University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
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Jones’ 3-pointer forces overtime as Asheville completes comeback win over Radford
01.24.2021 | Men's Basketball
Bulldogs close gap in Big South Standings
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Trailing by 17 points with 16 minutes to play in the second half, the UNC Asheville men's basketball team mounted a furious rally which was capped off by a Tajion Jones 3-pointer to force overtime, where the Bulldogs would outlast Radford for a 76-68 win at Kimmel Arena on Sunday afternoon.
"We work on late-game situations you say a lot, this year you try to do it as much as you can," said head coach Mike Morrell of Jones' overtime-forcing three. "They just did a great job executing it. We subbed Evan (Clayborne) in to catch it. LJ (Thorpe) made a great pass and after that it's a little blurry. I just know Tajion made the shot."
With the score 46-29, Coty Jude would spark a 19-4 run knocking down three 3-pointers in the process. After Asheville cut the lead to two, Radford scored eight unanswered as it looked poised to take the game. The Bulldogs did not relent despite trailing 61-53 with 2:48 to play, getting four 3-pointers, the last three from Jones, to end regulation 67-67. Asheville carried the momentum into overtime, ultimately taking the game by eight.
Hey @Sportscenter, you should take a look at this one!! #SCTop10 @espn pic.twitter.com/oqj17C7bex
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) January 24, 2021
After shooting just 24.1 percent in the first, the Bulldogs shot 46.9 percent from the floor in the second, going 9-for-17 from 3-point range (52.9 percent). DeVon Baker led the way with a season-high 26 points, while Jones, who scored nine points in the last 49 seconds of regulation, finished the game with 12. Asheville took care of the ball, committing just 10 turnovers while forcing 23, scoring 31 points off Highlander mishaps.
"I was really proud of our guys in overtime," said Morrell. "They were able to secure the game especially on defense."
Asheville moves to 9-7 overall and tightens the race in the Big South, improving to 8-3 while handing Radford just its second conference loss of the year (10-7, 9-2 Big South).
How it Happened
It was all Highlanders early, as Radford jumped out to a 10-0 lead before Baker knocked down a 3-pointer to get Asheville on the board at the 14-minute mark. Baker connected from the elbow and Lavar Batts, Jr. found Jones in the corner as the Bulldogs cut the deficit to four (14-10). Baker continued to find the bottom of the net and LJ Thorpe knocked down five free throws, but Radford answered each time taking a 39-25 advantage into half.
"I don't know if we would have scored 10 points without him in the first half," Morrell said of Baker. "We got some good looks but just didn't finish them. DeVon helps keep the floor spread and made some huge shots for us today."
Jude would ignite the Asheville offense with three 3-pointers and a steal to cut the lead to three. Thorpe and Baker got to the rim, and a thunderous dunk from Jamon Battle made the score 50-45 in favor of Radford. Moments later, Baker converted a three-point play as the Bulldogs pulled to within two points (19-4 run).
"It's aggression," Morrell said of Jude and his team's fight. "It's the ability to be in the moment and ability to make the play when the play is needed. He's not gotten a lot of clean looks. He draws a lot of attention, but he made the most of them today."
Radford bounced back with an 8-0 run of its own, but Baker and Clayborne broke the spell to keep the Bulldogs within reach. Xavier Lipscomb put the Highlanders up 61-53 with 2:48 to play, but Baker added five more points before a trey from Jones made the score 64-61 with 49 seconds to play in regulation. Radford would hit one of two free throws, with Jones rising up to cut the lead to one (65-64, 7 seconds remaining). Quinton Morton-Robertson knocked down two free throws, but Morrell and his staff drew up an inbounds pass from LJ Thorpe to Clayborne, who dropped it off to Jones for the game-tying 3-pointer.
"Coach (Neil) Dixon does a lot of our late-game stuff, and that was a play he loves," Morrell said of the last play of regulation. "We've talked all week that it takes everyone to win. We needed a lot of stuff to go right, and thankfully it did."
Baker scored the first bucket of overtime and Asheville would slowly pull away, with Trent Stephney sealing the game at the free throw line.
What's Next
The two sides will run it back on Monday, with tip scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on ESPN+.