University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Tuesday, January 17
Boiling Springs, N.C.
7:00 p.m.
UNC Asheville
8-8, 2-3
52
at
55
Gardner-Webb
8-8, 3-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC Asheville | 14 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 52 |
| Gardner Webb | 11 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 55 |
Photo by: UNC Asheville
Asheville Women Fall 55-52 in Road Thriller at Gardner-Webb
01.17.2017 | Women's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Tuesday night's Big South Conference women's basketball game between UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb was a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final seconds of regulation, but it was the home Runnin' Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb that came out victorious by a final score of 55-52 inside Paul Porter Arena.
Asheville (8-8, 2-3 Big South Conference) was able to edge out to a 23-22 lead at the halftime intermission after leading by as many as seven points twice in the second quarter.
The third quarter saw the home Bulldogs (8-8, 3-2 Big South Conference) take the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter when Carley Plentovich hit a three-pointer off a feed by Alexus Hill. From there, the two teams swapped the lead back-and-forth four times down the stretch and the score was knotted five times in the second half.
With 4:20 left in regulation, Sonora Dengokl converted a layup to draw the Asheville Bulldogs to within one of Gardner-Webb. On the other end of the court, Plentovich hit a jumper from the free throw line to extend the GWU lead back to three, but Ali Trani had the answer for Asheville, drilling a three-pointer from the right side of the arc to knot the score at 47-all. On Asheville's next possession, Jessica Wall drilled a three-ball from the left side, giving Asheville a 50-47 lead with just over 2:00 left in the game.
A couple of possessions later, Plentovich got a steal and bucket with just over a minute left in regulation to give the Bulldogs in red a 51-50 lead. Not to be out-done, Chatori Major answered with a jumper just outside the paint to give the lead back to Asheville.
After a timeout with just under a minute to play, Gardner-Webb went up by one, 53-52, as Tierra Huntsman drove to the basket and made the layup with just under 39 seconds left. On the ensuing Asheville drive, the Bulldogs in blue turned the ball over, giving GWU the ball back with 7.8 registering on the clock. Gardner-Webb was able to hold on in the closing seconds to register the three-point win thanks to Huntsman hitting two free throws with just over a second left.
For the game, Asheville shot 33.9 percent (20-59) from the field led by Dengokl's 13 points. Dengokl hit three of her four free throw attempts, corralled in five rebounds and finished with four assists. Major also finished the game in double figures as she tallied 12 points. Bronaza Fitzgerald ended the game with seven points to go along with nine rebounds.
Gardner-Webb ended the 40-minute contest shooting 40.8 percent (20-49) from the field, including 58.3 percent (7-12) from beyond the three-point arc. Plentovich led all scorers with 16 points off a 6-for-12 outing, including hitting four three-pointers.
BULLDOG BITES
WALL BEYOND THE ARC: Jessica Wall matched her season-high of two three-pointers in the game, going 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. Her six points also matched her season-high.
SEASON-HIGH FOR DENGOKL: Sophomore guard Sonora Dengokl led the Bulldogs in scoring with 13 points Tuesday night. The 13 points are a season-high and her five field goals made matches her season-high set earlier in the season against Warren Wilson.
QUOTABLES
"Tonight we played with the kind of heart and effort in all facets of the game that we have been looking for all season. We may not have hit shots or executed to perfection at all times, but we had perfect effort. I am so proud of our kids and staff right now. We had a tough week in regards to injuries and we were making adjustments to lineups even as late as today. The kids owned the game plan and had the right attitude. We out-rebounded them and we got ourselves to the free throw line. The shots will fall, we just need to keep playing with this type of intensity. I'm looking forward to it. We found our identity tonight." – Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will play three of their next four games at home beginning Saturday, Jan. 21. The Asheville women will first take on Liberty at 2 p.m. on ESPN3 as part of a women's and men's doubleheader. The men will play Campbell shortly after the conclusion of the women's game, also on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN App.
Asheville (8-8, 2-3 Big South Conference) was able to edge out to a 23-22 lead at the halftime intermission after leading by as many as seven points twice in the second quarter.
The third quarter saw the home Bulldogs (8-8, 3-2 Big South Conference) take the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter when Carley Plentovich hit a three-pointer off a feed by Alexus Hill. From there, the two teams swapped the lead back-and-forth four times down the stretch and the score was knotted five times in the second half.
With 4:20 left in regulation, Sonora Dengokl converted a layup to draw the Asheville Bulldogs to within one of Gardner-Webb. On the other end of the court, Plentovich hit a jumper from the free throw line to extend the GWU lead back to three, but Ali Trani had the answer for Asheville, drilling a three-pointer from the right side of the arc to knot the score at 47-all. On Asheville's next possession, Jessica Wall drilled a three-ball from the left side, giving Asheville a 50-47 lead with just over 2:00 left in the game.
A couple of possessions later, Plentovich got a steal and bucket with just over a minute left in regulation to give the Bulldogs in red a 51-50 lead. Not to be out-done, Chatori Major answered with a jumper just outside the paint to give the lead back to Asheville.
After a timeout with just under a minute to play, Gardner-Webb went up by one, 53-52, as Tierra Huntsman drove to the basket and made the layup with just under 39 seconds left. On the ensuing Asheville drive, the Bulldogs in blue turned the ball over, giving GWU the ball back with 7.8 registering on the clock. Gardner-Webb was able to hold on in the closing seconds to register the three-point win thanks to Huntsman hitting two free throws with just over a second left.
For the game, Asheville shot 33.9 percent (20-59) from the field led by Dengokl's 13 points. Dengokl hit three of her four free throw attempts, corralled in five rebounds and finished with four assists. Major also finished the game in double figures as she tallied 12 points. Bronaza Fitzgerald ended the game with seven points to go along with nine rebounds.
Gardner-Webb ended the 40-minute contest shooting 40.8 percent (20-49) from the field, including 58.3 percent (7-12) from beyond the three-point arc. Plentovich led all scorers with 16 points off a 6-for-12 outing, including hitting four three-pointers.
BULLDOG BITES
WALL BEYOND THE ARC: Jessica Wall matched her season-high of two three-pointers in the game, going 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. Her six points also matched her season-high.
SEASON-HIGH FOR DENGOKL: Sophomore guard Sonora Dengokl led the Bulldogs in scoring with 13 points Tuesday night. The 13 points are a season-high and her five field goals made matches her season-high set earlier in the season against Warren Wilson.
QUOTABLES
"Tonight we played with the kind of heart and effort in all facets of the game that we have been looking for all season. We may not have hit shots or executed to perfection at all times, but we had perfect effort. I am so proud of our kids and staff right now. We had a tough week in regards to injuries and we were making adjustments to lineups even as late as today. The kids owned the game plan and had the right attitude. We out-rebounded them and we got ourselves to the free throw line. The shots will fall, we just need to keep playing with this type of intensity. I'm looking forward to it. We found our identity tonight." – Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will play three of their next four games at home beginning Saturday, Jan. 21. The Asheville women will first take on Liberty at 2 p.m. on ESPN3 as part of a women's and men's doubleheader. The men will play Campbell shortly after the conclusion of the women's game, also on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN App.
Team Stats
AVL
GWU
FG%
.339
.408
3FG%
.231
.583
FT%
.474
.800
RB
38
35
TO
8
10
STL
2
6
Game Leaders
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
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