Sergio Guerra, Sports Editor/Photographer 

The Southern Conference regular season has come to an end and sees UNCG men’s basketball finish in second place. The Spartans had their work cut out for them in the final week of games, having to face SOCON leader Chattanooga on Thursday, Feb. 27, and third place Samford the following Saturday.  

The stage was set last Thursday at First Horizon Coliseum for UNCG’s matchup against league leader Chattanooga. UNCG was going into this match with a record of 12-4 while Chattanooga was 13-3. A win would’ve put UNCG level with Chattanooga, with everything to play for on the final day of SOCON proceedings. Unfortunately, that’s not how it played out, with UNCG losing 75-63.  

The game saw Ronald Polite III score 17 points and secure 1,000 career points while Demetrius Davis and Kenyon Giles also reached double-digit point tallies. Meanwhile, Jalen Breath led the team with nine rebounds. However, UNCG gave up 13 second-chance points and the points kept falling for Chattanooga in the final minutes of the game which extended their lead over the Spartans. 

Kenyon Giles and Ronald Polite III were celebrated prior to the game. Kenyon Giles reached 1,000 career points earlier in the season and received a basketball signed by head coach, Mike Jones. Ronald Polite III received a similar gift, with his being for reaching 300 career assists.  

The Spartans’ loss took Chattanooga’s record to 14-3 with only one game left to play, clinching the SOCON regular season title.  

However, UNCG still had to secure the No. 2 seed by beating Samford on Saturday, March 1. The Spartans went into the match 12-5 – level with the Bulldogs. Both sides needed the win for the second-place seed.  

Big time offensive performances from Kenyon Giles (25), Demetrius Davis (22), Ronald Polite III (18), and Donovan Atwell (14) saw them score 79 points in UNCG’s tight win of 108-100. The buckets were falling for UNCG on the day – they went 13-26 from beyond the arc and had 34 points in the paint.  

UNCG’s performance ensured that they secured the second-place seed in front of a sold-out Fleming Gym. It was also Senior Day, as the team celebrated eight players: Jalen Breath, Malik Henry, Miles Jones, Demetrius Davis, Joryam Saizonou, Ronald Polite III, Akrum Ahemed, and Muon Reath.  

The Spartans now have to set their sights on Asheville for the SOCON Basketball Championships. UNCG men’s basketball will be matched up against the winner between VMI and The Citadel. Meanwhile, UNCG Women’s Basketball will be up against Western Carolina in their quarter-final matchup. Up the Spartans!