University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
8-5,0-0Big South
Milligan
0-5
Men’s basketball posts strong victory over Milligan
12.21.2021 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's basketball team hosted Milligan on Tuesday evening, topping the Buffaloes 114-54 at Kimmel Arena.
"Having just played ETSU which is where I'm from, and now Milligan, I look back on it, but the difference is that's my school," said UNC Asheville Head Coach and Milligan alum Mike Morrell of playing his alma mater. "For me, the place means the world to me. I'm not standing here without that place. I'm really proud of a guy like Bill Robinson (Milligan Head Coach). I didn't realize how good of a place it was for me until I was gone. I just love that place…just really proud of that place and really proud to be an alum."
What's Next
The Bulldogs improve to 8-5 on the season, giving the program eight non-conference wins for just the second time in the last 14 seasons and the most since 2016-17. Asheville will wrap up non-conference action on December 29, visiting Indiana for a matchup that tips at 7:00 p.m. eastern from Assembly Hall. The eight wins are also currently the most among Big South teams.
Standout Stats
- Asheville wins eight non-conference games for just second time in 14 years
- Bulldogs shoot 65.2% from the floor, 50% from 3-point range (17-for-34)
- Quay Kimble scores 16-plus points for third time in last four games
- Six Bulldogs score in double figures, Tajion Jones totals game-high 19 points
How it Happened
Asheville jumped out to a 12-0 lead as the threes were falling, with Kimble, Jude, Lawson and Jones all connecting from downtown. LJ Thorpe and Jamon Battle got into a rhythm towards the end of the first and a dunk by Jones made the score 61-30 at the break.
The Bulldogs made a habit of getting into the lane early in the second, with Jones' first trey of the second coming almost four minutes into the half. The senior duo connected from behind the arc again, before Jordan Hairston knocked down three looks from deep as the Bulldogs took the contest 114-54.
More from Morrell
On Quay Kimble's play:
"Quay is a great kid. He's a kid that's gotten better each week. He's a great shooter, but he's a lot more than that. I think that's where we've challenged him to grow, he's really helped our team being a spark off the bench. He's going to continue to be a key cog for our team moving forward."
On Coty Jude and Tajion Jones
"Rest. Go home. Enjoy yourselves. Be a kid and enjoy your family. Stay safe and get some rest because these guys deserve it. They've gotten us off to a good start so we'll start to worry about what the rest of the season looks like on the 26th, but until then just enjoy your time."
On eight non-conference wins:
"I think it just shows growth for our program. Especially the guys who were here my first year. I'm really proud of them because we're not able to make the growth that we have made here without those guys who were here my first year. Non-conference season isn't over yet…but to do something that's been done a few times over the last however many years is something we take pride in, but again that's what the expectation is here – it's to win. Those five guys (Jones, Jude, Lawson, Thorpe, Heath).
