University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Charleston Southern
Second Half Bulldog Comeback Falls Short at Charleston Southern
01.19.2015 | Men's Basketball
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Saah Nimley scored 31 points as Charleston Southern held off UNC Asheville 82-75 in Big South Conference action Monday night at the CSU Field House.
Andrew Rowsey kept the Bulldogs (8-9, 4-2 BSC) close with a season-high 34 points. Sam Hughes added 17 points, while Jaleel Roberts added 11 points, all in the first half.
Arlon Harper added 23 points for the Buccaneers.
The key to the game was rebounding. CSU out-rebounded Asheville 43-26 and had 21 offensive rebounds to just nine for the Blue & White. The Bucs had 25 second-chance points to 12 for Asheville.
“Rebounding. That was the difference in the game,” stated Bulldog coach Nick McDevitt. “You can't give a good team like Charleston Southern 21 offensive rebounds and expect to win. We were fortunate to be close at the end.”
Asheville trailed 71-63 with three minutes left but stormed back behind Rowsey to close to 75-73 with 33 second left on two free throws from the sophomore guard.
But Nimley hit four straight free throws sandwiched behind a Rowsey basket to push the lead to 79-75. The Dogs would get no closer.
“When you score 75 points, that should be enough to win the game but when you don't play good enough defense and give up all those offensive rebounds, then you're not going to win,” added McDevitt.
Nimley and Harper combined to score 32 points in the first half as the Buccaneers raced to a 33-20 lead. The Bulldogs battled back behind Roberts as the 7-0 center scored all 11 of his points in the final 10 minutes of the half. Asheville closed to 39-35 late in the half on two free throws from Rowsey. Nimley hit a 10-footer as the horn sounded giving the home team a 41-35 halftime lead.
The Bulldogs were a perfect 14-of-14 from the free throw line. CSU went 19-of-26 from the charity stripe, 18-of-25 in the second half.
UNC Asheville returns to Kimmel Arena Thursday night for a first-place showdown with defending Big South champion Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m. Thursday's game will be televised nationally by ESPNU.
