UNC Greensboro Uses Second Half Spurt To Hold Off Gardner-Webb, 79-67
November 21, 2006 | Men's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS - UNC Greensboro used a 12-0 run late in the
second half, erasing a Gardner-Webb lead, and iced the game with a
barrage of free throws for a 79-67 win.
The win by UNCG (1-4) snaps a 14-game road losing streak, and the
final score is deceiving when considering the game saw 12 lead
changes and five ties.
Kyle Hines overcame a tough shooting night (8-for-20) to finish
with 27 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocks to pace
the visitors. Ricky McPhee's 17 points led Gardner-Webb, with Chris
Gash adding 16 and freshman post Auryn MacMillan dumping in a
career-best 11 markers.
UNCG also got 16 points each from Mikko Koivisto and Ricky
Hickman.
Gardner-Webb (0-4) jumped out to an early 14-3 lead in the game, as
Ricky McPhee, Jake Sims, Chris Gash and Takayo Siddle each sizzled
from outside, but saw the Spartans storm back with the first of
several runs - this time a 12-0 spurt - to grab a 15-14 lead on a
three-point shot by Kendall Toney with 10:34 to play before
halftime.
The lead flip-flopped twice before Gardner-Webb would find its
rhythm offensively again, with Sims nailing a three to get a 10-2
run started that gave the 'Dogs a 26-19 lead with 5:57 to play on
another McPhee three ball.
GWU would hold onto that lead for much of the first half, until the
Spartans got a three-pointer from Kevin Oleksiak, and a free throw
shot by Kyle Hines to tie the game, 31-31, with 2:29 left. Hines'
dunk after a Bulldog miss gave the Spartans a 33-31 lead, but
Thomas Sanders tied the game, 33-33, with 34 seconds left on a
driving layup off a Wesley Mincey assist.
UNC Greensboro took the lead into the locker room, however, with
Koivisto's three from the corner with four ticks left before
halftime giving the visitor's a 36-33 cushion.
Gardner-Webb tied the game, 41-41, on a McPhee trifecta with 17:27
left in the game, but UNCG would retake the lead and keep GWU off
balance by hitting its free throws. An old fashioned three-point
play by Gash tied the score again at 46 with 14:04 to play, but the
Spartans used a three by Hickman and a jumper by Hines to quickly
post a 51-46 edge of their own.
GWU went on a 6-0 spurt to take their final lead, as McPhee nailed
two three-pointers in a row to give GWU a 52-51 advantage with 9:32
left.
UNC Greensboro then went on its decisive run, with Hines scoring
eight of those 12 points in less than four minutes to put away the
game. GWU did trim the 11-point lead back to five, 63-58, with
three-pointers from McPhee and Gash with 4:40 left, but UNCG made
9-of-10 free throws down the stretch, and Koivisto nailed a three
on a busted defensive play by GWU to push the margin into double
digits by the final buzzer.
Gardner-Webb shot just 40.3 percent for the game, the fourth time
this season the 'Dogs have been under 45 percent. UNCG made just
37.7 percent from the field, but made 20 more free throws than GWU
(26-of-32) and held a 42-37 edge on the glass.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will travel to face NC State on Friday night
at 7 pm ET in the RBC Center.
| Updated Season Stats (PDF / 4 games) |
| BOX SCORE: UNCG 79, GWU 67 |
