UNCG (1-10, 0-2) at Western Carolina (6-5, 1-0), 6 pm (revised game time)
Video: none
Audio: Spartan All Access (free audio) and Yahoo! Sports (free audio)
Radio: 103.1-FM WUAG and 950-AM WPET
LiveStats: UNCGSpartans.com (via Gametracker and CatamountSports.com)
Storylines
• UNCG returns to conference play on Thursday night to face North Division rival Western Carolina. The Spartans have won the last three meetings with the Catamounts and four of the last five. The all-time series is tied, 15-15.
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Daniel Oliver had a career-high 10 points in Saturday's game at Princeton. |
• The Spartans are coming off a 65-55 loss at Princeton in a game televised by ESPNU. UNCG cut a 15-point deficit to three in the final two minutes, but Princeton hit 11 of 12 at the foul line to pull away n the closing seconds.
• UNCG played its only home game in a six-week span Dec. 31 (a week ago Wednesday) when the Spartans hosted Akron. UNCG is in the midst of playing six of seven games away from the friendly confines of Fleming Gym.
• UNCG announced on Dec. 5 that it will move its home games to the Greensboro Coliseum beginning next season. The arena will be modified to a seating capacity of 7,613 for most home games, with at least two expandable options being available. The full capacity of the venue is 23,500.
• UNCG has used nine different starting line-up in 10 games this season. All 10 scholarship players on the active roster have started at least one game thus far and none have started every game.
• Junior forward Mikko Koivisto had his streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer snapped at 33 straight against Akron on Dec. 31. It was the second-longest streak in school history and the third longest active streak in the nation at the time. Prior to Wednesday, his last game without a trey came back on Dec. 4, 2007 at Virginia Tech. On Wednesday, Koivisto was 0-for-6 from behind the arc, scoring just four points (his lowest total since the Virginia Tech game last season).
•Turnovers have been a problem this season for the Spartans. UNCG has had more turnovers than field goals four times in 11 games this season. UNCG is 318th in the nation in turnovers per game at 17.6 (through Wednesday’s action). The opposition has also had 20 or more points off of turnovers in nine of the 11 games (1-8 record in those contests). The Spartans had just 12 turnovers in Saturday’s setback at Princeton.
• Including last Saturday’s game against Princeton, UNCG’s last three opponents are ranked in the Top 40 in the country in scoring defense. Princeton is 24th in the nation at 59.6 ppg. (Dayton is fourth, Akron is 39th through Tuesday’s action.) Western Carolina is 296th in the nation at 73.6 ppg.
• Mikko Koivisto has made 78 of his last 88 at the foul line going back to the latter half of his freshman season and is now 102-121 from the line for his career (84.3%). He ranks fourth in the SoCon in free throw percentage this season at 84.8% (28 of 33).
• Ben Stywall has had five games with double-digit rebounds already this season. Stywall, who had 13 points and eight rebounds at Princeton last Saturday, is sixth in the SoCon in rebounding at 8.4 per contest.
• UNCG has two active players climbing the career 3-point field goal lists. Mikko Koivisto has 159 entering tonight (sixth), while Kendall Toney has 119 (11th).
