University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Gardner-Webb
GAME PREVIEW: Men’s Basketball Welcomes Gardner-Webb to Kimmel Arena for Senior Day
02.23.2024 | Men's Basketball
GAME DETAILS
- UNC Asheville (19-10, 11-3) vs. Gardner-Webb (13-15, 8-5)
- Saturday, February 24, 2024
- Asheville, N.C. || Kimmel Arena
- Time: 2 p.m.
- Watch Live: ESPN+
- Listen: Bulldog Radio Network (ESPN Asheville)
- Live Stats
- Game Day Central
- Tickets
- Game Presented by TD Bank
PROMOTIONS
- If Kimmel Arena has 3,000 fans in attendance this season, Kimmel and Associates will donate $3,000 to the Bulldog Scholarship Fund.
- Saturday's game sponsor, TD Bank, is sponsoring a half-court shot for a chance to win $10,000. One fan will be chosen to take the shot, and individuals in attendance can enter for a chance at the shot at the TD Bank table that will be located on the concourse behind section 11. Entries will end at the ten-minute mark of the first half. The shot will occur during the first media timeout in the second half.
- TD Bank will give popcorn to the first 400 fans in attendance.
- Before Saturday's game, the men's basketball team will honor its five seniors: Trent Stephney, Jamon Battle, Caleb Burgess, Drew Pember, and Fletcher Abee.
ASHEVILLE'S LAST TIME OUT
Tied at 21 with 6:49 remaining in the first half, Asheville went on a 14-5 run to jump ahead 35-26. A jumper from Nick McMullen sparked the run, and Josh Banks followed with a triple and a 2-point jumper. Less than a minute later, Banks connected for another jumper, and Fletcher Abee followed with a 3-pointer. Greg Gantt Jr. closed Asheville's run with 2:24 remaining in the half. Gantt's jumper would be the Bulldogs' final basket of the first half, as Longwood scored three points in the last minutes of the half to bring the score within six (35-29).
Longwood opened the second half on an 11-3 run, taking the lead 40-38. The Lancers would extend their lead out 55-45 with less than 13 minutes remaining. Longwood held the lead for the remainder of the contest, but the Bulldogs battled back, bringing the score within one point with 28 seconds remaining, following a free throw from Pember. This would be as close as Asheville would get as back-to-back trips to the free throw line for Longwood's Johnathan Massie would help the Lancers extend their lead back out to five to close the game.
Longwood outscored Asheville 51-40 in the second frame and connected for 10 3-pointers, compared to three triples the Lancers recorded in the first half. Longwood's field goal shooting percentage nearly doubled from the first to the second half (.310 to .567).
THE PEMBER FILE
Drew Pember is averaging 20.8 points and 7.9 rebounds. He leads the team with 52 blocks and is second on the team with 93 assists. Pember is No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the conference in made free throws with 205. He is No. 1 in the league and No. 4 in the nation in free throw attempts with 242.
Pember ranks first in the Big South in blocks, blocks per game (1.86), points (582), points per game, and defensive rebounds per game (6.54). Pember is No. 9 in the nation in points and No. 17 in points per game. Pember is No. 4 in North Carolina in points per game.
FROM THE BIG SOUTH
Pember is looking to become the eighth player in league history to average 20.0 points in back-to-back seasons. Pember was the conference's scoring leader in 2022-23 with his 20.9 average, and if he can maintain his scoring clip and top spot, he would become just the fourth player to lead the Big South in scoring in consecutive seasons with a 20+ point average.
ABEE & BANKS LEAD FROM 3-POINT RANGE
Josh Banks and Fletcher Abee lead Asheville in distant shooting, with Banks averaging 13.3 points and Abee averaging 10.5. Banks has a .403 3-point shooting percentage, and Abee leads the Bulldogs with a .423 3-point shooting percentage.
McMULLEN LEADING FROM DOWN LOW
Nick McMullen is the fourth Bulldog averaging double-figures with 10.4 a game. McMullen leads Asheville with a .599 field goal shooting percentage, 27 steals along with Trent Stephney, and 55 offensive rebounds.
MR. HELPING HAND
Caleb Burgess leads the league with 137 assists and averages 4.7 a game. Burgess is averaging 7.2 points per game.
AS A TEAM
The Bulldogs are No. 1 in the Big South in assist/turnover ratio (1.22), assists per game (15.2), blocks per game (4.3), effective field goal percentage (.543), and 3-point percentage (.374).
The Bulldogs are No. 7 in the nation in free throws made per game (18.6), No. 9 in free throw attempts per game (25.1) and No. 21 in 3-point percentage.
LAST TIME AGAINST GARDNER-WEBB
Despite leading most of the contest, Asheville fell on the road to Gardner-Webb University 80-73 on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
Asheville entered the second half leading 46-41, but Gardner-Webb did not allow Asheville to extend its lead past five points in the opening minutes of the second frame. With 15:51 remaining in the contest, back-to-back jumpers helped the Runnin' Bulldogs pull ahead 55-52. Asheville quickly responded with an 11-0 run to retake an eight-point lead (63-55).
With 6:54 remaining in the contest, GWU went on a 5-0 run to trail Asheville by three (69-66). Banks extended the Bulldogs' lead to five, but back-to-back baskets helped Gardner-Webb within one. The Runnin' Bulldogs went on to take a one-point lead before a trip to the free throw line from Banks tied the score at 72. Gardner-Webb responded with a jumper to retake the lead and took advantage of three Asheville turnovers and cold shooting for the Bulldogs to extend their lead out to seven and perform the comeback victory.
SCOUTING GWU
The Runnin' Bulldogs enter Saturday's contest after falling to Radford 90-74 on Thursday, Feb. 22, in the league's ESPNU game of the week.
Gardner-Webb is led by Caleb Robinson, who is averaging 13.6 points per game, leads the team in field goals made (131), is averaging 6.6 rebounds, and has 28 steals and 13 blocks.
Julien Soumaoro and DQ Nicholas average 13.0 and 12.3 points per game, respectively. Nicholas leads the team with 75 assists, and Soumaoro follows with 65. Soumaoro leads the team with 52 3-pointers, and Nicholas follows with 39.
The Runnin' Bulldogs are No. 1 in the league in defensive rebounds, averaging 27.07 per game.
SERIES HISTORY
- Overall- GWU leads 36-23
- Morrell vs. GWU- 3-8
- First Meeting - W 74-65 1970-71
- Last Meeting- L 80-73 Jan. 31, 2024
- Last UNC Asheville Win- Feb. 18, 2023
- Last GWU Win- Jan. 31, 2024
- Series Record at GWU (2009-2023)- 8-7
- Series Record at UNC Asheville (2009-2023)- 10-4
- Last 10 Matchups- 3-7
- Largest Margin of Victory- 80-55 Jan. 3, 2015
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
|
2023-24 Season |
AVL |
GWU |
| Scoring Average | 80.4 | 74.2 |
| Opp. Scoring Average | 73.6 | 73.6 |
| Scoring Margin | 6.8 | 0.6 |
| FG Percentage | .471 | .436 |
| 3PT Percentage | .374 | .331 |
| FT Percentage | .742 | .636 |
| Rebounding Average | 35.3 | 38.3 |
| Assists Per Game | 15.2 | 12.5 |
| Steals Per Game | 5.9 | 5.9 |
| Blocks Per Game | 4.3 | 2.3 |
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