The North Carolina-Greensboro Spartans finished the 2004-05 season with a record of 18-12 straight up, including a Southern Conference record of 9-7, which was good for a third place finish in the North Division.
The Spartans were unable to maintain the same pace on the board, however, as they finished 12-13 against the spread. The did manage to cover five of their final six games including a loss in the Southern Conference tournament championship game to Chattanooga 62-66 as 7.5-point dogs.
In conferences such as the Southern, worst to first stories, (and vice versa) are quite common as teams often rise and fall quickly and rapidly both on the court and at the sportsbook, which was likely to be the case for NC-Greensboro.
Solid Start
North Carolina-Greensboro opened the 2005-06 season with a 48-71 neutral court loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay as 3.5-point dogs. That was then followed by a 62-49 neutral court win over Morgan State as 12-point chalks. The Spartans next scored a 61-49 neutral court win over Texas-Arlington in a pick’em for a second payoff in three games.
NC-Greensboro was unable to sustain momentum, however, as they lost at Vanderbilt as 22.5-point dogs. They then scored an unlined home win over Hampton 75-72. Back on the board at South Carolina, the Spartans were clobbered 55-77 as 20.5-point dogs.
But North Carolina-Greensboro got back on track in their next game, a 72-58 home win over Charleston as 2-point dogs which was then followed by a 78-70 win at East Carolina as 7.5-point dogs.
NC-Greensboro then scored a pair of unlined home wins over Gardner-Webb (76-68) and then Greensboro (85-47) to complete a solid start of 7-3 straight up and 4-3 against the board.
North Carolina Free fall
As the season went into full swing, North Carolina-Greensboro’s problems increased. After a non-conference 77-89 loss at Delaware as 5-point dogs, the Spartans next lost at William & Mary 73-83 as 4-point dogs.
NC-Greensboro then hosted Duke and was clobbered by a score of 69-102 as whopping 23.5-point dogs. The Spartans then had another matchup against an Atlantic Coast Conference team and suffered another blowout loss, 52-83, at North Carolina State as 23.5-point dogs.
The opening in earnest of Southern Conference play did nothing to break the free fall as NC-Greensboro lost at Chattanooga 69-78 as 7-point dogs for a fifth straight failure against the board.
North Carolina-Greensboro took a much needed break from the board and scored a 96-68 home win over Montreat College. That was followed by a 56-62 loss at Elon University as 6.5-point dogs.
The Spartans were unable to build momentum however, as they next lost at home to Western Carolina 76-87 as 4.5-point chalks and followed that hp with a 62-60 home win over Appalachian State as 2-point chalks for a push. The Spartans had gotten the cash in just one of their last eight games against the spread.
North Carolina Brief bargains
Few teams were as unappealing to gamblers as NC-Greensboro as they prepared to host the Citadel, whom they defeated 65-46 as 12.5-point chalks. That was then followed by a 78-86 loss/cover at Georgia Southern as 9-point dogs before a 78-84 overtime loss at Wofford as 4.5-point dogs. The Spartans then rebounded with a 65-59 home win over Furman to complete a string of 3-1 against the spread as brief bargains.
North Carolina-Greensboro ended the regular season with a mark of 0-6 straight up and 2-4 against the spread before getting a win/cover over Western Carolina in the Southern Conference tourney in the first round and a loss/push against Elon in the second round.