University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
3-3,0-0Big South
Tennessee State
3-6,0-0OVC
Bulldogs Down Tigers in Nashville
12.01.2024 | Men's Basketball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Four Bulldogs found their way into the double-digit scoring column as the UNC Asheville men's basketball team defeated Tennessee State 92-74 Sunday afternoon in the Gentry Center Complex.
Jordan Marsh led Asheville's offense with a career-high 23 points, with 19 coming in the first half. Marsh was 9-18 from the field with one basket from 3-point range. He added six assists and five rebounds to his stat line.
Toyaz Solomon finished with 18 points, with 14 coming in the second half. Josh Banks followed with 17 points, going 5-7 from the field and 3-4 from 3-point range. Banks has scored at least one 3-pointer in his last 15 games. The final Bulldog in double-digit points was Fletcher Abee with 15, as he went 6-10 from the field and 3-5 from 3-point range. Thirteen of Abee's points came in the second half.
Kameron Taylor and Greg Gantt Jr. finished with seven rebounds apiece, and Gantt was second on the team with three assists. Jemal Davis led the team with six steals.
The Bulldogs shot 51.5% from the field, their best field-goal shooting percentage in a game this season.
Asheville led the game for all but 25 seconds in the opening minutes of the contest. Banks earned a 3-point lead for Asheville following a 3-pointer to put the Bulldogs ahead 7-4. The Bulldogs led by three or more points until a layup from Tennessee State with 9:15 left in the half put the Tigers within two (22-20). Marsh extended Asheville back out to a five-point lead with a 3-pointer with 6:05 left in the half (29-24), but nearly two minutes later, the Tigers brought the score within one following a jumper from Carlous Williams (31-30). Leading by one with under a minute to go, an old-fashioned 3-pointer from Marsh helped the Bulldogs to a 4-point lead at the break (41-37).
Asheville opened the second half on a 9-4 run, with Abee closing out the Bulldogs' run with a 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs an 11-point lead (52-41). The Tigers brought Asheville's lead back down to six points with 15:52 left in the game, but the Bulldogs were right back to work, extending their lead back out to double figures. Abee started Asheville's run with a 3-pointer which was followed by a dunk and jumper from Solomon to make the score 59-48. A layup from TSU's Williams made it a 9-point game, but Solomon put Asheville back out to a double-digit lead, which the Bulldogs held for the remainder of the game. A dunk from Solomon with 2:34 left gave Asheville its largest lead at 21 points.
With Sunday's win, Asheville evens its record at 3-3. The Bulldogs are back in action on Tuesday (Dec.3) as they head to Fairfax, Va., to face George Mason at 7 p.m. The Asheville Athletic Department will host a watch party at Salt Face Mule for fans to watch the Bulldogs take on George Mason.
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