UNCG 81, Mocs 72

FOUR FACTORS (plus two)

eFG%
Mocs- 47.5%
UNCG- 55.6%
Advantage- UNCG

TO%
Mocs- 23.4%
UNCG- 11.7%
Advantage- UNCG

OR%
Mocs- 39.5%
UNCG- 32.4%
Advantage- Mocs

FTRate
Mocs- 44.1%
UNCG- 30.2%
Advantage- Mocs

FT%
Mocs- 61.5%
UNCG- 57.9%
Advantage- Mocs

3PtRate
Mocs- 30.5%
UNCG- 54.0%

PLAYER RATER

Overall
1) Drazen Zlovaric 27.0
2) Ricky Taylor 22.1
3) Omar Wattad 19.6
4) Z Mason 14.2
5) Jahmal Burroughs 10.5
6) Keegan Bell 9.3
7) Dontay Hampton 4.0
8) Lance Stokes 2.5
9) Rico White 0.0
10) Jared Bryant -0.8

Per 40
1) Lance Stokes 50.0
2) Drazen Zlovaric 30.9
3) Z Mason 27.1
4) Ricky Taylor 26.8
5) Omar Wattad 26.1
6) Jahmal Burroughs 24.7
7) Dontay Hampton 10.7
8) Keegan Bell 9.3
9) Rico White 0.0
10) Jared Bryant -6.4

ANALYSIS

There's a ton to say here. First of all, the Mocs gave up way too many offensive rebounds. The numbers don't completely bare that out, but at key moments (just like in other losses this year) the Mocs did not come up with the offensive rebounds. That's tough.

Secondly, the Spartans were red hot from three point range. They rarely missed it felt like. They shot 41% from three point range for the game. This from a team that had been cold shooting until two games ago. Are the Spartans turning into a good shooting team? (Answer: Yes. They are actually turning into the team many thought they'd be in the preseason, and the team I thought they'd be in the preseason, when I picked them to finish third in the North and expected them to make real run at a bye.)

Thirdly, the Mocs turned the ball over too much. When you turn the ball over 16 times, it's not good. It's even worse when you only force eight turnovers. The Mocs have gotten away with that number of turnovers previously, but they had forced roughly the same number of turnovers. The Spartans protected the ball- the Mocs did not.

Finally, Keegan Bell is really struggling. He has sixteen assists and sixteen turnovers in his last four games. When will he get going again? Until Bell gets going again, this team is just going to struggle. They are just an average team until he gets going again. It has not happened yet. It may not happen for the rest of the year.

How come the Mocs did not throw the ball to Zlovaric more? In the clutch, there were a lot of threes being taken, and Zlovaric did not seem to get a lot of touches. He did take the second most shots on the team, and he wound up with a double-double. Zlovaric needs to continue developing, and the Mocs need to pound the ball into him as much as possible.

The good news for the Mocs is that they are still just a half game out of first in the North. With Elon and Western Carolina tied at 3-3, the Mocs, Appalachian State and UNCG are all 3-4. Things continue to be very interesting in the North. But the Mocs have to win a road game if they want to get a bye. At some point, they have to win a road game.

GO MOCS!