#10 UNCG 87, #7 Chattanooga 81
Box Score
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The 10th-seeded UNCG Spartans shot 58 percent in the second half, draining 8-of-11 from three-point land, to overcome a double-figure deficit and upset the seventh-seeded Chattanooga Mocs in the opening round of the 2013 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament on Friday, March 8 at US Cellular Center.
UNCG's Derrell Armstrong dropped a game-high 25 points with all but three coming in the second period. The guard nailed 4-of-5 from downtown and grabbed a team-best eight rebounds in the effort. Trevis Simpson contributed 17 points and Kayel Locke was also in double figures with 10 points. UNCG (9-21) won all three meetings against Chattanooga this season.
The Mocs (13-19) were led by forward Z. Mason's 20 points and eight boards. Ronrico White poured in 19 points and Casey Jones added 11 to the totals.
After opening the game on a 12-2 run, the Mocs controlled the first half with a solid shooting performance and a dominating 21-9 advantage on the glass. Each time UNCG would begin to pick away at the lead, Chattanooga answered and took the momentum along with a 43-32 lead into the locker room.
Simpson, who netted 41 against the Mocs in a regular-season meeting, sparked his team in the opening minutes of the final period. The junior converted an old-fashioned three-point play and knocked down a long jumper to pull UNCG within six, 43-37, at the 18:35 mark. Armstrong made good from three-point land and all of a sudden the Spartans were within three, 43-40.
Chattanooga answered back, exploiting UNCG's smaller post players and converting free throws to regain an 11-point edge, 67-56, with 10:08 to play.
Two Simpson freebies and an Armstrong triple would quiet the Mocs' contingency. A Chattanooga turnover led to a Nicholas Paulos trey that jump-started a 9-0 UNCG run. Jordan Potts hit from long range and the lead changed hands for the only time all game as the Spartans pulled ahead, 70-68, at the 6:58 mark.
The Mocs made only one field goal during a five-minute stretch and had no answer for Armstrong as the guard scored nine straight points. UNCG's Korey Van Dussen hit his lone bucket of the second half, a trey that extended the Spartans' lead to 82-74, with 3:58 to play.
Chattanooga managed to trim the deficit to two, 83-81, with 90 seconds remaining, but UNCG stepped up the defense and converted from the free throw stripe to keep its season alive.
UNCG connected on 52.7 percent from the field while Chattanooga shot 49.1 percent. The Spartans nailed 11-of-24 from downtown compared to only 6-of-20 for the Mocs.
The Spartans advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament where they will face North Division champion and second-seeded Elon. The Phoenix and Spartans will clash at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 9.
#6 Western Carolina 76, #11 The Citadel 61
Box Score
ASHEVILLE, N.C. --- Western Carolina rolled to a 76-61 win over The Citadel in the 93rd Southern Conference Championship Friday night in ExploreAsheville.com Arena. The sixth seed, WCU is 14-18, while the 11th-seeded Bulldogs end up 8-22.
Trey Sumler led the Catamounts with a game-high 27 points to go with five rebounds and four assists. James Sinclair added 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Matt Van Scyoc and Mike Groselle scored 13 apiece for The Citadel.
The lead grew to 14 on Tom Tankelewicz's trey at 17:27 for the 42-28 advantage. Down 44-30, the Bulldogs bounced back scoring on three straight trips with a 7-0 run to cut the margin to 44-37 on Raemond Robinson's three at 15:53.
But the Catamounts had all the answers. They posted a 7-0 run to go back up by 14, 51-37, on a Sumler three-pointer at 12:42. It would get no closer than eight the rest of the way.
WCU shot 50.9 percent from the field compared to 44.1 percent for The Citadel. It also took advantage of getting to the line 15 more times (24-9) scoring 13 from the stripe to just three for Citadel.
The Bulldogs took the early lead jumping out to a 12-5 start after Dylan Setzekorn's three-pointer at 14:32. Western responded with seven straight to tie the game at 12. It got its first lead, 17-16, on a Sumler trey at 11:20.
Groselle put The Citadel back up 18-17 with 10:17 to go in the half. That's when the Catamounts took charge. A 9-0 run was capped by a Sinclair layup at 4:38 for 26-18 advantage. Sumler beat the buzzer to send his squad into the break up nine, 34-25.
Western Carolina takes on No. 3 seed College of Charleston in the quarterfinals Saturday at 8:30 p.m., in ExploreAsheville.com Arena inside the Asheville Civic Center. The Catamounts were 0-1 against the Cougars in 2012-13. All tournament games through the semifinals are broadcast on ESPN3.com.