University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
18-9,10-2Big South
Presbyterian
12-15,4-8Big South
Bulldogs Battle Back; Erase 20-point Deficit in Victory over Presbyterian
02.14.2024 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – It is not in true Big South basketball style if there is not some dramatics involved, and Wednesday evening's contest between UNC Asheville and Presbyterian College did not disappoint, as the Bulldogs erased a 20-point deficit to earn a 72-69 victory over the Blue Hose in Kimmel Arena.
RESILIENCE LEADS BULLDOGS TO VICTORY
Presbyterian came out with a vengeance on Wednesday as the Blue Hose opened the contest on a 10-0 run. Caleb Burgess got Asheville on the board with a driving layup at the 17:34 mark, but Presbyterian's offense remained hot as PC worked its way out to a 14-point lead six minutes into the contest (20-6). Toyaz Solomon helped spark Asheville's offense with back-to-back dunks, followed by a jump shot in the paint, but Presbyterian held a double-digit lead for the remaining 14:33 of the first half, earning their largest lead at 20 with 1:39 remaining.
The Blue Hose led 46-29 at halftime, going 17-for-29 from the field and 10-for-15 from 3-point range, while Asheville was 11-for-27 from the field and 2-for-8 from long distance. Solomon led Asheville at the break with 10 points.
With 16:05 left in the game, Asheville's comeback slowly began. Following a Blue Hose basket, Burgess stormed up the court, beating back nearly every Blue Hose defender to start tilting momentum in Asheville's favor. Presbyterian responded with a driving layup of their own and was greeted by a block from Drew Pember. Nearly a minute later, Josh Banks would connect for a 3-pointer before stealing the ball back from Presbyterian on the next play and drawing a shooting foul. Banks connected with both shots, and 40 seconds later, Pember found himself at the free-throw line, where he made both shots.
A minute later, Pember was back at the free-throw line and made one of his shots to cap off an 11-0 Bulldog run and bring the score within five (54-59). Over the next six minutes of action, the Bulldogs were sent to the free-throw line four separate times, connecting for seven baskets to go alongside three shots from the paint to trail Presbyterian by one. This would be the final point in the game that Asheville would trail the Blue Hose, as a 3-pointer from Trent Stephney with 5:50 remaining in the game would help Asheville earn the lead 65-63. Presbyterian would tie the score twice, but the Bulldogs never allowed Presbyterian to retake control. Asheville preserved its lead with two successful trips to the free-throw line from Solomon and one from Banks in the final minutes of play.
Twenty-five of Asheville's 42 points in the second half came from the free-throw line, as Asheville was 25-for-32 from the free-throw line, 7-for-20 from the field and 3-for-6 from distance. Presbyterian's offense went cold in the second frame as Asheville's defense limited the Blue Hose to shooting 6-for-22 from the field and 0-for-8 from distance.
IN THE BOX
Overall, Asheville shot .383 from the field and .357 from distance, while Presbyterian finished with a .451 shooting percentage and a .435 3-point percentage. The Blue Hose went 13-for-22 from the charity stripe (.591), compared to the Bulldogs who were 30-for-37 from the free-throw line (.811).
Pember and Banks led Asheville with 16 points each. Pember went 11-for-12 from the free-throw line and was 2-for-10 from the field with one made basket from 3-point range. He added seven rebounds and three assists to his stat line. Banks went 9-for-10 from the charity stripe, 3-for-7 from the field, and connected for one triple. He finished with six rebounds.
Solomon was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and went 4-for-5 from the free-throw line to finish with 14 points.
Burgess finished with nine points, two assists, and two steals; Nick McMullen had seven points and six rebounds, and Stephney had six points.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Asheville advances to 18-9 overall and 10-2 in conference play. Presbyterian falls to 12-15 (4-8).
- Wednesday's win marks the seventh victory in a row for Asheville over Presbyterian.
- With Asheville's win and High Point's loss to USC Upstate, the Bulldogs and Panthers are tied for first in the Big South Conference Standings.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday, Feb. 17, as they host Charleston Southern in Kimmel Arena for a Homecoming Doubleheader. The men play at 4:30 p.m., following the women's game at 2 p.m.
Asheville only has two remaining games left this season in Kimmel Arena. If Kimmel Arena has 3,000 fans in attendance this season, Kimmel and Associates will donate $3,000 to the Bulldog Scholarship Fund.
