University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Going Dancing: The 2011 Big South Champions Win a Second Game in Dayton
03.09.2023 | Men's Basketball
The UNC Asheville men's basketball won their sixth Big South Conference Tournament on Sunday against Campbell and earned its fifth NCAA tournament bid. Mike Gore will look back at the other championship teams this week with the exception of the 2003 team that was featured last month. Today we look at the 2011 Big South championship team.
Story Written by Mike Gore and previously posted on March 23, 2020
The golden era of UNC Asheville basketball began in the final week of the 2010-11 regular season and went on for seven years.
When it was over, the Bulldog program had captured three Big South Tournament titles, three Big South regular-season championships, five postseason berths and an NCAA Tournament victory. No one in the Big South was better than UNC Asheville during that time.
And it all began with a tipped ball off an inbounds play.
Asheville entered the final week of the regular season with a 13-13 overall record and an 8-7 mark in league play. In many ways, it had been a frustrating year. The Bulldogs had many highlights, including an opening-night victory at Auburn, a dramatic overtime win over Western Carolina, plus impressive league wins at Winthrop and VMI. But there were frustrating losses as well. The previous week had seen Asheville blow double-digit halftime leads to Charleston Southern and Northeastern.
The Bulldogs would face a busy final week. A road contest at Coastal Carolina on Tuesday, a home game with High Point on Thursday and a home game with Radford on Saturday to finish the regular season.
Asheville was tied for third place in league play and desperately wanted to finish in the top four so it would host a Big South Tournament quarterfinal game the following week. Coastal had clinched the regular-season title weeks earlier and would be hosting the semifinals and championship game.
The Dogs would hope for some revenge against Coastal. The Chanticleers had ended Asheville's season the year before by blowing out Asheville, 92-73. Coastal was loaded in 2010-11 and brought a 25-3 record into the contest. They had blitzed the Dogs at the Justice Center a month earlier, 80-59.
But it was a different Coastal team that would be hosting Asheville. Cliff Ellis' team has lost its starting point guard to a season-ending knee injury and its top scorer to an NCAA infraction. The Chanticleers were down to eight players, all very good players but not the team they had been a month earlier.
Asheville and Coastal Carolina went back and forth. The game was tied 58-58 and the Bulldogs would play for the last shot. Junior guard Matt Dickey had a chance to give the Dogs the lead but misfired with 2.7 seconds left. Coastal got the rebound and called time-out. Dickey would get another chance.
Coastal would attempt to win the game with a long pass. But Jaron Lane and Dickey would change the fortunes of the Bulldogs.
The Chanticleers' pass was tipped by Lane. The ball went right into the hands of Dickey. He had time to put up a shot and his 27-footer went through the net and gave the Bulldogs the dramatic 61-58 victory.
The game had been streamed by ESPN. And that shot went viral. Matt was interviewed on the bus home and the next day by national media outlets. ESPN labeled it the top play of the day. And later it would call it the play of the month.
But Asheville didn't have time to celebrate the great win. High Point, who had defeated the Bulldogs earlier in the season, was coming to play in the Justice Center just two days later. JP Primm, Dickey and Lane all scored 18 points each as the Dogs broke open a close game with a decisive 76-62 win over the Panthers. The victory sealed third place for Asheville and would mean they would host a quarterfinal Big South Tournament game.
The final game of the regular season meant nothing in the standings but meant a lot for pride. It would be the last regular-season home game ever played in the Justice Center. Past Bulldog players who had won championships were in attendance and saw a championship team coming together as Asheville blew out Radford, 81-58. Senior forward John Williams had several highlight-reel dunks as the Bulldogs cruised.
Winners of three straight, the Bulldogs entered the Big South Tournament with some confidence. But a dangerous Charleston Southern would invade Justice Center for the last game played at Justice Center. The teams had split, each winning a close hard-fought game during the regular season. CSU had a potent offense and a young assistant coach named Mike Morrell.
This game was not going to be easy and it wasn't. The Bulldogs built an 11-point lead but CSU roared back and crept to 66-63 with 50 seconds remaining. With Asheville clinging to the lead, Dickey was fouled with five seconds on the shot clock. It was a break. Dickey made both free throws and Williams finished his home career at Justice Center with a rim-rattling dunk to secure the victory The Dogs would win 72-63 and had advanced to the semifinals for the fifth straight season.
