University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
8-6,0-0Big South
Kennesaw State
9-4,0-0ASUN
Dominant first half lifts men’s basketball past Kennesaw State
12.23.2023 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's basketball team closed the 2023 chapter of its home schedule Saturday afternoon with a 79-70 redemption win over Kennesaw State.
The Bulldogs finish the calendar year 13-1 inside Kimmel Arena and advance their 2023-24 record to 8-6.
Asheville snapped Kennesaw's five-game win streak on Saturday, with the Owls record falling to 9-4. The Bulldogs evened the series with Kennesaw to 1-1 after a heartbreaking loss in overtime to the Owls in Kennesaw on Dec. 5.
McMULLEN'S STRONG PERFORMANCE
Senior Nick McMullen recorded a season-high 19 points and three blocks, with 17 of his points coming in the first half. McMullen recorded his second 3-pointer in his career and finished 7-for-10 from the field and 4-for-5 from the charity stripe. McMullen also recorded his second consecutive double-double with 11 boards.
PEMBER SCORES BIG FROM FREE THROW LINE
Drew Pember led the Bulldogs with 21 points, going 2-for-7 from the field, and was nearly perfect from the free throw line, going 17-for-18, a season-high for free throws and attempts.
BANKS' HOT STREAK CONTINUES
Josh Banks turned in another strong performance, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds, the first double-double of his career.
BURGESS' SEASON-HIGH
Caleb Burgess rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures with a season-high 12 points. He was 5-for-9 from the field, adding five rebounds and five assists to his stat line.
AS A TEAM
Asheville outscored the Owls 51-33 in the first half, going 14-for-28 from the field, 4-for-9 from the 3-point arc, and 19-for-20 from the charity stripe.
The Bulldogs finished the contest with a .426 field goal percentage, went 5-for-17 from distance, and were 28-for-31 from the free throw line for a .903 shooting percentage.
The Owls finished with a .365 field goal percentage, a .207 3-point shooting percentage, and a .600 free throw percentage. Terrell Burden led the game with 22 points and seven assists.
The Bulldogs outshot the Owls from the paint 36 to 34, 12 to 10 off turnovers, and 11 to eight off second-chance points.
ASHEVILLE'S EXPLOSIVE FIRST HALF
Right out the gate, a dunk from McMullen tilted the momentum in Asheville's favor, as the Bulldogs opened the game on an 11-0 run. McMullen recorded the first five points of the game, Pember accounted for the next four, all coming from free throws, and Jamon Battle rounded out the run with a layup.
1H | 15:52
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) December 23, 2023
We enter the first media break on a 9-0 run, with Nick McMullen leading the charge with five points, and Drew Pember following with four. #ALLinAVL #IWWD
Four minutes and 38 seconds into the contest, the Owls scored their first basket of the game, but a layup from Banks a little over two minutes later would extend the Bulldogs out to a double-digit lead, which they would hold for the remainder of the half.
Banks followed his layup with a triple and gave the Bulldogs a 21-point lead under the 10-minute mark with his second 3-pointer of the half (28-7). A free throw from Banks would give Asheville its largest lead of the game at 23 points. The Bulldogs held a 16-plus point lead for the remainder of the half.
Have a half Nick McMullen... 😤💥
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) December 23, 2023
McMullen leads all scorers with 17 points, going 6-for-7 from the field.
Drew Pember has 12 points and Josh Banks has 11 points. #ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/4ItHD4ftdx
ASHEVILLE HOLDS OFF KENNESAW SURGE
The Owls opened the second half on a 17-9 run, as they cut Asheville's lead down to 10 with 12:11 left in the game (60-50). Back-to-back baskets from Burgess would extend Asheville's lead back out to 15, but that was the most the Bulldogs would lead by for the rest of the half.
With 3:57 left in the game, the Bulldogs led by 15, but the Owls went on a 6-0 run to cut Asheville's lead down to nine (74-65). A steal from Burgess and a dunk from Pember would extend Asheville back out to an 11-point lead before a technical foul would send Kennesaw's Simeon Cottle to the free throw line, where he'd bring Asheville's lead back within nine. A layup from Burden with under a minute remaining brought the Owls within seven, but that was as close as Kennesaw would get, as the Bulldogs were able to hold its lead for the remainder of the game.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs return to action on Friday, Dec. 29, as they travel to UAB for their final game of 2023. Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST.
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