University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Saturday, February 5
High Point, N.C.
7:00 p.m.
UNC Asheville
12-11,4-6Big South
83
at
91
High Point
10-13,4-5Big South
1
2
OT 1
F
UNC Asheville
34
44
5
83
High Point
38
40
13
91
Men’s basketball falls in overtime at High Point
02.05.2022 | Men's Basketball
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The UNC Asheville Men's Basketball team visited High Point on Saturday evening, battling tough but ultimately falling to the Panthers in overtime 91-83 at the Qubein Center.
Asheville was down 12 with seven minutes to play and mounted another comeback, taking a 77-71 lead into the last minute of play where High Point's John-Michael Wright would convert a four-point play and knock down three free throws to force overtime. The Panthers took the momentum into the extra period outscoring Asheville 13-5 to secure the win.
Where they Stand
With the loss, the Bulldogs drop to 12-11 overall and 4-6 in conference play, with High Point improving to 10-13 (3-5 Big South). Asheville returns home Wednesday (February 9), hosting Hampton at 6:30 p.m.
"We have to call it for what it is, we should have closed the game out," UNC Asheville head coach Mike Morrell said. "We had a chance, and froze. The game doesn't get to overtime if we execute what we talked about in the huddle. We were supposed to foul and prevent them from having a look from 3-point range and didn't. You can't give a guy like John-Michael Wright – arguably the best scorer in the league – opportunities like that. I'm proud of our guys for fighting. Getting back in the game in the last six minutes all the way until the last 20 seconds, but we just didn't get the result."
The Game at a Glance
Jamon Battle opened up the scoring for Asheville, and Jones began to light it up as a layup and 3-pointer forced a High Point timeout (22-13). The Panthers responded out of the timeout, tying the game at 28-28 with just under six to play, outscoring the Bulldogs down the stretch and taking a 38-34 lead into the break.
In the second, High Point would push its lead out to 11 just four minutes in. The Panthers seemingly had all the momentum after a Zach Austin alley-oop made the score 67-55 with just under seven minutes. Trent Stephney scored in the lane and set up a bucket, before Jones knocked down his fourth 3-pointer of the game to cut the deficit to three. Free throws and a Pember dunk allowed Asheville to pull in front 77-71, but High Point would get fouled shooting three twice, knotting the game up at 78-78 after 40 minutes of play.
Thorpe opened up overtime with a bucket, but would foul out shortly after as High Point pulled in front 85-81. With just over a minute remaining and High Point leading by six, the Bulldogs missed a layup and were forced to foul, as the Panthers took the lone regular-season matchup 91-83.
Asheville was down 12 with seven minutes to play and mounted another comeback, taking a 77-71 lead into the last minute of play where High Point's John-Michael Wright would convert a four-point play and knock down three free throws to force overtime. The Panthers took the momentum into the extra period outscoring Asheville 13-5 to secure the win.
Where they Stand
With the loss, the Bulldogs drop to 12-11 overall and 4-6 in conference play, with High Point improving to 10-13 (3-5 Big South). Asheville returns home Wednesday (February 9), hosting Hampton at 6:30 p.m.
"We have to call it for what it is, we should have closed the game out," UNC Asheville head coach Mike Morrell said. "We had a chance, and froze. The game doesn't get to overtime if we execute what we talked about in the huddle. We were supposed to foul and prevent them from having a look from 3-point range and didn't. You can't give a guy like John-Michael Wright – arguably the best scorer in the league – opportunities like that. I'm proud of our guys for fighting. Getting back in the game in the last six minutes all the way until the last 20 seconds, but we just didn't get the result."
The Game at a Glance
- Bulldogs shoot 43.5% from the field, but 27.3% from 3-point range (6-for-22)
- High Point's Wright scores 7 of 27 points in last 30 seconds to force overtime
- Tajion Jones registers second career double-double (23 points, career-high 12 rebounds)
- LJ Thorpe scores 23, Drew Pember records third double-double of season (16 points, 10 rebounds)
- Bulldogs get 21 points from bench, concede 15 second-chance points
Jamon Battle opened up the scoring for Asheville, and Jones began to light it up as a layup and 3-pointer forced a High Point timeout (22-13). The Panthers responded out of the timeout, tying the game at 28-28 with just under six to play, outscoring the Bulldogs down the stretch and taking a 38-34 lead into the break.
In the second, High Point would push its lead out to 11 just four minutes in. The Panthers seemingly had all the momentum after a Zach Austin alley-oop made the score 67-55 with just under seven minutes. Trent Stephney scored in the lane and set up a bucket, before Jones knocked down his fourth 3-pointer of the game to cut the deficit to three. Free throws and a Pember dunk allowed Asheville to pull in front 77-71, but High Point would get fouled shooting three twice, knotting the game up at 78-78 after 40 minutes of play.
Thorpe opened up overtime with a bucket, but would foul out shortly after as High Point pulled in front 85-81. With just over a minute remaining and High Point leading by six, the Bulldogs missed a layup and were forced to foul, as the Panthers took the lone regular-season matchup 91-83.
Team Stats
UNC-A
HP
FG%
.435
.470
3FG%
.273
.333
FT%
.793
.600
RB
40
39
TO
13
10
STL
4
11
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
21
FGM
6
3FGM
4
FTM
5
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
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