University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Kimmel Arena's Top 10 Games: No. 1
02.23.2021 | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
Editor's Note: This season is the 10th year that Kimmel Arena has been hosting UNC Asheville men's and women's basketball. We thought it would be fun to rank the top 10 games for each program from former UNC Asheville Sports Information Director Mike Gore.
Kimmel Arena #1 Games
WOMEN
#1 – UNC Asheville vs. Liberty (3-13-16)
The greatest women's game in Kimmel Arena history was probably the most important game as well. In the magical 2015-16 season for the Bulldogs, there was only one proper way for the season to end and that was with a Big South Tournament championship against league juggernaut Liberty.
The 2015-16 season began with cautious optimism for UNC Asheville. The Bulldogs had steadily improved under Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick in her first three years as head coach. Asheville returned most of its players from the previous season but coaches in the Big South weren't impressed as they picked the Bulldogs to finish in eighth place in the preseason league poll. Asheville quickly showed that the pollsters would be mistaken in a big way as it started the season off 9-1 and won its first regular-season title edging out Liberty by a game.
The Big South Tournament was originally supposed to be at Coastal Carolina that season and would hold both the men's and women's tourney. But Coastal Carolina had decided to leave the Big South the next year to join the Sunbelt Conference. The Big South decided to divide the tournament with Campbell hosting the men's tournament and UNC Asheville hosting the women's tournament the following week.
It was a lot of work for UNC Asheville to put the tournament on with such little time to prepare but the administration and boosters did a great job getting Kimmel Arena ready in a few months. The Bulldogs then went on to have their best regular season in more than 30 years and everything seemed to be coming together.
But Liberty would be a formidable foe. The Flames had beaten Asheville by 19 points early in January before Asheville edged out Liberty at Kimmel Arena a month later. Liberty was the defending BSC champion and was relishing its underdog role in this tournament.
Both teams had posted impressive wins to get the finals. The Bulldogs had blown out Campbell in the quarterfinals and then held off PC in the semifinals. Liberty had handily dispatched Charleston Southern and Radford en route to the title game.
Tradition was certainly on the Flames' side. Liberty was 15-1 in Big South championship games up to that point and was anxious to add another crown on this day. The Bulldogs were determined to keep their magical season going. UNC Asheville's men's team had won the Big South Tournament title a week earlier and would find later in the day who it would play in the NCAA Tournament.
A crowd of more than 2,000 fans crowded Kimmel Arena and came in to give the Bulldogs a definite homecourt advantage. Early on the fans liked what they saw as Asheville scored the first six points of the game and led 12-7 late in the first quarter.
But then the Bulldogs hit a dry spell and Liberty's powerful inside game took over. The Flames scored the next 11 points and held the home team scoreless to sprint to an 18-12 lead at the end of the first period.
The run continued in the early moments of the second quarter as LU tallied the first five points and when a 3-pointer from Jaymee Fisher Davis went through the net, the Flames led 23-12. But the Bulldogs were not going to be run off the floor on this day. Back-to-back three-pointers by Tianna Knuckles and Chatori Major cut the lead to 23-18. Liberty would lead 30-23 at halftime.
The Bulldogs began to rally some more in the third quarter. Each team was playing great defense and every point was hard to get. But Asheville got some clutch treys from freshman Jessica Wall to help cut the Flames' lead to 39-38 entering the final period.
You could feel the tension in the air as the fourth quarter began. Asheville finally got the lead early in the final quarter on a Bre Fitzgerald lay-up. The teams would exchange the lead six times as fans were on the edge of their seats watching two great teams go back-and-forth.
Liberty edged out to a 51-48 advantage but senior Paige Love knocked down a long trey to knot the game at 51-51. Two free throws from Major at the one-minute mark gave Asheville a 53-51 lead. The Bulldogs were 60 seconds from a title but Ashley Rininger tied the game with 45 seconds remaining with a layup.
LU had a chance to win with five seconds left but a jumper was missed and Love made sure there was no second shot. The game would go to overtime.
In the first overtime, the Bulldogs and Flames battled again. Knuckles scored for Asheville with 38 seconds left to give the home team a 60-58 lead. One more defensive stop and the championship would belong to Asheville. Catherine Kearney of LU would tie the game though on a jumper in the lane to tie the contest at 60-60 at the 20-second mark. The Bulldogs would have a chance to win at the buzzer but Knuckles' last-second shot fell short and a second overtime was needed.
The teams were exhausted but somehow Love found a way to get behind the Liberty defense and score to put Asheville in front 62-60 early in the period. It would stay that way most of the time as neither team could score. Finally, the Flames tied it one more time on a jumper from Kearney at the 21-second mark.
The Bulldogs would try to play for the final shot. Major drove to the Liberty bucket and suddenly three Flames were around her. She was under the basket and somehow funneled a pass to Bre Fitzgerald. The sophomore back-up center was wide open and scored a lay-up to push Asheville in front 64-62 with nine seconds left.
Liberty would have one more chance to tie. They got the ball to their best player – Ashley Rininger. Her lay-up attempt would be defended well by the Bulldogs and Asheville center KJ Weaver came down with the rebound with just two seconds left. She was fouled. Weaver missed both free throws but Liberty was out of timeouts and its last-second shot was short and the Bulldogs were Big South Champions!!!
The fans stormed the court led by the men's basketball team. It was a double championship for UNC Asheville and they were just the second program in Big South history to ever accomplish both hoop teams winning the tournament title in the same year.