The semifinals would see Asheville take on High Point again. The seventh-seeded Panthers had upset second-seeded Liberty in the quarterfinals and were looking to make a dramatic run at a championship. High Point stunned the Dogs early and built a 10-point lead midway through the first half. Primm picked up two fouls early and had to go to the bench. But a tough zone defense shut High Point down and Asheville would fight back and lead 28-26 at halftime.
The second half would be more of the same. Asheville's zone would strangle the Panthers' offense. Primm and Dickey would dominate and combine for 37 points as the Dogs rolled into the finals, 62-45.
One game separated the Bulldogs from a trip to the NCAA Tournament. But it would be a rematch with Coastal Carolina. The Chants had pulled out tough wins against Gardner-Webb and VMI. Coastal players had been vocal about how they were tired of seeing Matt Dickey's shot from a week earlier being replayed over and over. They wanted a rematch with the Bulldogs.
Be careful what you wish for.
As fired up as the Chants were to win a championship on their homecourt, the Bulldogs were equally determined to win and spoil the party. Asheville was ready to play from the start.
The Dogs would never trail. Junior forward Chris Stephenson would get the visitors going early with eight quick points. Asheville would get baskets from everyone who played. Senior center Eric Stubbs would hit a big shot late in the first half as the Dogs would lead 29-22 at halftime.
Both teams were playing great defense. Asheville would go just 2-of-11 from the three-point line in the game. Coastal Carolina's dominant inside game was not the same today thanks to Williams. John broke a Big South Championship game record with six blocked shots, four in the second half and each one seemed to deny the Chanticleers a chance to get closer.
Leading 51-47 with two minutes left, the Bulldogs put the game away. Dickey, taunted by Coastal Carolina fans, had the last laugh. His three-pointer gave Asheville a 54-47 lead. Two free throws from Stephenson pushed the lead to 56-47. Two dunks from Lane in the final 40 seconds put an exclamation point on the victory.
In 2011, the Big South Conference would be the first championship to be held during March Madness, thus the Bulldogs were the first team to get their ticket punched to the NCAA Tournament. There would be other firsts coming for Asheville.
Dickey would be named to the All-Tournament team and be named Tournament MVP. Primm and Williams would join him on the All-Tournament team. It was Asheville's first championship in eight years and it was a joyous bus ride from Conway, S.C.
UNC Asheville had to wait a week until Selection Sunday and the national media wanted to know more about the Bulldogs. Asheville basked in the limelight but was ready to do more once the pairings were announced.
The pairings would send the Bulldogs to Dayton for the second time. When Asheville went in 2003, the game was simply known as the Opening Round. In 2011, the tournament had been expanded to include 68 teams. Dayton would now be known as The First Four. There would be four games in Dayton. The first ever First Four game would be UNC Asheville taking on Sunbelt champion Arkansas Little-Rock.
And the game would get the attention of the national media as well. CBS Sports sent Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and a future NBA coach in Steve Kerr to describe the contest.
Little Rock would lead most of the game but the Bulldogs would never let them get too far ahead. Center D.J. Cunningham, who had missed the Big South Tournament with an injury, would be back and help rally Asheville with his scoring and his passing.
Down by 10 with eight minutes left, Asheville began to rally. They trailed 72-69 with under a minute to go. Dickey would then hit another big shot. His trey from the left wing knotted the game at 72-72. Nantz would pronounce: "the first big shot of the tournament comes from Matt Dickey of UNC Asheville."
Overtime would be needed in the first ever First Four game. Trailing 77-76, Primm would come up big. His two free throws put the Dogs in front, 78-77. Another free throw from him padded the lead to 79-77.
He would then steal a Trojans pass with 25 seconds remaining. Primm would be fouled with 12 seconds left. The junior guard would ice Asheville's second NCAA victory with two free throws to give the Dogs an 81-77 lead.
With the win, Asheville recorded its' 20th win of the season. It was the Bulldogs' seventh straight victory. In addition, the Dogs were the first team ever to win a First Four game and they were the first team to advance in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
Dickey and Primm would each score 22 points each, prompting TNT analyst and former Auburn great Charles Barkley to say – "Hey all you schools in Alabama, how'd you let Matt Dickey get away from you? That's one heckuva player!!!"
Two days later, Asheville's season would conclude with a loss to top-seeded and Big East regular-season champion Pittsburgh, 74-51. The Dogs trailed just 30-25 at intermission but the Panthers were simply too strong inside.
There was still some basketball left for one Bulldog. John Williams, not surprisingly, had been selected to participate in the NCAA Slam-Dunk contest held at the Final Four in Houston. Williams put on a great show, not missing one dunk. Despite not missing any dunks, he would finish second.
