University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
6-9, 3-1BSC
Longwood
3-12, 1-3BSC
Bulldogs Dominate Early; Down Lancers 82-52
01.13.2018 | Women's Basketball
**Story Written by senior swimmer Shannon Kennedy**
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - To tally its second consecutive Big South Conference win, the UNC Asheville women's basketball team downed Longwood 82-52 after out-scoring the Lancers 40-17 in the first half on Saturday inside Kimmel Arena.
BULLDOG BITESÂ
Game Highlights
The Bulldogs fought well in the first half with heavy scoring to start the game. In the first quarter, the Bulldogs out-scored the Lancers 24-7, and highlighting the first 10 minutes of play was an 11-0 run to open the game. Longwood ended the run with its first points of the contest, but Asheville pushed its lead to 12 with three minutes left and ended the quarter with a 19-point advantage.
To start the second quarter, Asheville continued to push the offense as it out-scored the opposition 12-4 in the first five and a half minutes of play. The score at halftime was 40-17, and the 23-point advantage was the largest lead after the first 20 minutes of action this season.
Despite the large lead, the Bulldogs didn't back down in the second half as they continued to out-score the Lancers (42-34). The closest Longwood could get was 16 points, which was near the end of the third quarter. However, the Bulldogs pushed its largest lead of the contest (33 points) mid-way through the final 10 minutes of play, and they ended the game with its sixth victory of the season, 82-52.
Three Bulldogs posted double-digits in scoring during the game, which immensely aided in the 30-point victory. Senior guard Khaila Webb had a game-high 19 points, which makes it the ninth time she has led the squad in points.
Senior center Bronaza Fitzgerald poured in 15 points and had a strong afternoon on the boards where she grabbed seven rebounds. The duo was joined in double-digit scoring by freshman guard Nadiria Evans who scored 11 total points. The 11 points marked a career high for the Gainesville, Fla. native.Â
Senior forward Tiffany Wilson had a total of seven rebounds, which matched Fitzgerald for a game high. Zip Scott also corralled five rebounds, which were all defensive boards. Scott along with Webb and Jessica Wall each netted two three pointers, as the Bulldogs shot 50 percent beyond the three-point arc (6-for-12).
Wall tallied four assists and three steals, which was a game high for either squad. With her four assists, she now leads the team with 42 assists on the year. She is also tied for the team lead in steals with 16.
As a team, the Bulldogs made 25 trips to the free-throw line and converted on 16 shots. The Bulldogs dominated the paint (42-24) as they also out-rebounded the Lancers 48-31. With 13 offensive rebounds, UNC Asheville connected with 17 second-chance points and limited Longwood to only four second-chance points.
The Bulldogs advance to 6-9 overall and 3-1 in league play, and Longwood falls to 3-12 overall and 1-3 in the Big South.
Quotable
What's Next?
The Bulldogs return home on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. to take on Liberty in the Kimmel Arena.Â
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