-13 from beyond the arc.
Wofford (3-4, 0-1) was led by Romas McCray, who scored 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Jean-Baptiste Hanson contributed 12 points and 7 assists, while B.A. McBride scored 11 points. The Terriers were less effective with their shooting compared to UNC Greensboro, hitting only 42% of their attempts from the field.
Tonight's win gives the Spartans, and head coach Lee Williamson, a 1-0 record in conference action and they will look to move to 2-0 when they host Furman a week from tonight.
vs. Furman (5-3) vs. UNC Greensboro (4-4)
Fleming Gymnasium
Greensboro, NC
December 15th, 2007
The Furman Paladins (5-3, 2-1) dominated the court against the UNC Greensboro Spartans (4-4, 1-1), securing a decisive 91-60 victory. Furman's superior shooting and rebounding skills were evident throughout the game, with the team shooting an impressive 37-66 (56%) from the field, while outrebounding the Spartans 39-27.
Furman's offense was led by Aleksandar Djordic, who scored 16 points on 7-12 shooting, followed by Trace Halsell with 14 points and 5 assists, and Cavin Larson coming off the bench to contribute another 14 points. The Paladins showcased their depth, with 22 assists as a team compared to just 11 for UNCG.
On the other side, UNC Greensboro struggled to find their rhythm offensively, shooting just 27-67 (40%) from the field and 5-15 (33%) from three-point range. Kyle Hines was the standout performer for the Spartans, putting up 25 points on 12-24 shooting and grabbing 7 rebounds, but his efforts were not enough to overcome Furman's dominance. The only other UNCG player to score more than 6 points was Mikko Koivisto, who scored 13 points and grabbed 4 rebounds from off the bench.
Next, UNC Greensboro will step back out of conference to head to New York, NY to take on the Fordham Rams.