University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
6-6,0-0Big South
South Carolina State
3-10,0-0MEAC
Bulldogs get back in win column with a 79-75 victory over South Carolina State
12.18.2023 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Trent Stephney was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, Josh Banks and Fletcher Abee combined for nine three-pointers, and the UNC Asheville men's basketball team earned a 79-75 victory over South Carolina State Monday night in Kimmel Arena.
BY THE NUMBERS
Banks and Abee led the team with 17 points apiece, with Banks connecting for four triples (a season-high) and Abee connecting for five. Drew Pember finished the evening with 14 points, five assists, and a game-high five blocks. Stephney recorded 13 points, with two of his four shots being from distance.
Banks and Davion Cunningham led Asheville with seven rebounds apiece, and Caleb Burgess matched Pember for a team-high of five assists.
Asheville was 24-for-51 from the field, finishing with a .471 shooting percentage. The Bulldogs were 12-for-27 (.444) from 3-point range and 19-for-24 (.792) from the charity stripe.
South Carolina State finished with a .519 shooting percentage and went 5-for-10 from the 3-point arc. The Bulldogs were 16-for-23 from the free throw line, for a .696 free throw percentage. SC State outscored Asheville in nearly every category, with the largest margin of difference being in the paint, with SC State recording 40 points and Asheville finishing with 24. The Bulldogs capitalized on perimeter shooting, as Asheville connected for seven more three-pointers than SC State.
South Carolina State entered Monday's contest at No. 5 in the nation in offensive rebounding. The Bulldogs limited SC State to seven offensive boards, while Asheville recorded 10.
Omar Croskey and Wilson Dubinsky led SC State with 13 points each.
ON THE COURT
Asheville took a 4-point lead out of the gate following a triple from Pember and a free throw from Nick McMullen. SC State answered with the following four points before a triple from Abee extended Asheville's lead back out to three.
Josh Banks collects the loose ball and finds Fletcher Abee for THREE! #ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/ZFngFfXKzx
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) December 18, 2023
South Carolina State responded once again with the following four points, but the Bulldogs worked their way back to a 3-point lead, following a pair of free throws from Banks, and a triple from Stephney helped Asheville to its largest lead of the half at six points (16-10).
Following Stephney's triple, SC State would go on a 7-1 run to tie the game at 17. There would be three ties and five lead changes over the next 3:02 of action, with SC State taking a 2-point lead and remaining ahead for the rest of the half. The Bulldogs from South Carolina would extend their lead out by as many as four, but a pair of free throws from Cunningham would cut SC State's lead down to two at the end of the half (36-34).
Pember sparked momentum for Asheville, starting the second frame with a dunk to tie the score at 36. He was followed by back-to-back triples from Banks to put Asheville ahead by six (42-36).
JOSH BANKS FOR THREEEE!!
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) December 19, 2023
Banks connects for back-to-back triples in less than a minute to help Asheville take the lead. #ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/FMckhNLmaw
The Bulldogs extended their lead to eight, but a 9-0 run by SC State helped them back in the lead 47-46. With 10:50 remaining in the contest, Abee helped return the momentum in Asheville's favor, sparking an 18-1 run to put Asheville ahead 69-54. Abee recorded four 3-pointers, and Stephney recorded one in Asheville's run.
Fletcher Abee saw Josh Banks connect for back-to-back triples, so Abee decided he would connect for back-to-back triples. 👌😤#ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/aK0CyLgLk5
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) December 19, 2023
The Bulldogs entered the final five minutes of action with a 15-point lead, but SC State did not go down without a fight, as they went on a 17-4 run over the next 3:51 to bring Asheville's lead down to two (75-73). Leading by two with 16 seconds remaining, an offensive foul on Pember would give SC State possession of the ball. With five seconds left, Pember blocked a jumper from SC State's Mitchell Taylor, and the ball went out of bounds off South Carolina State.
Abee was fouled on the inbound and sank his free throws to help the Bulldogs retake a two-possession lead and secure the victory.
UP NEXT
With Monday's win, Asheville is now 6-6.
The Bulldogs will compete in their final neutral site game of the regular season as they travel to Hickory, N.C., to face Appalachian State on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. in the Catawba Valley Community College's Tarlton Complex.
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