The season had ended with a flourish and there was excitement to come as the Bulldogs would be moving into Kimmel Arena the next year. But the last few weeks of the 2011 season would propel Asheville to even greater heights over the next few years.
Story Written by Mike Gore and previously posted on March 23, 2020
The golden era of UNC Asheville basketball began in the final week of the 2010-11 regular season and went on for seven years.
When it was over, the Bulldog program had captured three Big South Tournament titles, three Big South regular-season championships, five postseason berths and an NCAA Tournament victory. No one in the Big South was better than UNC Asheville during that time.
And it all began with a tipped ball off an inbounds play.
Asheville entered the final week of the regular season with a 13-13 overall record and an 8-7 mark in league play. In many ways, it had been a frustrating year. The Bulldogs had many highlights, including an opening-night victory at Auburn, a dramatic overtime win over Western Carolina, plus impressive league wins at Winthrop and VMI. But there were frustrating losses as well. The previous week had seen Asheville blow double-digit halftime leads to Charleston Southern and Northeastern.
The Bulldogs would face a busy final week. A road contest at Coastal Carolina on Tuesday, a home game with High Point on Thursday and a home game with Radford on Saturday to finish the regular season.
Asheville was tied for third place in league play and desperately wanted to finish in the top four so it would host a Big South Tournament quarterfinal game the following week. Coastal had clinched the regular-season title weeks earlier and would be hosting the semifinals and championship game.
The Dogs would hope for some revenge against Coastal. The Chanticleers had ended Asheville's season the year before by blowing out Asheville, 92-73. Coastal was loaded in 2010-11 and brought a 25-3 record into the contest. They had blitzed the Dogs at the Justice Center a month earlier, 80-59.
But it was a different Coastal team that would be hosting Asheville. Cliff Ellis' team has lost its starting point guard to a season-ending knee injury and its top scorer to an NCAA infraction. The Chanticleers were down to eight players, all very good players but not the team they had been a month earlier.
Asheville and Coastal Carolina went back and forth. The game was tied 58-58 and the Bulldogs would play for the last shot. Junior guard Matt Dickey had a chance to give the Dogs the lead but misfired with 2.7 seconds left. Coastal got the rebound and called time-out. Dickey would get another chance.
Coastal would attempt to win the game with a long pass. But Jaron Lane and Dickey would change the fortunes of the Bulldogs.
The Chanticleers' pass was tipped by Lane. The ball went right into the hands of Dickey. He had time to put up a shot and his 27-footer went through the net and gave the Bulldogs the dramatic 61-58 victory.
The game had been streamed by ESPN. And that shot went viral. Matt was interviewed on the bus home and the next day by national media outlets. ESPN labeled it the top play of the day. And later it would call it the play of the month.
But Asheville didn't have time to celebrate the great win. High Point, who had defeated the Bulldogs earlier in the season, was coming to play in the Justice Center just two days later. JP Primm, Dickey and Lane all scored 18 points each as the Dogs broke open a close game with a decisive 76-62 win over the Panthers. The victory sealed third place for Asheville and would mean they would host a quarterfinal Big South Tournament game.
The final game of the regular season meant nothing in the standings but meant a lot for pride. It would be the last regular-season home game ever played in the Justice Center. Past Bulldog players who had won championships were in attendance and saw a championship team coming together as Asheville blew out Radford, 81-58. Senior forward John Williams had several highlight-reel dunks as the Bulldogs cruised.
Winners of three straight, the Bulldogs entered the Big South Tournament with some confidence. But a dangerous Charleston Southern would invade Justice Center for the last game played at Justice Center. The teams had split, each winning a close hard-fought game during the regular season. CSU had a potent offense and a young assistant coach named Mike Morrell.
This game was not going to be easy and it wasn't. The Bulldogs built an 11-point lead but CSU roared back and crept to 66-63 with 50 seconds remaining. With Asheville clinging to the lead, Dickey was fouled with five seconds on the shot clock. It was a break. Dickey made both free throws and Williams finished his home career at Justice Center with a rim-rattling dunk to secure the victory The Dogs would win 72-63 and had advanced to the semifinals for the fifth straight season.
The semifinals would see Asheville take on High Point again. The seventh-seeded Panthers had upset second-seeded Liberty in the quarterfinals and were looking to make a dramatic run at a championship. High Point stunned the Dogs early and built a 10-point lead midway through the first half. Primm picked up two fouls early and had to go to the bench. But a tough zone defense shut High Point down and Asheville would fight back and lead 28-26 at halftime.
