University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Friday, March 2
Asheville, NC
8:00 PM
UNC Asheville
21-12
64
vs
69
Liberty
20-13
1
2
F
Liberty
26
43
69
UNC Asheville
38
26
64
Bulldogs Bow Out of Big South Tournament With Semifinal Loss to Liberty
03.02.2018 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Big South Conference regular-season champion and tournament top-seeded UNC Asheville men's basketball bowed out of the 2018 Big South Men's Basketball Championship with a 69-64 semifinal loss to fifth-seeded Liberty on Friday, March 2, at Kimmel Arena.
UNC Asheville's season is not done with the Bulldogs next set to compete in the National Invitation Tournament.
UNC Asheville (21-12) was down 6-2 early to the Flames, but a 10-0 run shortly thereafter allowed the Bulldogs to take a 12-6 lead with 13:25 remaining in the first half.
The Bulldogs would own their first double-digit lead of the game at 25-15 with five minutes left in the first half after back-to-back three-pointers by Raekwon Miller and MaCio Teague.
UNC Asheville would go on to take a double-digit lead into the halftime break at 38-26.
The Bulldogs had two in double figures at the break in Miller and Teague, who both had 11.
UNC Asheville closed out the first half shooting 42.9 percent (12-of-28) as a team. The Bulldogs knocked down six of their nine three-point attempts (66.7 percent) in the first half.
Liberty (20-13) would open the second half by outscoring the Bulldogs 17-10 over the first nine and a half minutes to pull back within five at 48-43.
The Flames would own a 57-56 lead with 3:34 to play in the contest.
Liberty would go ahead by as many as 10 with 33 seconds to play, but the Bulldogs would not go down without a fight with Asheville trailing by just three at 67-64 with 15 seconds left in the game after a Miller three-pointer.
That would prove to be as close as the Bulldogs would get in Liberty's five-point victory.
Miller and Teague finished the contest with 19 points each. Miller also had three rebounds and one assist, while Teague had four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Ahmad Thomas was the final Bulldog in double figures with 11 points. He also had three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Scottie James led Liberty in its loss with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
UNC Asheville finished its loss shooting 34.6 percent (18-of-52) as a team, while Liberty shot 47.7 percent (21-of-44) as a team.
BULLDOG BITES
Nearing No. 1
UNC Asheville senior guard Ahmad Thomas with 247 career steals is just one steal from tying and two steals away from becoming the all-time steals leader at UNC Asheville. J.P. Primm (2008-12) is the current all-time leader with 248 career steals.
Up Next
UNC Asheville men's basketball will now wait to learn of its destination in the NIT. The NIT Selection Show will take place the evening of Sunday, March 11.
Postseason Play
UNC Asheville will be making its second appearance in the NIT. The Bulldogs last appeared in the postseason event in 2008. Overall, this year's NIT appearance will be UNC Asheville's seventh in a postseason tournament. The Bulldogs have advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times before (2003, 2011, 2012 and 2016), the NIT (2008 and 2018) twice and the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament once (2017).
Quotable
Highlights
UNC Asheville's season is not done with the Bulldogs next set to compete in the National Invitation Tournament.
UNC Asheville (21-12) was down 6-2 early to the Flames, but a 10-0 run shortly thereafter allowed the Bulldogs to take a 12-6 lead with 13:25 remaining in the first half.
The Bulldogs would own their first double-digit lead of the game at 25-15 with five minutes left in the first half after back-to-back three-pointers by Raekwon Miller and MaCio Teague.
UNC Asheville would go on to take a double-digit lead into the halftime break at 38-26.
The Bulldogs had two in double figures at the break in Miller and Teague, who both had 11.
UNC Asheville closed out the first half shooting 42.9 percent (12-of-28) as a team. The Bulldogs knocked down six of their nine three-point attempts (66.7 percent) in the first half.
Liberty (20-13) would open the second half by outscoring the Bulldogs 17-10 over the first nine and a half minutes to pull back within five at 48-43.
The Flames would own a 57-56 lead with 3:34 to play in the contest.
Liberty would go ahead by as many as 10 with 33 seconds to play, but the Bulldogs would not go down without a fight with Asheville trailing by just three at 67-64 with 15 seconds left in the game after a Miller three-pointer.
That would prove to be as close as the Bulldogs would get in Liberty's five-point victory.
Miller and Teague finished the contest with 19 points each. Miller also had three rebounds and one assist, while Teague had four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Ahmad Thomas was the final Bulldog in double figures with 11 points. He also had three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Scottie James led Liberty in its loss with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
UNC Asheville finished its loss shooting 34.6 percent (18-of-52) as a team, while Liberty shot 47.7 percent (21-of-44) as a team.
BULLDOG BITES
Nearing No. 1
UNC Asheville senior guard Ahmad Thomas with 247 career steals is just one steal from tying and two steals away from becoming the all-time steals leader at UNC Asheville. J.P. Primm (2008-12) is the current all-time leader with 248 career steals.
Up Next
UNC Asheville men's basketball will now wait to learn of its destination in the NIT. The NIT Selection Show will take place the evening of Sunday, March 11.
Postseason Play
UNC Asheville will be making its second appearance in the NIT. The Bulldogs last appeared in the postseason event in 2008. Overall, this year's NIT appearance will be UNC Asheville's seventh in a postseason tournament. The Bulldogs have advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times before (2003, 2011, 2012 and 2016), the NIT (2008 and 2018) twice and the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament once (2017).
Quotable
Highlights
Team Stats
LIBERTY
AVL
FG%
.477
.346
3FG%
.333
.429
FT%
.840
.731
RB
37
26
TO
13
4
STL
1
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
5
FTM
2
Pts
19
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
8
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
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