LOUISVILLE, Ky. – UNC Greensboro (UNCG) senior Isaiah Miller became the sixth player in Southern Conference history to record 250 career steals during the Spartans’ 81-68 setback to Duquesne in the Wade Houston Tip-Off Classic at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center Wednesday evening.
This was first meeting in school history against Duquesne.
Miller’s historic moment occurred late in the first half at 6:49 p.m. Eastern Standard Time when he ran down a loose ball he deflected and dunked. He is tied with Davidson’s David Rucker for fifth all-time. Miller is second in steals among NCAA active career leaders.
In addition, Miller led the Spartans in scoring for the third straight game with 22 points. He moved past RJ White and into ninth place on the UNCG all-time scoring list. In scoring at least 20 points in a game for the 23rd time in his career, Miller upped his career scoring total to 1,475 points.
Miller has scored in double figures in five straight games and 21 of UNCG’s last 22 contests dating back to last season.
Playing in his first career collegiate contest, freshman guard A.J. McGinnis energized the Spartans with 13 points, including four 3-pointers.
Angelo Allegri’s four 3-pointers highlighted a season-best 14-point performance. He has made at least two 3-pointers in nine of UNCG’s last 10 games going back to last season. Allegri also has 79 career 3-pointers. Allegri and McGinnis’ scoring efforts were the centerpieces of a bench effort that tallied 36 points.
Hayden Koval, the NCAA’s active blocked shot leader, had three rejections to increase his career total to 285. He has blocked at least three shots in each game this season.
Mohammed Abdulsalam led UNCG with six rebounds. Khyre Thompson and Bas Leyte had five rebounds each for the Spartans. UNCG has had three players with at least five rebounds in each game this season. The Spartans had season-high 15 assists on their 28 baskets.
The Spartans tied the game at 26 with 5 minutes, 12 seconds remaining in the first half after scoring 11 consecutive points capped by consecutive dunks from Dericko Williams off of a missed shot and a Miller dunk sandwiched around Miller’s 249th career steal.
Tavian Dunn-Martin led a balanced Duquesne attack with 21 points. Also reaching double figures for the Dukes were Marcus Weathers (18 points), Sincere Carry (15), and Michael Hughes (14). After UNCG tied the game at 26-26, the Dukes finished the first half by scoring 16 of the last 23 points.
Up Next
UNCG finishes this arduous opening stretch of games by playing Louisville Friday at 2 p.m.