The second half would be more of the same. Asheville's zone would strangle the Panthers' offense. Primm and Dickey would dominate and combine for 37 points as the Dogs rolled into the finals, 62-45.
One game separated the Bulldogs from a trip to the NCAA Tournament. But it would be a rematch with Coastal Carolina. The Chants had pulled out tough wins against Gardner-Webb and VMI. Coastal players had been vocal about how they were tired of seeing Matt Dickey's shot from a week earlier being replayed over and over. They wanted a rematch with the Bulldogs.
Be careful what you wish for.
As fired up as the Chants were to win a championship on their homecourt, the Bulldogs were equally determined to win and spoil the party. Asheville was ready to play from the start.
The Dogs would never trail. Junior forward Chris Stephenson would get the visitors going early with eight quick points. Asheville would get baskets from everyone who played. Senior center Eric Stubbs would hit a big shot late in the first half as the Dogs would lead 29-22 at halftime.
Both teams were playing great defense. Asheville would go just 2-of-11 from the three-point line in the game. Coastal Carolina's dominant inside game was not the same today thanks to Williams. John broke a Big South Championship game record with six blocked shots, four in the second half and each one seemed to deny the Chanticleers a chance to get closer.
Leading 51-47 with two minutes left, the Bulldogs put the game away. Dickey, taunted by Coastal Carolina fans, had the last laugh. His three-pointer gave Asheville a 54-47 lead. Two free throws from Stephenson pushed the lead to 56-47. Two dunks from Lane in the final 40 seconds put an exclamation point on the victory.
In 2011, the Big South Conference would be the first championship to be held during March Madness, thus the Bulldogs were the first team to get their ticket punched to the NCAA Tournament. There would be other firsts coming for Asheville.
Dickey would be named to the All-Tournament team and be named Tournament MVP. Primm and Williams would join him on the All-Tournament team. It was Asheville's first championship in eight years and it was a joyous bus ride from Conway, S.C.
UNC Asheville had to wait a week until Selection Sunday and the national media wanted to know more about the Bulldogs. Asheville basked in the limelight but was ready to do more once the pairings were announced.
The pairings would send the Bulldogs to Dayton for the second time. When Asheville went in 2003, the game was simply known as the Opening Round. In 2011, the tournament had been expanded to include 68 teams. Dayton would now be known as The First Four. There would be four games in Dayton. The first ever First Four game would be UNC Asheville taking on Sunbelt champion Arkansas Little-Rock.
And the game would get the attention of the national media as well. CBS Sports sent Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and a future NBA coach in Steve Kerr to describe the contest.
Little Rock would lead most of the game but the Bulldogs would never let them get too far ahead. Center D.J. Cunningham, who had missed the Big South Tournament with an injury, would be back and help rally Asheville with his scoring and his passing.
Down by 10 with eight minutes left, Asheville began to rally. They trailed 72-69 with under a minute to go. Dickey would then hit another big shot. His trey from the left wing knotted the game at 72-72. Nantz would pronounce: "the first big shot of the tournament comes from Matt Dickey of UNC Asheville."
Overtime would be needed in the first ever First Four game. Trailing 77-76, Primm would come up big. His two free throws put the Dogs in front, 78-77. Another free throw from him padded the lead to 79-77.
He would then steal a Trojans pass with 25 seconds remaining. Primm would be fouled with 12 seconds left. The junior guard would ice Asheville's second NCAA victory with two free throws to give the Dogs an 81-77 lead.
With the win, Asheville recorded its' 20th win of the season. It was the Bulldogs' seventh straight victory. In addition, the Dogs were the first team ever to win a First Four game and they were the first team to advance in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
Dickey and Primm would each score 22 points each, prompting TNT analyst and former Auburn great Charles Barkley to say – "Hey all you schools in Alabama, how'd you let Matt Dickey get away from you? That's one heckuva player!!!"
Two days later, Asheville's season would conclude with a loss to top-seeded and Big East regular-season champion Pittsburgh, 74-51. The Dogs trailed just 30-25 at intermission but the Panthers were simply too strong inside.
There was still some basketball left for one Bulldog. John Williams, not surprisingly, had been selected to participate in the NCAA Slam-Dunk contest held at the Final Four in Houston. Williams put on a great show, not missing one dunk. Despite not missing any dunks, he would finish second.
The season had ended with a flourish and there was excitement to come as the Bulldogs would be moving into Kimmel Arena the next year. But the last few weeks of the 2011 season would propel Asheville to even greater heights over the next few years.
Highlights || 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