UNCG 86, The Citadel 74
GREENSBORO, N.C.-Mike Groselle scored 20 points to lead four Citadel players in double figures, but it was not enough as UNCG emerged with an 86-74 victory at the Greensboro Coliseum on Monday night. Teammates Zach Urbanus (16 points), Austin Dahn (15 points) and Cameron Wells (14 points) also reached double-digit scoring for the Bulldogs, however a first half that witnessed six Spartan 3-pointers proved to be too much to overcome.
Groselle and Urbanus shared the team-high in field goals, seven, as The Citadel converted 28-of-62 (45.2%) from the floor. Urbanus broke out of a recent shooting slump, hitting 7-of-14 from the floor, including 2-of-6 from beyond the arc. In the process he has now tied Western Carolina's Jake Robinson for the fifth most 3-pointers in Southern Conference history with 278 in his career. Dahn led the team from beyond the perimeter, knocking down 3-of-9, giving him 20 in six meetings against the Spartans. Wells finished with a quiet 14 points, extending a double-digit scoring streak to 15 consecutive games in the process. The Bulldogs crashed the glass for 30 team rebounds, led by Dahn's seven and Groselle's six. Wells dished out seven assists, two shy of tying a career-high, as the Dogs slip to 9-16 overall and 5-8 in league play.
UNCG (5-17, 5-7) also finished with four players in double figures, including sophomore Brian Cole who tallied a career-high 24 points. Cole was 10-of-16 from the floor and knocked down 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, leading the Spartans to a 37-of-66 (56.1%) outing from field goal range. He was joined in scoring by teammates Kyle Randall (20 points), Trevis Simpson (15 points) and Aaron Brackett (12 points). UNCG capped off the night by hitting 8-of-20 (40%) attempts from beyond the arc and slim advantages in rebounds (32-30) and points in the paint (36-34).
Four quick points out early in the second half, starting with a layup by Bo Holston, cutting the UNCG halftime lead to 48-40. The Spartans answered with a series of buckets that upped the lead to 56-45, before Wells sliced through the lane to pull the Dogs back within single digits with 11:01 on the clock.
UNC Greensboro responded with an 11-2 run, taking just over two minutes off the clock, and in the process pushed the lead to 67-49. Urbanus drained a 3-pointer from the left elbow and following free throws by Groselle and Holston the Dogs regained momentum in the game.
Wells found Groselle deep in the paint to score the layup and move The Citadel within striking distance, 69-57, at the 6:47 mark. UNCG followed by scoring nine of the next 16 points and following a pair a Randall free throws the Spartans took a 78-64 lead. Dahn scored five of the Citadel's next eight points as UNCG resorted to their inside game for three layups to close out the 86-74 victory.
The Citadel closed out the opening half by hitting 16-of-32 (50%) from the floor, led by the duo of Urbanus (13 pts.) and Groselle (11 pts.). Urbanus found his range, hitting 6-of-10 from the floor, including 1-of-2 from beyond the arc. Groselle powered through the lane to provide the Bulldogs a 20-16 edge in points in the paint, while the trio of Dahn, Groselle and Wells all had three rebounds.
Cole was the key to the UNCG offense in the opening stanza, notching a career-high in points (20) and 3-pointers (four) by the intermission. Cole's 8-of-11 shooting from the floor was tops on a Spartan unit that closed the half 21-of-38 (55.3%). His 4-for-4 outing from beyond the perimeter, teamed with Kyle Randall, who finished 2-for-2, gave UNCG six treys in the first half of play.
Groselle opened scoring for both teams with a layup and the lead would trade hands on 11 different occasions over the first 7:22 of the game. Urbanus scored five of the Dogs first 13 points, knocking down a 3-pointer at the 13:48 mark to provide an 11-9 cushion. Back-to-back buckets by Trevis Simpson, which gave UNCG a 17-13 lead, were answered with a Dahn 3-pointer to quickly cut the lead to one. The Spartans retaliated with a 13-6 run, highlighted by seven points from Randall, to open a 30-22 advantage with 6:20 remaining in the half.
A series of 3-pointers by Cole and Randall started a 14-2 run by the Spartans, before Dahn connected on a long range shot from the corner to make the score 44-32. Dahn and Groselle closed out first half scoring for the Bulldogs, while Cole and Randall each recorded two points to make for the 48-36 UNCG lead at the intermission.