University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
12-11, 7-5BSC
Presbyterian College
4-19, 2-10BSC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presbyterian College | 10 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
| UNC Asheville | 7 | 9 | 20 | 15 | 51 |
Women’s Basketball Captures Fifth Straight Home Win in Defensive Battle Versus Presbyterian
02.12.2019 | Women's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville women's basketball fended off Presbyterian on Tuesday night inside Kimmel Arena, 51-45, as the Bulldogs captured their fifth straight home win.
The five-game home winning streak is the longest streak in a single season since the 2015-16 season. The Bulldogs won seven straight home games to open that campaign.
Including the Big South Tournament, the Bulldogs ended the 2015-16 season winning five straight games inside Kimmel Arena. The Bulldogs extended their home winning streak into the 2016-17 season by winning three more games for their longest overall win streak on their home court.
BULLDOG BITES
Game Highlights
The opening 20 minutes of play was an offensive struggle for both squads, as the Blue Hose went into halftime leading by one point, 17-16. In fact, only five different players scored in the opening quarter, while six different players scored in the second stanza. Only two Presbyterian players scored in the opening half, while the Bulldogs spread the offense with seven players scoring in the first 20 minutes.
The third quarter started fast for the Bulldogs, as they jumped out to a six-point lead with 7:16 left in the third (23-17). Asheville continued to push its lead, as it got as high as 11 points, 36-25, thanks to a Jessica Wall three-pointer. PC trimmed the deficit to five, as the Blue Hose ended the quarter on a 6-0 run.
Heading into the final quarter up 36-31, the Bulldogs claimed the victory by outscoring PC by one in the final 10 minutes of play. Ali Trani totaled seven of Asheville's 15 points in the quarter, while PC's Salina Virola tallied 10 of her team's points in the final stanza.
In the second half, UNC Asheville shot an impressive 50 percent (12-for-24), while also connecting on nine of 10 free throw attempts. Only five Bulldogs – Tiffany Wilson (10), Wall (9), Zip Scott (7), Trani (7) and Juliet Esadah (2) – scored in the final 20 minutes of action.
Three Bulldogs finished in double figures in Wilson (12), Wall (12) and Trani (10). Between the Bulldog trio, they combined for 11 field goals, nine free throws, eight rebounds, six steals and eight assists. Trani went 5-for-6 from the free throw line, while Wilson went a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Wall tallied a game-high six assists.
Scott nearly joined her three teammates in double figures, as the junior totaled nine points. She connected on four field goals and grabbed three boards in 31 minutes of play.
Esadah dominated the boards for the Bulldogs, as the forward corralled 11 rebounds. The 11 rebound-performance matched a single-game best for the Bulldog. Five of those rebounds came on the offensive glass, which aided Asheville to 15 second-chance points.
Brooke Jordan-Brown was also a workhouse on the boards, as she grabbed eight rebounds (all defensive).
As a team, UNC Asheville outrebounded Presbyterian by 10, 45-35. The 10-rebound differential was solely on the offensive glass, 18-8. UNC Asheville had plenty of opportunities on offense, as it took 13 more shots than PC.
With its fifth straight home win, UNC Asheville advances to 12-11 overall and 7-5 in league play. Presbyterian falls to 4-19 overall and 2-10 in the Big South.
Highlights
Quotable
What's Next?
UNC Asheville will open another two-game road stretch with a trip to Winthrop on Saturday, Feb. 16. The last time the two teams squared off was earlier this season inside Kimmel Arena, and the Bulldogs downed the Eagles by 34 points, 70-36.
* Photo Credit - Sammy Luscher *
