University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Campbell
Bulldogs Hold Off Campbell, 70-63
01.31.2015 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Freshman guard Kevin Vannatta scored a career-high 18 points to lead UNC Asheville to a 70-63 Big South Conference victory over visiting Campbell Saturday afternoon at Kimmel Arena.
The win by the Bulldogs (11-10, 7-3) was their third in the last four games. Campbell fell to 8-15 overall and 2-8 in the Big South. Seven of the Camels league losses have come by eight points or less.
Sophomore guard Andrew Rowsey led all scorers19 points, while David Robertson added 10 points for the Blue & White.
Campbell was led by Curtis Phillips' career-high 17 points. Andrew Ryan finished with 16.
The Camels dominated most of the first half and led 27-11 at the 4:40 mark before the Bulldogs began an incredible run. Asheville scored the next 24 points to take the lead for good at 34-27. The home team finished the first half on a 13-0 run and then scored the first nine points of the second to claim the lead. Sophomore center Giacomo Zilli began the run with a steal and dunk. Rowsey finished it with a layup in transition at the 17:28 mark.
Asheville continued to build on the lead and Jaleel Roberts lay-up at the 11:40 mark to pad the margin to 49-31. The Bulldogs outscored Campbell, 38-4 to seemingly take charge of the game.
But the Camels rallied with great three-point shooting. CU scored nine straight points over a minute span on three straight 3-pointers to suddenly close the game to 49-40. Ryan and Phillips had treys.
The visitors continued to rally and crept to 65-63 on a lay-up from D.J. Mason at the one-minute mark.
Vannatta came through with a jumper in the lane to push the Asheville lead to 67-63. Mason missed a long trey on the next possession. Rowsey rebounded and was fouled. He hit both free throws to finish 7-of-7 from the line on the day.
Campbell finished the game 22-of-44 from the field for 50 percent. The Camels went 6-of-11 from long distance in the second half to finish at 55 percent.
The home team shot even better from the field as the Bulldogs went 23-of-42 for 55 percent. They shot 66 percent (14-of-22) in the second half.
UNC Asheville goes on the road on Tuesday to face defending Big South champion Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m.
