University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Saturday, March 4
Charlotte, NC (Bojangles Coliseum)
Noon
UNC Asheville
26-7,16-2Big South
66
vs
62
USC Upstate
16-15,10-8Big South
1
2
F
USC Upstate
32
30
62
UNC Asheville
30
36
66
Bulldogs Advance to the Big South Tournament Championship Game with a 66-62 win over USC Upstate
03.04.2023 | Men's Basketball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's basketball team outlasted USC Upstate by a score of 66-62 in the Big South Tournament Semifinals on Saturday afternoon at the Bojangles' Coliseum in Charlotte. The victory not only improves Asheville's record to 26-7 on the season but also puts the Bulldogs into the Big South Tournament Championship Game for the first time since 2016.
Leading the charge for Asheville on Saturday was the 2022-23 Big South Player of the Year Drew Pember. Pember recorded his second double-double of the tournament with 31-point, 10-rebound effort. Tajion Jones added 10 points and six rebounds, while Nick McMullen (nine points, seven rebounds) and Jamon Battle (seven points, four rebounds) both had solid performances to help the cause.
The first half was back-and-forth between the Bulldogs and Spartans with seven lead changes and the score was tied on three other occasions. Each team had a player supply the bulk of their respective offensive production. Pember scored 16 points for Asheville, while Trae Broadnax of USC Upstate led the Spartans with 14 points.
Powered in large part by the production of those two players, the gap was just two points at halftime, 32-30, in favor of Upstate.
The battle between the Bulldogs and Spartans continued in the second half. An Upstate basket made the score 54-52 Spartans with a little under seven minutes to go in regulation. Asheville seemed to swing the momentum to its favor after that make by the Spartans. A pair of made free throws and a 3-pointer from Pember, a layup from Battle that he tacked one more on thanks to a free throw, and another make from the line from Jones combined for a 9-0 run for Asheville to put the Bulldogs on top, 61-54 with 4:17 to go.
Upstate would get as close as two points in the final minutes. One of those occasions occurred when a Jordan Gainey 3-pointer made the score 64-62 Asheville with 55 seconds left. However, made free throws from Pember and Fletcher Abee along with a stop on defense iced the game for Asheville and finished off the 66-62 victory.
Sunday's Big South Tournament Championship Game, which is set for a 1 p.m. tip-off time on ESPN2, will feature the Bulldogs and the No. 7 seed Campbell. The winner of Sunday's game will earn the Big South's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Leading the charge for Asheville on Saturday was the 2022-23 Big South Player of the Year Drew Pember. Pember recorded his second double-double of the tournament with 31-point, 10-rebound effort. Tajion Jones added 10 points and six rebounds, while Nick McMullen (nine points, seven rebounds) and Jamon Battle (seven points, four rebounds) both had solid performances to help the cause.
The first half was back-and-forth between the Bulldogs and Spartans with seven lead changes and the score was tied on three other occasions. Each team had a player supply the bulk of their respective offensive production. Pember scored 16 points for Asheville, while Trae Broadnax of USC Upstate led the Spartans with 14 points.
An Asheville alley-oop anyone? Jones ➡️ Pember & the Bulldogs are up by five at the first media timeout, 11-6! #ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/mJxCNW5NKR
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) March 4, 2023
Powered in large part by the production of those two players, the gap was just two points at halftime, 32-30, in favor of Upstate.
The battle between the Bulldogs and Spartans continued in the second half. An Upstate basket made the score 54-52 Spartans with a little under seven minutes to go in regulation. Asheville seemed to swing the momentum to its favor after that make by the Spartans. A pair of made free throws and a 3-pointer from Pember, a layup from Battle that he tacked one more on thanks to a free throw, and another make from the line from Jones combined for a 9-0 run for Asheville to put the Bulldogs on top, 61-54 with 4:17 to go.
The Bulldogs are starting to feel it! #ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/dsvGbDSzQx
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) March 4, 2023
Upstate would get as close as two points in the final minutes. One of those occasions occurred when a Jordan Gainey 3-pointer made the score 64-62 Asheville with 55 seconds left. However, made free throws from Pember and Fletcher Abee along with a stop on defense iced the game for Asheville and finished off the 66-62 victory.
Sunday's Big South Tournament Championship Game, which is set for a 1 p.m. tip-off time on ESPN2, will feature the Bulldogs and the No. 7 seed Campbell. The winner of Sunday's game will earn the Big South's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Team Stats
USCU
AVL
FG%
.410
.400
3FG%
.292
.318
FT%
.625
.682
RB
33
39
TO
5
8
STL
4
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
31
FGM
9
3FGM
4
FTM
9
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
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