CHARLESTON, S.C.- Lindsey Thompson scored a season-high 18 points and Chioma Okoli had 17 points to lead UNC Asheville to a 70-66 Big South Conference victory at Charleston Southern on Monday night.
UNC Asheville (4-10, 1-1 Big South) won its first road game of the season by out-shooting the Charleston Southern (5-8, 0-2 Big South) which entered the game sixth in the nation in made three-pointers per game. The Bulldogs were 8-for-20 from three-point range led by Thompson who hit a season-high five three-pointers. The Bucs who average eight made threes per game went just 2-for-11 from long range.
Pam Tolbert led CSU with a game-high 27 points on 12-for-24 shooting while Kelsey Wasmer added 15 points for the Buccaneers.
“It is always tough to win on the road in conference,” said Asheville head coach Betsy Blose. “I thought we had a good game plan to limit their three-point attempts. He gave up some lay-ups but I was proud of the way we stuck to the plan. So many players stepped up tonight. Lindsey and Chioma were huge but I thought Ana (Baker) hit some big shots and Kiana Rainey was a difference maker on the boards. I thought we grew up tonight and we learned how to win in a tough environment.”
The first half saw six ties and seven lead changes as neither team shot well to open the game. Lechell Rush connected on a free throw with 4:14 left in the half to put CSU up 27-25 and that would be the last points of the half for the Bucs. The Dogs tied the game at 27 on an Okoli lay-up with 1:56 left in the half. Thompson buried two three-pointers in the final two minutes. The last came from the right corner with two seconds left in the half to give Asheville a 33-27 halftime lead.
The Bulldogs began the second half with five straight points to cap a 12-0 run over a a five and a half minute stretch to take a 37-27 lead with 18:59 to play. The Dogs would lead by as many as 13, 49-36, after a Linda Aughburns three-pointer with 14:52 left in the game.
Charleston Southern went on a 20-9 run over the next nine minutes to pull to within a basket at 58-56 with 5:23 left to play.
Ana Baker who had only scored two points up to that points hit three-straight jumpers and then assisted on a Thompson three-pointer to spark a 9-0 Asheville run to push the lead back to 11 points with 2:45 to play. Wasmer hit a three-pointer and then made three free throws in the final minute as CSU made one final run. Okoli made 3-of-5 free throws in the final minute to keep Asheville up by six , 70-64, with 33 seconds remaining. Lyda Johnson made a lay-up with 14 second left, but CSU elected not to foul as Baker ran out the clock to give Asheville the win.
The Bulldogs will begin a five-game home stand on Wednesday night as they face Carson-Newman in a 7 p.m. game at the Justice Center.
NOTES: Asheville shot 40 percent from the floor for the fourth time this season. The Bulldogs are 4-0 in those games. Baker had three assists and is now six shy of tying the school's division I assists record. She also had five steals to move into second place in that category. Kiana Rainey had a career-high nine rebounds and a season high five points. The Asheville bench outscored the CSU bench 28-2 in the game.
