Men’s, women’s hoops to compete in SoCon Tournament

Posted on March 01, 2022

De'monte Buckingham
De'monte Buckingham

The UNC Greensboro men’s and women’s basketball teams will compete in the 2022 Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships this weekend in Asheville, North Carolina. 

The women’s tournament kicks off on Thursday, March 3, and the title game will be played Sunday, March 6. The men’s tournament takes place March 4-7. 

What’s at stake 

The SoCon Tournament champions will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

The men’s team – No. 6 seed in the tournament – is looking to return to the Big Dance for the second year in a row.

UNCG has held 13 opponents below 60 points, including in both contests against Samford this season. The Spartans finished the regular season leading the SoCon in scoring defense (64.7) and rebounding margin (+5.5).

Graduate student De’Monte Buckingham has been UNCG’s top scorer this season. He leads the team in scoring with a 12.1 points per game average. A guard, Buckingham is ninth in the SoCon in rebounding at 6.3 points per game. Junior forward Bas Leyte is 11th in the SoCon in rebounding (5.9). Junior guard Kobe Langley is tied for second in the SoCon in steals per game (1.7) and 14th in assists (3.0).

Other top scorers for the Spartans include Leyte (9.1 points per game), junior guard Keyshaun Langley (8.9), and graduate student forward Kaleb Hunter (8.7).

The women’s squad – No. 5 seed in the tournament – is vying for a SoCon title game appearance; the last time the women’s team competed in the championship game was in 2020.

UNCG’s top scorers this season have been freshman forward Isys Grady (10.0 points per game) and graduate student forward Aja Boyd (9.3 points per game). Sophomore center Khalis Cain leads UNCG in rebounding at 7.0 per game, which is sixth in the Southern Conference. Boyd is ranked seventh in the conference in rebounding. The Spartans lead the SoCon in scoring defense (56.3 points per game).

When to watch, and how to tune in

The women’s team will face off against No. 4 Samford on Thursday, March 3, at 1:15 p.m. All women’s games will be streamed live on ESPN+. 

The men’s team will battle No. 3 seed Samford on Saturday, March 5, at 8:30 p.m. 

The first round and quarterfinal games of the men’s tournament will be streamed live on ESPN+, the semifinals will be broadcast on ESPNU, and the final will be broadcast on ESPN. 

How to cheer on the Spartans

To purchase tickets, please contact the UNCG Ticket Office at 336-334-3250. Fans are encouraged to wish the teams good luck by sharing messages on Twitter and Instagram. Tag @UNCG, @UNCGBasketball, @UNCGWBB, and #letsgoG in your posts, use UNCG’s GIFs and stickers, and try out spirit-themed augmented reality filters on the @UNCG Instagram channel.

For more information, visit uncgspartans.com and soconhoops.com.

Photography courtesy of UNCG Athletics

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