UNCG’s only other Southern Conference Tournament crown came back in 2001, when the Spartans punched their ticket to the Big Dance, with a 67-66 win over Chattanooga on a David Schuck buzzer-beater in Greenville, S.C., at the BI-LO Center.
It will be just the second tournament appearance for the Spartans as a Southern Conference member, and just their third overall as an NCAA Division I program. The only other tournament appearance other than 2018 and ‘01 came when the Spartans claimed a berth to the Big Dance was in 1996 during UNCG’s short membership in the Big South Conference. A link below reflects on UNCG’s last tournament championship back in 2001.
http://www.uncgspartans.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=32200&ATCLID=209231816
The story all weekend for Wes Miller’s Spartans was defense, and they put together a masterpiece over a three-game span in Asheville at the US Cellular Center, saving a near-flawless defensive performance, holding an opponent to the lowest point total in a Southern Conference Tournament Championship game since Davidson held Chattanooga to 40 points in a 42-40 title win way back in 1986. The loss saw ETSU conclude its season with a 25-9 overall mark. The Spartans avenged a 79-74 championship loss to the Bucs a year ago.
The 47 points scored by the Bucs were a season low, as was the 30.6% shooting percentage. The Spartans held all three of their opponents in the 2018 Southern Conference Tournament below 40% from the field, and each of its three foes to less than 60 points.
“I thought we were good defensively in the first half. I thought that was the only reason we were in the game. In the second half, I thought we were a little quicker to the ball. In the second half, we won the boards and I think that was the difference,” UNCG head coach Wes Miller said.
The opening half of play saw a defensive slugfest between the two teams like most expected from both teams, with the Spartans and Bucs entering the halftime locker room tied, 25-25.
A key 10-0 run by UNCG after ETSU had taken a 28-27 lead was clutch, highlighted by a pair of Jordy Kuiper triples, and that proved to be enough for Miller’s club with the way it had locked teams down defensively all weekend in Asheville. Kuiper’s back-to-back three-pointers were followed four made free throws from Isaiah Miller and James Dickey, helping the Spartans lead grow to nine (37-28) with 13:15 left.
Kuiper, a native of the Netherlands, would finish with 13 points and five boards to highlight his championship performance, and helped the Spartans create enough breathing room early in the second half, which allowed the Spartans to hone in defensively, as well as on the backboards.
“When I came in as a freshman, my coach in high school used to make me run sprints if I took a jump shot in a game. Starting from my freshman year, the coaches started working with me on my jumper. They gave me a lot of confidence and that confidence was huge for me,” said UNCG senior forward Jordy Kuiper.
UNCG’s Demetrius Troy would deliver the dagger with a little 1:37 remaining in the game, hitting a three from the top of the key, extending UNCG’s lead to 14 points (61-47), ensuring UNCG wouldn’t be caught on the scoreboard.
Highlighting the Spartans’ night defensively on the stats sheet was not only holding the Bucs to a season-low for points (47), but also held the Bucs to a ice-cold 30.6% shooting clip for the game, including just 18% from three-point range. The Spartans also held a 39-31 edge on the backboards.
ETSU saw only one player reach double figures, which was senior and graduate transfer Jalan McCloud, while the Spartans held Southern Conference Player of the Year Desonta Bradford to just eight points in his final game for the Bucs.
UNCG’s Francis Alonso, who hit the clutch triple to defeat Wofford, 56-55, in the semifinals, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, while Troy (13 pts) and center James Dickey III (9 pts, 8 rebs) were named first and second team all-tournament, respectively.
“It was a defensive battle the whole game. I felt like the first team to get to 50 was going to get the chance to win, we just couldn’t get it going. They took us out of our rhythm. We got to the basket and again we couldn’t finish. So that has a lot to do with the way they played, they are very athletic around the basket and we just couldn’t finish. These guys, I am so proud of them. They really battled hard. When you put that much into it, it’s hard to lose like that. They got beat by a good team a really good coached team,” said ETSU head coach Steve Forbes.
The Bucs became the first team since Davidson to play in three-straight championship games since Davidson from 2006-08. UNCG and ETSU played in what was the 12th rematch in championship games in what was the 98th edition of the Southern Conference.
Special thanks to the Southern Conference and in particularly, media relations coordinator Phil Perry, for all of his accomodation and hospitality throughout tournament weekend.
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