December 22, 2012

Men's Basketball Hosts Wake Forest Saturday Afternoon

GREENSBORO, N.C. – For the second time this season, the UNCG men's basketball team will host an Atlantic Coast Conference member as the Spartans welcome in Triad-rival Wake Forest to the Greensboro Coliseum Saturday afternoon. Game time is set for 2:30 p.m. and will be the second game of a women's/men's basketball doubleheader at the Greensboro Coliseum as the UNCG women's basketball team hosts No. 23 Florida State at noon.

The men's basketball game will be broadcast on ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app with Darren Goldwater and Dean Keener will provide the call. Additionally, the game will be broadcast on 1320 WCOG AM and online at www.uncgspartans.com with Scott Pryzwansky and Darryl Kosciak on the call.

Saturday's game marks the seventh meeting all-time between UNCG and Wake Forest with the Demon Deacons owning a 6-0 record all-time against the Spartans. The teams last met during the 2010-11 season when the Spartans narrowly dropped a 69-67 decision at Wake Forest as four Spartans scored in double figures, including 14 points from Korey Van Dussen (Zeeland, Mich./Zeeland East).

The game also marks the 48^th meeting all-time between UNCG and a team from the ACC as the Spartans are 1-46 all-time against league foes. UNCG's lone victory came Nov. 9, 2007 with an 83-74 victory at Georgia Tech. The game is the second of three games this season for UNCG against the ACC as they dropped a 96-87 loss at home to Virginia Tech earlier this year and are set to play No. 25 N.C. State Dec. 31.

UNCG enters the game with a 2-7 overall record after dropping back-to-back games against the Colonial Athletic Association with loss at James Madison and UNCW. The Spartans lead the Southern Conference in scoring at 78.1 points per game and are one of four teams in the country that have scored over 70 points in every game this season.

Junior guard Trevis Simpson (Douglas, Ga./Coffee) leads the team and the SoCon in scoring at 19.8 points per game while also adding 4.2 rebounds per game. Simpson has scored in double figures all nine games this season and has reached the 20-point mark three times. He posted 19 points in the loss at UNCW Wednesday night, including 16 points in the second half.

Senior guard Derrell Armstrong (Mechanicsville, Md./Allegany) is second on the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game while also checking in second on the glass at 5.8 rebounds per game. Armstrong returned to action Wednesday and posted his first career double-double with 18 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Freshman forward Kayel Locke (Owings Mill, Md./McDonogh) rounds out the Spartans in double figures as he chips in 11.1 points per and has been to the free throw line a team-high 50 times.

Wake Forest enters Saturday's game with a 5-5 overall record and will be playing just its second road game of the season. The Demon Deacons have defeated Radford, Mercer, William & Mary, High Point and Furman while dropping games to Connecticut, Iona, Nebraska, Richmond and Seton Hall.

Guard C.J. Harris leads the team in scoring at 14.5 points per game as he is shooting 52.3 percent (45-of-86) from the field and has hit a team-high 17 three-pointers. Travis McKie is second on the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game while leading the team on the glass at 8.3 rebounds per game. McKie has gone to the free throw line a team-high 63 times as Wake Forest has attempted 61 more free throws (257-196) than its opponents this year.

- UNCG -