University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Wednesday, January 31
Asheville, NC
6:30 pm
UNC Asheville
9-12,3-5Big South
72
vs
58
Gardner-Webb
3-18,2-6Big South
1
2
3
4
F
Gardner-Webb
21
11
13
13
58
UNC Asheville
16
23
23
10
72
Bruce's Career-High 28 Carries Asheville Past Gardner-Webb Wednesday Night
01.31.2024 | Women's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - UNC Asheville Women's Basketball cruised past Gardner-Webb 72-58 Wednesday night (Jan. 31) inside Kimmel Arena, carried by a career-high 28 points from Mallory Bruce. Bruce's effort marks the most points scored by a Bulldog in a single game this season, as Asheville beat Gardner-Webb for the first time since the 2019 Big South Conference tournament.
Gardner-Webb won the first quarter 21-16, before Asheville responded to score 23 points in the second quarter and hold Gardner-Webb to just 11 to take a 39-32 lead to the break. Gardner-Webb led for the first three and a half minutes of the second quarter, before Asheville stretched the lead to as many as 12 with a mid-quarter run. A jumper from Jaila Lee with four and a half minutes left in the period stretched the lead to five, before two free throws from Bruce and another jumper from Lee pushed the lead to nine with three and a half minutes to play in the period. After a Gardner-Webb bucket, Bruce responded with a three-pointer and a bucket on the next two possessions to push Asheville to its biggest lead of the quarter. Gardner-Webb cut the deficit to seven at the break.
Asheville outscored Gardner-Webb 23-13 in the third to extend the lead to 17 headed to the fourth. Gardner-Webb would win the fourth quarter 13-10 to bring the game to its final score.
Asheville posted its third-best shooting percentage of the season in the game, shooting 46.2 percent (30-65) from the field. Asheville also shot 28.6 percent (4-14) from beyond the arc and 8-11 (72.7 percent) from the charity stripe in the contest. The Bulldogs also outscored Gardner-Webb 14-6 off turnovers and 38-20 in the paint in the game, also scoring 12 second chance points, four off fast breaks and 12 points off the bench. Bruce's career-high scoring effort came on a career-high 10 made field goals and a career-high seven made free throws, while McKinley Brooks-Sumpter also added 10 points in the game. Lee added eight points in the game, while Abigail Wilson and Faith Adams each chipped in seven points. Jamaya Blanks added five points in the game, while Nycerra Minnis had four and Millie Brown also had three. Bruce also led the Bulldogs with eight rebounds in the game, with each team totaling 42 rebounds in the game. Minnis pulled down a season-high seven boards in the game, while Blanks also had six and Brooks-Sumpter had five. Lee hauled in four rebounds in the game, while Wilson had three and Brown also grabbed two. Adams and Dakota McCaughan each also had one rebound in the win. Brooks-Sumpter dished out a team-high five assists in the game, while Adams had four and Blanks and Brown each had two. Lee and Bruce each also had one helper in the game for Asheville. Lee, Wilson and Brooks-Sumpter each had one steal in the game, while Bruce also posted Asheville's two blocks on the night.
The Bulldogs return to the hardwood on Saturday (Feb. 3) at Winthrop in Big South Conference action. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. from the Winthrop Coliseum, with video and live stats available at www.uncabulldogs.com.
About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank
First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.4 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 118 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC." Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.
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Gardner-Webb won the first quarter 21-16, before Asheville responded to score 23 points in the second quarter and hold Gardner-Webb to just 11 to take a 39-32 lead to the break. Gardner-Webb led for the first three and a half minutes of the second quarter, before Asheville stretched the lead to as many as 12 with a mid-quarter run. A jumper from Jaila Lee with four and a half minutes left in the period stretched the lead to five, before two free throws from Bruce and another jumper from Lee pushed the lead to nine with three and a half minutes to play in the period. After a Gardner-Webb bucket, Bruce responded with a three-pointer and a bucket on the next two possessions to push Asheville to its biggest lead of the quarter. Gardner-Webb cut the deficit to seven at the break.
Asheville outscored Gardner-Webb 23-13 in the third to extend the lead to 17 headed to the fourth. Gardner-Webb would win the fourth quarter 13-10 to bring the game to its final score.
Asheville posted its third-best shooting percentage of the season in the game, shooting 46.2 percent (30-65) from the field. Asheville also shot 28.6 percent (4-14) from beyond the arc and 8-11 (72.7 percent) from the charity stripe in the contest. The Bulldogs also outscored Gardner-Webb 14-6 off turnovers and 38-20 in the paint in the game, also scoring 12 second chance points, four off fast breaks and 12 points off the bench. Bruce's career-high scoring effort came on a career-high 10 made field goals and a career-high seven made free throws, while McKinley Brooks-Sumpter also added 10 points in the game. Lee added eight points in the game, while Abigail Wilson and Faith Adams each chipped in seven points. Jamaya Blanks added five points in the game, while Nycerra Minnis had four and Millie Brown also had three. Bruce also led the Bulldogs with eight rebounds in the game, with each team totaling 42 rebounds in the game. Minnis pulled down a season-high seven boards in the game, while Blanks also had six and Brooks-Sumpter had five. Lee hauled in four rebounds in the game, while Wilson had three and Brown also grabbed two. Adams and Dakota McCaughan each also had one rebound in the win. Brooks-Sumpter dished out a team-high five assists in the game, while Adams had four and Blanks and Brown each had two. Lee and Bruce each also had one helper in the game for Asheville. Lee, Wilson and Brooks-Sumpter each had one steal in the game, while Bruce also posted Asheville's two blocks on the night.
The Bulldogs return to the hardwood on Saturday (Feb. 3) at Winthrop in Big South Conference action. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. from the Winthrop Coliseum, with video and live stats available at www.uncabulldogs.com.
About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank
First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.4 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 118 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC." Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.
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Team Stats
GW
AVL
FG%
.314
.462
3FG%
.250
.286
FT%
.727
.727
RB
42
42
TO
11
11
STL
5
3
Game Leaders
Pts
28
FGM
10
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
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