University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Wednesday, February 16
Charleston, S.C.
7:00 p.m.
UNC Asheville
15-11,7-6Big South
85
at
66
Charleston Southern
5-21,1-12Big South
1
2
F
UNC Asheville
47
38
85
Charleston So.
36
30
66
Men’s basketball top Charleston Southern for third straight win
02.16.2022 | Men's Basketball
Pember scores 30 as Bulldogs down Bucs 85-66
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The UNC Asheville Men's Basketball team visited Charleston Southern for the second of two regular-season matchups on Wednesday, defeating the Bucs 85-66 for their third consecutive win.
Drew Pember led all scorers with 30 points, snagging seven rebounds while going 10-for-11 from the free throw line. As a team, the Bulldogs knocked down 26-of-30 from the charity stripe and outrebounded Charleston Southern 34-21. LJ Thorpe checked in with 14 points, dishing out a season-high nine assists while Tajion Jones (9 rebounds) and Trent Stephney each scored 12.
Where they Stand
The win, which is the fifth road victory (5-2) in conference this season, improves Asheville's overall record to 15-11 and 7-6 in Big South play. Charleston Southern, meanwhile, drops to 5-21 and 1-12 in league contests. The Bulldogs return to the court Saturday when they host rival Winthrop at 4:30 p.m.
"Get some rest and get ready for those guys, but we'll worry about that when we get back tomorrow," UNC Asheville head coach Mike Morrell said of turning the page to Winthrop on Saturday. "We'll get back home. Try to put in two good days of work and see Winthrop then."
The Game at a Glance
On Winning the Battle of the Boards:
"We've won the rebounding war the last two games. It was a big deal tonight because they're a good rebounding team, especially on the offensive glass. It's something we've made a big deal about. We've gotten better at it but still have a long way to go and it's really indicative of trying to be a good defensive team. If you can rebound the basketball you give yourself a lot better chance to win."
On the Ball Movement:
"We just want to continue to share the ball. We didn't do as good a job in the second half as the first. I thought they (CSU) made some good adjustments but LJ and Trent had 10 assists between them in the second half. We shot the ball a little better…but I thought the guys did a good job, especially in the first half of moving the ball."
How it Happened
Pember opened the scoring for the Bulldogs, converting a three-point play moments later. After Charleston Southern made a run, Pember scored through contact and knocked down a trey to make the score 20-17 in favor of the Bulldogs at the 11:53 mark. Asheville extended its lead to 13, but the Bucs would respond after having to use their third timeout of the half, cutting the deficit to nine. The Bulldogs regained the momentum when Thorpe found Jamon Battle for an alley-oop, as Asheville went into the break ahead 47-36.
Pember picked up where he left off in the second, as the Bulldogs pulled in front by 16. Charleston Southern would answer with an 11-2 run and cut the deficit to seven with just under 14 to play. With Pember sitting due to foul trouble and Asheville leading by just six, the Bulldogs would answer with a run of their own capped off by two jumpers from Thorpe to extend the lead to 12. From here, Asheville remained in control, ultimately taking the contest 85-66.
Drew Pember led all scorers with 30 points, snagging seven rebounds while going 10-for-11 from the free throw line. As a team, the Bulldogs knocked down 26-of-30 from the charity stripe and outrebounded Charleston Southern 34-21. LJ Thorpe checked in with 14 points, dishing out a season-high nine assists while Tajion Jones (9 rebounds) and Trent Stephney each scored 12.
Where they Stand
The win, which is the fifth road victory (5-2) in conference this season, improves Asheville's overall record to 15-11 and 7-6 in Big South play. Charleston Southern, meanwhile, drops to 5-21 and 1-12 in league contests. The Bulldogs return to the court Saturday when they host rival Winthrop at 4:30 p.m.
"Get some rest and get ready for those guys, but we'll worry about that when we get back tomorrow," UNC Asheville head coach Mike Morrell said of turning the page to Winthrop on Saturday. "We'll get back home. Try to put in two good days of work and see Winthrop then."
The Game at a Glance
- Asheville outrebounds Charleston Southern 34-21, scores 27 points off turnovers
- First three-game win streak in the 2022 calendar year
- Pember scores 27-plus for 5th time this season, 30-plus for second time
- Thorpe dishes out season-high 8 assists, adds 14 points
- 5 road wins in conference play is most since 2016-17 season
On Winning the Battle of the Boards:
"We've won the rebounding war the last two games. It was a big deal tonight because they're a good rebounding team, especially on the offensive glass. It's something we've made a big deal about. We've gotten better at it but still have a long way to go and it's really indicative of trying to be a good defensive team. If you can rebound the basketball you give yourself a lot better chance to win."
On the Ball Movement:
"We just want to continue to share the ball. We didn't do as good a job in the second half as the first. I thought they (CSU) made some good adjustments but LJ and Trent had 10 assists between them in the second half. We shot the ball a little better…but I thought the guys did a good job, especially in the first half of moving the ball."
How it Happened
Pember opened the scoring for the Bulldogs, converting a three-point play moments later. After Charleston Southern made a run, Pember scored through contact and knocked down a trey to make the score 20-17 in favor of the Bulldogs at the 11:53 mark. Asheville extended its lead to 13, but the Bucs would respond after having to use their third timeout of the half, cutting the deficit to nine. The Bulldogs regained the momentum when Thorpe found Jamon Battle for an alley-oop, as Asheville went into the break ahead 47-36.
Pember picked up where he left off in the second, as the Bulldogs pulled in front by 16. Charleston Southern would answer with an 11-2 run and cut the deficit to seven with just under 14 to play. With Pember sitting due to foul trouble and Asheville leading by just six, the Bulldogs would answer with a run of their own capped off by two jumpers from Thorpe to extend the lead to 12. From here, Asheville remained in control, ultimately taking the contest 85-66.
Team Stats
UNC-A
ChaSou
FG%
.540
.471
3FG%
.357
.364
FT%
.867
.625
RB
34
21
TO
14
16
STL
10
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
30
FGM
9
3FGM
2
FTM
10
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
F
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