University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Saturday, January 25
Spartanburg, SC
4 p.m.
UNC Asheville
9-10,3-5Big Sou
63
at
80
USC Upstate
8-13,3-5Big Sou
1
2
F
UNC Asheville
23
40
63
USC Upstate
34
46
80
Photo by: Mark Godin
Bulldogs Fall on the Road at USC Upstate
01.25.2020 | Men's Basketball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNC Asheville's men's basketball team, trailing for a majority of the game against USC Upstate, clawed back into the contest to narrow the gap to one, but ultimately fell, 80-63, Saturday evening inside the G.B. Hodge Center.
The Bulldogs (9-10, 3-5 Big South) trailed by 11 points entering the second half, but began to work their way back into the mix. A pull-up bucket in the paint by DeVon Baker with just under seven minutes left made the score 58-54 going into the under-8 media timeout.
On the Bulldogs next possession, LJ Thorpe drove the lane, sinking a layup while being fouled. He connected on the free throw to bring the deficit to one, 58-57, with 6:07 remaining in the game. After a two-point shot by USC Upstate (8-13, 3-5 Big South), Lavar Batts, Jr. drained a 3-pointer with 4:57 left to cut the gap to 62-60.
From that point, however, the Spartans hit consecutive 3-pointers and closed out the game on an 18-3 run for the game's final margin.
Thorpe led the Bulldogs with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds and two assists, marking the second time this season he's led the team in all three categories in a game. Baker finished with 13 points and three rebounds while Batts had 12 points.
NOTABLY
UP NEXT
After a stretch of five games in 10 days, the Bulldogs have four days of respite before hosting Gardner-Webb in a showdown set for 6 p.m., Thursday, January 30, inside Kimmel Arena.
The Bulldogs (9-10, 3-5 Big South) trailed by 11 points entering the second half, but began to work their way back into the mix. A pull-up bucket in the paint by DeVon Baker with just under seven minutes left made the score 58-54 going into the under-8 media timeout.
On the Bulldogs next possession, LJ Thorpe drove the lane, sinking a layup while being fouled. He connected on the free throw to bring the deficit to one, 58-57, with 6:07 remaining in the game. After a two-point shot by USC Upstate (8-13, 3-5 Big South), Lavar Batts, Jr. drained a 3-pointer with 4:57 left to cut the gap to 62-60.
From that point, however, the Spartans hit consecutive 3-pointers and closed out the game on an 18-3 run for the game's final margin.
Thorpe led the Bulldogs with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds and two assists, marking the second time this season he's led the team in all three categories in a game. Baker finished with 13 points and three rebounds while Batts had 12 points.
NOTABLY
- With 17 points, nine rebounds and two assists, LJ Thorpe led the Bulldogs in all three categories in the same game for the second time this season. He did so the previous Saturday against Hampton, January 18.
- With nine rebounds, Thorpe led the team in rebounding for the 11th time this season. He has recorded at least nine rebounds in four of the last six games.
- It is the third time this season Thorpe has led the team in scoring.
- As a team, the Bulldogs outrebounded the Spartans, 34-32. It is the seventh time this season they have outrebounded their opponent. They are 5-2 in those games.
- The Bulldogs pulled down 10 offensive rebounds compared to just five for the Spartans.
- With each team committing 11 turnovers in the game, the Bulldogs have only turned the ball over more than their opponent in one of 19 games this season.
- Asheville led Upstate in points off turnovers, 10-to-9, points in the paint, 34-to-32, and second chance points, 13-to-7.
- The Bulldogs took the lead on their first possession on a jumper in the paint from Thorpe, but that would be the only lead of the game for Asheville.
- It is the team-leading eighth time Thorpe has scored the first points for the Bulldogs this season.
UP NEXT
After a stretch of five games in 10 days, the Bulldogs have four days of respite before hosting Gardner-Webb in a showdown set for 6 p.m., Thursday, January 30, inside Kimmel Arena.
Team Stats
AVL
USCU
FG%
.373
.500
3FG%
.286
.438
FT%
.882
.792
RB
34
32
TO
11
11
STL
4
5
Game Leaders
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
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