University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
0-2,0-0Big South
UNC Wilmington
2-0,0-0CAA
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNCW | 45 | 38 | 83 |
| UNC Asheville | 26 | 40 | 66 |
Asheville drops home opener to Wilmington
11.11.2023 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's basketball team welcomed the UNC Wilmington Seahawks to Kimmel Arena Saturday afternoon, and for the first time since February of 2022, the Bulldogs suffered a loss on their home court, falling to UNCW 83-66.
Drew Pember notched his 17th career double-double as he finished the day with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He also led the team with six assists. Nick McMullen joined Pember in double-figures with 10 points. Toyaz Solomon scored nine points, Fletcher Abee finished with eight, and Caleb Burgess scored seven points on the day.
The Seahawks had six players in double-figures, with Maleeck Harden-Hayes leading the way with 16.
UNC Wilmington outshot Asheville in the first half 42.9% to 28.6% and entered halftime leading 45-26. Asheville outshot the Seahawks in the second half, as the Bulldogs were 14-21 from the field and UNCW was 14-26. Asheville and Wilmington recorded a combined 33 turnovers, with the Seahawks better capitalizing on the turnovers, scoring 19 points compared to Asheville's 10. The Bulldogs outshot UNCW in the paint 32-28 and 11-8 on fast breaks, but the Seahawks scored more points than Asheville off the bench (33-20) and in second-chance shots (14-11).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Neither team jumped out with the dominant hand, as Wilmington led 9-6 with 12:14 remaining in the first half. Leading 18-14 with 9:05 left in the half, a 3-pointer from Drew Newby sparked a 9-2 run from the Seahawks, extending their lead to double figures (27-16). Wilmington would go on to finish the first half, leading by 19 points (45-26).
In the second half, Wilmington extended its lead out to as many as 27 points before two made free-throws from Abee and a 3-pointer from Evan Johnson sparked an 18-3 run from Asheville, cutting Wilmington's lead back down to 12 points with two minutes remaining. Solomon followed Johnson's triple with a dunk and a jump shot following a turnover. Johnson connected with another 3-pointer, and McMullen followed with a layup. Asheville's comeback, however, fell short, as the Bulldogs could not cut more into Wilmington's lead and went on to drop Saturday's contest.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs (0-2) will return to Kimmel Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 11, as they host Carolina University at 6:30 p.m.
