University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Saturday, December 12
Asheville, N.C.
2:00 P.M.
UNC Asheville
2-2,1-0Big South
80
vs
67
High Point
1-3,0-1Big South
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Point | 34 | 33 | 67 |
| UNC Asheville | 45 | 35 | 80 |
Stephney had 7 points and six assists on Saturday
Asheville opens Big South play with 80-67 win over High Point
12.12.2020 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - After having its originally scheduled Friday-Saturday series with High Point ultimately bumped to Saturday-Sunday , the UNC Asheville men's basketball team opened its 2020-21 Big South season with a strong 80-67 victory over the Panthers on Saturday afternoon. With the win, Asheville evens its record at 2-2 on the season, while High Point drops to 1-3.
"We came in yesterday when we found out how things were going and we just got some shots up," said Asheville head coach Mike Morrell on the team's response to having the series postponed on Friday. "We had a little bit of fun. In times like these, we have to make sure these guys are having fun. You play basketball to have fun. At this level there's a lot of other things that go into it, pressure can come and everything, but at the end of the day it's about having fun. I thought they did a good job of being ready to play today. It's a roller coaster, but such is 2020."
An 18-0 run in the first half gave the Bulldogs, who held the lead for 38 of the 40 minutes played, all the momentum they would need on Saturday. As a unit, Asheville shot 49.2 percent from the floor and dished out 19 assists, getting 28 points from its bench. LJ Thorpe led the way with a season-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, grabbing five rebounds and collecting two steals. In just his second game back, Coty Jude totaled 16 points and three rebounds, hitting four 3-pointers, while Tajion Jones provided a steady 15 points and five rebounds in the win. Overall, nine different Bulldogs scored, while the Asheville defense held John-Michael Wright, who was averaging a conference-best 24 points entering Saturday, to 16 points, turning the Panthers over 16 times.
"LJ is someone who is hard on himself, but he's such a talented player," Morrell said of Thorpe. "He's a preseason all-league player and they don't give those things away. I thought he did a really good job of letting it (the game) come to him."
Jones got the Bulldogs on the board with a 3-pointer less than a minute into the contest, as Thorpe connected from downtown to give Asheville an early 6-5 edge. The two sides went back and forth, with Ahmil Flowers converting a fast-break layup as High Point grabbed a one-point lead (11-10). The next trip down the floor, Jones scored a floater in the paint to put the Bulldogs in front for good. Jamon Battle, Jude, Trent Stephney and Silas Mason all got into the action, with an Evan Clayborne slam capping off an 18-0 blitz by the Bulldogs.
High Point showed fight going into the break, cutting the lead to eight with 1:25 to play before a Jude three that sent Asheville into the break ahead 45-34. The Panthers continued to climb back into the contest in the early part of the second half, cutting the deficit to seven after a dunk from Lydell Elmore. Jude knocked down a 3-pointer before a thunderous dunk from Lavar Batts, Jr. put the Bulldogs ahead by 15.
"I thought Lavar led the charge in that," Morrell said of the team's ball movement. "He passed up a stone-cold layup today to get another look. But that permeates through the team. Unselfishness is just like selfishness - it spreads. Hopefully we can do that tomorrow."
High Point would get no closer than 13 the rest of the way, with a trey from Thorpe putting the exclamation point on the win.
"Not too high, not too low," Morrell said of the quick turnaround before Sunday's matchup against the Panthers. "You don't win the league in the first night, and you don't lose it either. They obviously have a hall of fame coach, he'll have them ready to play. Rest, eat, sleep. Come back and try to do it again."
Asheville and High Point will tip off at 1 p.m., with the game being streamed live on ESPN+.
Today's Takeaways
"We came in yesterday when we found out how things were going and we just got some shots up," said Asheville head coach Mike Morrell on the team's response to having the series postponed on Friday. "We had a little bit of fun. In times like these, we have to make sure these guys are having fun. You play basketball to have fun. At this level there's a lot of other things that go into it, pressure can come and everything, but at the end of the day it's about having fun. I thought they did a good job of being ready to play today. It's a roller coaster, but such is 2020."
An 18-0 run in the first half gave the Bulldogs, who held the lead for 38 of the 40 minutes played, all the momentum they would need on Saturday. As a unit, Asheville shot 49.2 percent from the floor and dished out 19 assists, getting 28 points from its bench. LJ Thorpe led the way with a season-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, grabbing five rebounds and collecting two steals. In just his second game back, Coty Jude totaled 16 points and three rebounds, hitting four 3-pointers, while Tajion Jones provided a steady 15 points and five rebounds in the win. Overall, nine different Bulldogs scored, while the Asheville defense held John-Michael Wright, who was averaging a conference-best 24 points entering Saturday, to 16 points, turning the Panthers over 16 times.
"LJ is someone who is hard on himself, but he's such a talented player," Morrell said of Thorpe. "He's a preseason all-league player and they don't give those things away. I thought he did a really good job of letting it (the game) come to him."
Jones got the Bulldogs on the board with a 3-pointer less than a minute into the contest, as Thorpe connected from downtown to give Asheville an early 6-5 edge. The two sides went back and forth, with Ahmil Flowers converting a fast-break layup as High Point grabbed a one-point lead (11-10). The next trip down the floor, Jones scored a floater in the paint to put the Bulldogs in front for good. Jamon Battle, Jude, Trent Stephney and Silas Mason all got into the action, with an Evan Clayborne slam capping off an 18-0 blitz by the Bulldogs.
High Point showed fight going into the break, cutting the lead to eight with 1:25 to play before a Jude three that sent Asheville into the break ahead 45-34. The Panthers continued to climb back into the contest in the early part of the second half, cutting the deficit to seven after a dunk from Lydell Elmore. Jude knocked down a 3-pointer before a thunderous dunk from Lavar Batts, Jr. put the Bulldogs ahead by 15.
"I thought Lavar led the charge in that," Morrell said of the team's ball movement. "He passed up a stone-cold layup today to get another look. But that permeates through the team. Unselfishness is just like selfishness - it spreads. Hopefully we can do that tomorrow."
High Point would get no closer than 13 the rest of the way, with a trey from Thorpe putting the exclamation point on the win.
"Not too high, not too low," Morrell said of the quick turnaround before Sunday's matchup against the Panthers. "You don't win the league in the first night, and you don't lose it either. They obviously have a hall of fame coach, he'll have them ready to play. Rest, eat, sleep. Come back and try to do it again."
Asheville and High Point will tip off at 1 p.m., with the game being streamed live on ESPN+.
Today's Takeaways
- 18-0 run in the first half lifts Bulldogs to conference-opening win
- LJ Thorpe scores season-high 17 points
- Coty Jude totals 16 points in 26 minutes in his second game back this season
- Nine players scored for Asheville, getting 28 points from the bench
Team Stats
HP
UNC-A
FG%
.458
.492
3FG%
.125
.361
FT%
.579
.333
RB
36
37
TO
16
15
STL
8
9
Game Leaders
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
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