University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Friday, March 3
Charlotte, NC (Bojangles Coliseum)
Noon
UNC Asheville
25-7,16-2Big South
75
vs
66
Charleston Southern
10-21,5-13Big South
1
2
F
Charleston So.
20
46
66
UNC Asheville
32
43
75
Top-Seeded Asheville Downs Charleston Southern, 75-66, to advance to the Big South Semifinals
03.03.2023 | Men's Basketball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The top-seeded UNC Asheville men's basketball team rallied from an early deficit to upend ninth-seeded Charleston Southern on Friday afternoon in the Big South Quarterfinals from the Bojangles' Coliseum in Charlotte. With the victory, the Bulldogs improve to 25-7 on the season. The 25 victories are the most by any UNC Asheville men's basketball team in program history and the Bulldogs become the 14th team in Division I men's basketball to reach 25 wins this season.
Asheville had a pair of players finish the day in double figures. Drew Pember once again filled the stat sheet with 29 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks. Tajion Jones was not too far behind Pember with 19 points and six rebounds that included a 4-for-7 outing from beyond the arc.
With his performance on Friday, Pember broke Asheville's single-season scoring record surpassing the previous top mark held by Andrew Rowsey (648 points – 2013-14 season). Pember, who has scored 660 points this season, also went 22-for-24 from the free throw line. His 22 makes from the free throw line tied the program's single game record (Andre Smith vs. Elon – Feb. 1, 2003) and broke the Big South's Tournament single game record. Furthermore, Pember's 16 rebounds were just three shy of tying the Big South Tournament record as well.
Charleston Southern opened Friday's matchup with an 11-0 run to put the Bulldogs in an early hole. Slowly but surely the Bulldogs battled back. Pember led the charge notching a double-double in the first half with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Led by Pember, the Bulldogs quickly erased the Buccaneer lead and pulled in front. Asheville closed the half on a 19-3 run and led the Buccaneers, 32-20 at the halftime break.
The Buccaneers did not go away in the second half as they outscored the Bulldogs over the final 20 minutes. However, the combination of Pember (16 points), Jones (13 points) and the play of the rest of the Bulldogs proved too large to overcome as the Bulldogs won Friday's contest, 75-66.
Asheville, which will be making its first appearance in the Big South Tournament Semifinals since 2018, will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when it faces the winner of the Gardner-Webb/USC Upstate matchup. The tip-off time for that contest is set for Noon on ESPN+.
Asheville had a pair of players finish the day in double figures. Drew Pember once again filled the stat sheet with 29 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks. Tajion Jones was not too far behind Pember with 19 points and six rebounds that included a 4-for-7 outing from beyond the arc.
With his performance on Friday, Pember broke Asheville's single-season scoring record surpassing the previous top mark held by Andrew Rowsey (648 points – 2013-14 season). Pember, who has scored 660 points this season, also went 22-for-24 from the free throw line. His 22 makes from the free throw line tied the program's single game record (Andre Smith vs. Elon – Feb. 1, 2003) and broke the Big South's Tournament single game record. Furthermore, Pember's 16 rebounds were just three shy of tying the Big South Tournament record as well.
Charleston Southern opened Friday's matchup with an 11-0 run to put the Bulldogs in an early hole. Slowly but surely the Bulldogs battled back. Pember led the charge notching a double-double in the first half with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
PEMBER!!!#ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/lER3l34b3f
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) March 3, 2023
Led by Pember, the Bulldogs quickly erased the Buccaneer lead and pulled in front. Asheville closed the half on a 19-3 run and led the Buccaneers, 32-20 at the halftime break.
The Buccaneers did not go away in the second half as they outscored the Bulldogs over the final 20 minutes. However, the combination of Pember (16 points), Jones (13 points) and the play of the rest of the Bulldogs proved too large to overcome as the Bulldogs won Friday's contest, 75-66.
Asheville, which will be making its first appearance in the Big South Tournament Semifinals since 2018, will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when it faces the winner of the Gardner-Webb/USC Upstate matchup. The tip-off time for that contest is set for Noon on ESPN+.
Team Stats
ChaSou
AVL
FG%
.373
.358
3FG%
.273
.273
FT%
.833
.756
RB
39
43
TO
11
10
STL
5
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
29
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
22
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
4
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballHighlights || Men's Basketball || #2 UNC Asheville vs #5 Longwood (Big South Tournament)
Monday, March 18
Highlights || Men's Basketball || #2 UNC Asheville vs #3 Gardner-Webb (Big South Tournament)
Monday, March 18
Highlights || Men's Basketball || #2 UNC Asheville vs #7 Charleston Southern (Big South Tournament)
Thursday, March 14
Highlights || Men's Basketball || UNC Asheville at Radford
Monday, March 04