University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
16-9,8-2Big South
High Point
20-5,9-1Big South
UNC Asheville Hands High Point First Loss in Conference Play
02.07.2024 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – It was an electric Wednesday evening in Kimmel Arena as the UNC Asheville men's basketball team defeated High Point 86-81, giving the Panthers their first Big South Conference loss of the season.
TEAM EFFORT
For the second time in two weeks, each member of Asheville's starting five reached double-digit scoring. Nick McMullen led the Bulldogs with 19 points after scoring only two in the first half. McMullen went 6-for-8 from the field and 7-for-8 from the charity stripe. McMullen added seven rebounds to his stat line.
Fletcher Abee followed with 17 points, going 5-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 from 3-point range. He was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
Caleb Burgess recorded 15 points, going 7-for-11 from the field and 1-of-2 from long distance. Burgess ended the first half with seven points and scored eight of the Bulldogs' first 15 points in the second half. Burgess added six assists to his stat line.
Caleb Burgess from the paint!
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) February 8, 2024
Burgess has the last three shots from the field for Asheville. #ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/E9mreiA2WQ
Drew Pember finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks, and Josh Banks rounded out the Bulldogs with 11 points.
As a team, Asheville was 27-for-54 from the field (.500), 4-for-12 from 3-point range (.333) and 28-for-30 from the free throw line (.933). High Point finished 32-for-65 from the field (.492), 3-for-17 from 3-point range (.176) and 14-for-22 from the free throw line (.636).
High Point was led by Kimani Hamilton, who had a game-high 29 points, and Juslin Bodo Bodo, who recorded a double-double with 18 boards and 10 points.
A GAME OF RUNS
Abee set the tone out of the gate with a jumper, followed by a layup from McMullen to give the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead. High Point tied the game three times over the opening 3:27 of play but was unable to take the lead, as a jumper from Banks put Asheville ahead 11-9 and sparked a 9-1 run to help the Bulldogs take a 10-point lead. Five of Asheville's points during the run came from free throws.
A jumper from Abee helped Asheville earn its largest lead of the night at 12 points with 11:57 remaining in the half, but High Point answered with a 10-0 run to bring the score within two (24-22). The Bulldogs responded with a run of their own, pushing their lead back out to eight, courtesy of Banks and Trent Stephney. Banks and Stephney recorded back-to-back old-fashioned triples to help cushion Asheville's lead (30-22).
AND ONE!! #ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/tIKUI6xrLG
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) February 8, 2024
Asheville's extended lead was short-lived, as High Point tied the game with an 8-0 run. Tied at 32, Asheville closed the first half on a 10-2 run, with a triple from Abee sending Asheville into the second half ahead 42-34. At the half, Abee led the Bulldogs with 12 points.
Fletcher Abee concludes a 10-2 run for the Bulldogs to close out the first half! #ALLinAVL #IWWD pic.twitter.com/j6njzebFGv
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) February 8, 2024
McMULLEN COMES IN CLUTCH TO CLOSE GAME
The Bulldogs remained in the lead through the opening 9:48 of action until Hamilton recorded back-to-back jumpers to tie the game at 57. This would be the first of four ties over the next minute of action, with Duke Miles earning High Point its first lead of the night following a free throw (64-63). Banks retook the lead for Asheville before a triple from High Point gave the Panthers a two-point lead.
A jumper in the paint followed by a trip to the free throw line from McMullen put Asheville back in the lead 68-67. Asheville would hold its lead for the remainder of the game, with McMullen recording 11 of the 18 points Asheville scored in the final seven minutes of play.
POSTGAME NOTES
High Point entered Wednesday's game with the longest win streak in the nation.
Asheville had its largest crowd of the season, with 2,529 fans in attendance. If Kimmel Arena has 3,000 fans in attendance this season, Kimmel and Associates will donate $3,000 to the Bulldog Scholarship Fund.
With Wednesday's win, Asheville is now 16-9 and 8-2 in conference play. High Point falls to 20-5 and 9-1 in the Big South.
Asheville has won 15 consecutive Big South games in Kimmel Arena, dating back to Feb. 26, 2022.
UP NEXT
Asheville travels to USC Upstate on Saturday, Feb. 10, for the second installment of the Ingles I-26 Rivalry. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
