University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Saturday, February 18
Asheville, NC
3 pm
UNC Asheville
22-7,14-2Big South
75
vs
63
Gardner-Webb
15-13,10-6Big South
1
2
F
Gardner-Webb
28
35
63
UNC Asheville
29
46
75
Bulldogs Down Gardner-Webb on Homecoming & Claim Big South Regular Season Championship
02.18.2023 | Men's Basketball
HIGHLIGHTS
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – In front of a crowd of nearly 3,000 fans, the UNC Asheville men's basketball team defeated Gardner-Webb by a score of 75-63 on Saturday afternoon from Kimmel Arena as a part of Homecoming. The victory not only boosts Asheville's record to 22-7 overall and 14-2 in conference play but it also clinches the Big South Regular Season Championship for the Bulldogs, their first since 2017-18.
The Big South Regular Season Championship, which is Asheville's eighth overall and its fourth outright title, means the Bulldogs will be the No. 1 seed in the 2023 Hercules Tires Big South Basketball Tournament in the first week of March at the Bojangles' Coliseum in Charlotte. Furthermore, the regular season title clinches an automatic spot for the Bulldogs into the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) should they not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Drew Pember led the way as one of the four Bulldogs that finished the day in double figures. Pember finished with 22 points to go with 10 rebounds and four assists on the day. Tajion Jones added 16 points and Jamon Battle matched it with 16 points of his own. Nick McMullen added 10 points as well on a perfect 5-for-5 day from the field.
Neither team was clicking offensively to begin Saturday's contest. Tied into that, neither team grew a lead to more than three points and there were 13 lead changes in the first half alone. Asheville, however, had McMullen score all 10 of his points in the game in the first half and Jones added seven points to fuel the Bulldog offense. Even with the output from McMullen, Jones, and the rest of the Bulldogs, Asheville led by just one point, 29-28, at the halftime break.
Both Asheville and Gardner-Webb seemed to find their collective footing offensively in the second half. The Bulldogs got massive contributions from Pember (17 points) and Battle (16 points) in the final 20 minutes.
Even with those stellar halves from Pember and Battle, it was a three-point game with 8:37 to go in regulation after a Gardner-Webb layup made the score 47-44. A couple of made free throws from Pember and a made layup from Battle quickly grew the Bulldog lead out to seven, 51-44.
Asheville will be back in action on Wednesday when it welcomes Charleston Southern to Kimmel Arena for the final home game of the regular season. Tip-off between the Buccaneers and Bulldogs is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – In front of a crowd of nearly 3,000 fans, the UNC Asheville men's basketball team defeated Gardner-Webb by a score of 75-63 on Saturday afternoon from Kimmel Arena as a part of Homecoming. The victory not only boosts Asheville's record to 22-7 overall and 14-2 in conference play but it also clinches the Big South Regular Season Championship for the Bulldogs, their first since 2017-18.
The Big South Regular Season Championship, which is Asheville's eighth overall and its fourth outright title, means the Bulldogs will be the No. 1 seed in the 2023 Hercules Tires Big South Basketball Tournament in the first week of March at the Bojangles' Coliseum in Charlotte. Furthermore, the regular season title clinches an automatic spot for the Bulldogs into the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) should they not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Drew Pember led the way as one of the four Bulldogs that finished the day in double figures. Pember finished with 22 points to go with 10 rebounds and four assists on the day. Tajion Jones added 16 points and Jamon Battle matched it with 16 points of his own. Nick McMullen added 10 points as well on a perfect 5-for-5 day from the field.
Neither team was clicking offensively to begin Saturday's contest. Tied into that, neither team grew a lead to more than three points and there were 13 lead changes in the first half alone. Asheville, however, had McMullen score all 10 of his points in the game in the first half and Jones added seven points to fuel the Bulldog offense. Even with the output from McMullen, Jones, and the rest of the Bulldogs, Asheville led by just one point, 29-28, at the halftime break.
Both Asheville and Gardner-Webb seemed to find their collective footing offensively in the second half. The Bulldogs got massive contributions from Pember (17 points) and Battle (16 points) in the final 20 minutes.
Even with those stellar halves from Pember and Battle, it was a three-point game with 8:37 to go in regulation after a Gardner-Webb layup made the score 47-44. A couple of made free throws from Pember and a made layup from Battle quickly grew the Bulldog lead out to seven, 51-44.
Gardner-Webb wouldn't get closer than that in the final minutes of regulation and Asheville improved to 12-0 at Kimmel Arena this season with the 75-63 win over the Runnin' Bulldogs.Doc again with some acrobatics! #ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/PJcUwRahva
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) February 18, 2023
Tajion with the theft and slams it home on the other end! #ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/2A1GBolV5i
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) February 18, 2023
Asheville will be back in action on Wednesday when it welcomes Charleston Southern to Kimmel Arena for the final home game of the regular season. Tip-off between the Buccaneers and Bulldogs is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
Team Stats
GW
AVL
FG%
.393
.529
3FG%
.278
.364
FT%
.714
.630
RB
34
37
TO
14
15
STL
10
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
22
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
9
Pts
16
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
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