MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont (5-2) closes out a four-game trip away from home when it faces UNCG (5-2) on Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum. Tip-off is slated for 5 p.m. Tickets for the road game are available at
UNCGSpartans.com.
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TELEVISION & BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday's game will broadcast live on
ESPN+. Fans can listen for free on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield IMG College on The Game, which will air on 97.1 FM in Burlington, 105.9 FM in Plattsburgh, and 960 AM around the rest of the region. The radio broadcast is also available online atÂ
Catamounts All-Access with Brian McLaughlin on the call. Â
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Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets
Game Notes: Vermont | UNCG
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SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
UNCG enters the matchup with wins in three of its last five games. The Spartans most recently defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 80-61 on November 24, after suffering back-to-back losses to FIU (L, 74-71 OT) and UMass (L, 93-90). De'Monte Buckingham leads UNCG with 12.4 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game, and 1.6 assists per game. Bas Leyte also averages double figures with 10.4 points per game this season. The Spartans were an NCAA Tournament team a season ago, but were selected sixth in this year's SoCon Preseason Poll, behind first-year head coach Mike Jones.
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INSIDE THE SERIES
Vermont and UNCG square off for the fourth time in series history and the first time since 2019. The Spartans took a 54-53 victory over the Catamounts in Patrick Gym. UVM had a chance to win the game with the final possession, but couldn't convert in the defensive thriller. Vermont is 2-1 in the series with victories in 1991 and 1992.
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BACK TO THE COLISEUM
UVM returns to the Greensboro Coliseum for the first time since the 2012 NCAA Tournament. In Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach
John Becker's first season as bench boss, the Catamounts defeated Lamar in the First Round at Dayton, and faced No. 1 North Carolina in the Second Round at the Greensboro Coliseum. Sandro Carrissimo led No. 16 Vermont with 11 points, but the Catamounts suffered a 77-58 loss. Current assistant coach
Chris Santo had two points for UVM in the tournament game.
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THE WAY OF THE ROAD
Vermont will play its sixth game away from home when it faces UNCG. The Catamounts are 3-2 in its five previous combined road and neutral site games. UVM is averaging 62.0 points per game in the five contests, with
Ben Shungu posting a team-high 17.0 points per game. Shungu has also distributed a team-high 2.4 assists per game away from Patrick Gym.
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SHUNGU SHOWTIME
Ben Shungu drilled a game-winning jumper at the buzzer to defeat Appalachian State 65-63 in the final game of the Gulf Coast Showcase. The UVM guard, who had a team-high 17 points, motioned to his right before crossing over and firing a step-back jumper to clinch the victory. Vermont went 2-1 at the Gulf Coast Showcase, adding a 58-49 win over Evansville. UVM suffered its lone loss against Oakland (L, 63-61) in the opening game of the tournament.
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Key Motors of South Burlington is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball
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