It was a fitting championship for a player like Paige Love. She had been a freshman starter on a team that went 2-28 but stayed the course. For Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, it was a rewarding championship for the work that she and her staff to build the program from the spring of 2012 when she was hired.
Junior Chatori Major would be named tournament MVP to go along with her Player of the Year honors. The Bulldogs would be going to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history and first time since 2007.
It was a game that will never be forgotten.
MEN
#1 UNC Asheville vs. Winthrop (2-9-17)
The greatest men's game in Kimmel Arena may have been the greatest game ever played in UNC Asheville history. It was seen nationally on ESPNU. Winthrop and Asheville were the two top teams in the Big South and they played like it on this night.
There was a tremendous amount of anticipation for this contest. The Bulldogs and Eagles were in the midst of a five-game stretch over the last two seasons that had seen the teams play great and exciting games. In 2016, Asheville won by one point over Winthrop at Kimmel. The Eagles edged the Dogs by one in Rock Hill. The teams met for the Big South championship that year with Asheville rallying from nine down in the second half to record a 77-68 victory. Earlier in the year, the Eagles slipped past Asheville 76-73 on ESPNU. Each team arrived at this game tied for first place with 10-2 league records. There was no question who the best teams in the league were this season: Asheville and Winthrop. Liberty was beginning its ascent under Richie McKay but the Bulldogs and Eagles had easily beat back the Flames twice during the year.
The game would start at 9 p.m. and fans were already arriving at Kimmel Arena two hours before the game started. Close to 3,000 fans would invade Kimmel Arena to watch this first-place battle. No one who bought a ticket would want their money back.
The first half had Asheville running out to an early seven-point lead before Winthrop rallied to take a 35-34 halftime lead. Both teams had shot better that 50 percent from the field. A worrying point for Asheville was senior Winthrop guard Keon Johnson. Johnson went 1-of-16 against the Bulldogs in the Big South title game the year before and had a miserable night earlier in the year in Rock Hill going 1-of-11. He was 2-of-27 in his last two games against the Bulldogs and had missed his first four shots and was now 2-of-31. But he made four of his last five shots to finish the half with eight points. Johnson was just warming up.
Johnson started making shots and helped Winthrop to a seven-point lead midway through the second half. The Bulldogs kept hanging in there as a young freshman named MaCio Teague was hitting some big shots. Winthrop forged ahead 67-61 but Ahmad Thomas led a 9-0 run with a thunderous dunk that tied the game at 67-67 with two minutes left. His three-point play on the next possession had the home team in front 70-67.
The Dogs moved ahead to 72-70 on a Kevin Vannatta jumper with a minute left. But Johnson took over. He scored on a lay-up and then hit a three-pointer from Woodfin to put the Eagles on top 75-72 with 24 seconds left.
Asheville went for the tie but Thomas misfired on a long 3-pointer. Will Weeks got the rebound out to senior David Roberson who was fouled on a three-point attempt. The foul was on Winthrop center Xavier Cooks and was his fifth. Cooks was the top center in the Big South and the Eagles would miss him.
Robertson was able to only hit two free throws as the lead was cut to 75-74 at the seven-second mark. The third free throw was missed and Johnson naturally had the ball in his hands. He was quickly fouled and sank both free throws to give Winthrop a 77-74 lead with five seconds left.
There were several options for the Bulldogs to go to down three and head coach Nick McDevitt decided to go with his youngest option. The ball went to Teague in the backcourt and he quickly moved up the court. He launched a three-pointer at the top of the key that hit nothing but net and the crowd exploded with noise as his shot went through the basket to make it 77-77.
The first overtime period had Asheville in front 81-77 but the Eagles would not go away quietly and took a 90-88 lead when Johnson sank another long trey with 30 seconds left. Teague would try to give the Dogs the lead with a trey that missed but Thomas was there to tap in the missed shot and again tie the game at 90-90.
In the second overtime period, the Bulldogs moved ahead by six and appeared to be ready to win this wild and crazy game. But Johnson wasn't through with his show. He scored Winthrop's next 11 points and when his NBA three-pointers settled through the nets with 33 seconds left the Eagles had the lead at 101-99.
Asheville came down and called a time-out. While Johnson was walking toward the Winthrop huddle, McDevitt reached out a hand and shook the senior guard's hand and smiled at him and told him what a great player he was.
The Dogs weren't finished and a child would lead them. Once again the Bulldogs would call on Teague. The freshman guard would get into the lane, and despite taking some contact, his shot rolled in to tie the game. Teague was fouled on the play and after his free throw, Asheville led 102-101 at the 23-second mark.
But while Bulldog fans were happy to have the lead, they also knew Winthrop had the ball and Keon Johnson wasn't through just yet.
With everyone on their feet, Johnson brought the ball down, prepared to take the last shot of the game. Teague was guarding him. Johnson moved to the middle of the floor and was ready to go up for a game-winning shot but Teague was right there with him. MaCio blocked the shot and the ball fell to Raekwon Miller. Miller managed to evade some Winthrop defenders before being fouled with one second left. He made both free throws to push the lead to 104-101.
There was still time for Johnson to do something magical but Miller intercepted Winthrop's long pass and the Bulldogs had themselves a dramatic victory, 104-101.
Asheville placed five players in double figures as Thomas led the way with 26 points and five steals. Teague established a new career-high with 24 points.
Johnson was heroic in defeat as he set a Kimmel Arena record that still stands with 40 points. Cooks added 20 points.
It was a game no one would ever forget and in this author's opinion the greatest game ever played at Kimmel Arena. And if there's ever a better one, I sure hope to see it in person.
