University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
0-2,0-0Big South
Western Carolina
2-1,0-0SoCon
Bulldogs’ comeback thwarted by Western Carolina in overtime
11.28.2020 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Trailing by 20 points with just over 15 minutes to play, the UNC Asheville men's basketball team mounted a furious rally to force overtime, coming up just short to Western Carolina (83-81) in the finale of the Mako Medical Asheville Classic.
"Our second-half effort was really good. The first 12 minutes of the first half the effort was good," said UNC Asheville head coach Mike Morrell. "We just started getting stops in the second. We had a couple of guys today that were only focused on winning. You do that and you give yourself an opportunity."
Tajion Jones led Bulldog scorers with 24 points, going 5-for-10 from 3-point range while the team shot 45.6 percent from the floor, outrebounding the Catamounts 42-40. Jamon Battle was key to the comeback, setting career-highs in points (18) and rebounds (10), registering his first career double-double in the process. The sophomore from Richmond, Virginia, was dominant down the stretch, totaling 16 points, seven rebounds and a steal in the last 25 minutes of the game, nearly pushing Asheville to the win.
"He just does everything I ask him to do," Morrell said of Battle and his energy on Saturday. "He does everything our staff asks. He's as tough as a basketball player that I've ever coached. He's just a joy. He's what we want our program to be about."
The Bulldogs, who were without DeVon Baker and Coty Jude for the second straight game, got to the rim early, with slams from Lavar Batts, Jr. and Jones in the opening minutes. Minutes later, Asheville would pull ahead when Jones rose up and knocked down a trey to make the score 11-10. After the teams traded buckets, the Catamounts went on a 17-5 run to close the half with a 44-28 advantage.
Western Carolina continued their momentum into the second half, pushing the lead to 20 but the Bulldogs kept their energy, sparked by a pair of effort plays by Battle which led to a feed from Trent Stephney to Silas Mason, cutting the lead to 12.
Jones connected from downtown and Stephney, who scored 11 points to go with four assists, knocked down a jumper that made the score 56-49 with just under 11 minutes to play. Despite the efforts of the Catamounts, Asheville continued to fight, as Jones finished through contact and knocked down another 3-pointer to make the lead just eight with less than five to play.
Battle would not be denied as he continued to create second-chance points, making the score 60-67 with two minutes remaining. After a pair of Batts free throws tied the game, LJ Thorpe knocked down two at the line to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the second half. On the ensuing possession, Xavier Cork tied the game up at 71-71, forcing overtime.
The Catamounts scored the first four points of overtime, but Cork would foul out and draw a technical, allowing UNC Asheville to trim the lead to two. Western Carolina's Matt Halvorsen came alive in the last minute of the game, knocking down two 3-pointers that gave the Catamounts just enough for the win.
"It's two years in a row, that we just needed a stop and didn't get it," Morrell said of the matchup with Western Carolina. "It's frustrating and unfortunate, but that doesn't take away from the fact that we are really proud of our guys. This rivalry is a lot of fun."
WHAT'S NEXT
Asheville (0-2) will return to the court on December 5, hosting South Carolina State at 2 p.m. The game can be viewed live on ESPN+.
TODAY'S TAKEAWAYS
- Battle registers first career double-double with a career-high 18 points and 10 rebounds
- Eight of the nine Bulldogs that played scored, including four players with 11 or more points
- Asheville's bench outscored Western Carolina's reserves 21-16, scoring 19 second-chance points as a team
