GREENSBORO, N.C. (NSUSports.com) – UNC Greensboro outscored the Norfolk State men’s basketball team by 20 in the second half for a 64-47 victory on Sunday afternoon at Greensboro Coliseum.
NSU led by three at the break, but the Spartans of UNCG held Norfolk State to just 24 percent shooting in the second half as they nearly doubled their scoring from the first stanza.
NSU fell to 3-2 despite holding UNCG to 36 percent shooting for the game, 28 percent in the first half alone when NSU held the lead for 14 minutes. Seniors Devante Carter and J.J. Matthews led the way for the Spartans with 14 points each. Carter also grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the year.
“We did what we were supposed to do defensively, but we weren’t tough enough today,” said head coach Robert Jones. “We didn’t do a good job on the glass, especially with the offensive rebounds.”
UNCG improved to 2-3, getting 17 points from leading scorer Isaiah Miller and 16 points and 10 boards from Kaleb Hunter. Miller also had six rebounds and five assists while shooting just 6-of-19 from the floor.
NSU had control of most of the first half. The Spartans went ahead early in the game by a 9-5 score after a layup from Carter, followed immediately by a steal and dunk from sophomore Daryl Anderson. It took UNCG several minutes, but those Spartans finally tied the score at 17-17 on a basket by Angelo Allegri.
Matthews hit three free throws as the Spartans scored the next five points, but Miller scored seven straight as UNCG earned its first lead in nearly 13 minutes, 24-22. Anderson, however, gave NSU the advantage back with a 3-pointer, and a layup from senior Kashaun Hicks made it 27-24. Neither team scored in the last two-plus minutes of the half, and NSU went into the break ahead by that same three-point margin.
Norfolk State forced nine turnovers in the first 20 minutes and scored 10 points off those UNCG miscues.
NSU, however, struggled from the floor to start the second. UNCG began the half on a 16-5 run to go up by eight. The Spartans scored all five of those points from the free throw line. It took nine and a half minutes for them to get their first field goal, as the drought ended on a corner 3-pointer from sophomore Tyrese Jenkins.
NSU still only trailed by five after a baseline jumper off the hands of junior Chris Ford. The Spartans of UNCG then pushed the lead to double digits, and later a 10-0 run put them up by 18 with more than six minutes left in the game. The lead never dipped below 16 after that.
The teams combined to shoot 6-of-34 from deep.
UNCG held the rebounding edge, 47-34, including +10 on the offensive glass. The Spartans outscored NSU 14-4 in second-chance points.
NSU will next host UNC Wilmington on Friday at 4 p.m.
