University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Gardner-Webb
GAME PREVIEW: Men’s Basketball Travels to Gardner-Webb for Midweek Matchup
01.21.2025 | Men's Basketball
GAME DETAILS
- UNC Asheville (13-6, 4-1) vs. Gardner-Webb (8-11, 3-3)
- Wednesday, January 22, 2025
- 7 p.m.
- Boiling Springs, N.C. || Paul Porter Arena
- ESPN+
- Listen: Bulldog Radio Network (570 WWNC) | (Brian Hall, play-by-play; Brian Carver, analyst)
- Live Stats
- Tickets
LAST TIME OUT
Jordan Marsh recorded a new career-high and tied the school record for best free-throw accuracy as the UNC Asheville men's basketball team defeated Winthrop 93-84 Saturday afternoon in Kimmel Arena.
In front of the largest home crowd this season, Asheville had five players reach double-figures and earned their fourth consecutive win over Winthrop, the longest win streak over the Eagles since Asheville won 10 straight games spanning from 1994-1998. Saturday's win also extended Asheville's home win record to 9-0 on the season.
Marsh's perfect day at the charity stripe (13-13) tied the school record for best free throw accuracy. Three other members in program history have achieved a 13-13 free throw game: Paul Allen (1982-83), Tom Haus (1983-84), and Bryan Smithson (3-1-08). Marsh added seven rebounds, a career-high eight assists, two steals, and a block to his stat line.
In the closing minutes of action on Saturday, the Eagles held a 3-point lead before Fletcher Abee's third triple of the game evened the score at 73. Abee's 3-pointer would spark a 15-1 run from Asheville as the Bulldogs took an 11-point lead over Winthrop with 3:46 left in the contest. The Bulldogs led by nine points or more for the remainder of the game.
MARSH MADNESS
Marsh's efforts last week earned him Big South Conference Co-Player of the Week, announced by the league on Monday (Jan. 20). Marsh led the Bulldogs to a 2-0 week with 26.5 points, 6.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and an 81.8 free throw percentage. He opened with 21 points -- including the game-winning free throw, in addition to five assists and four boards last Wednesday against Upstate. Marsh then scored a career-high 32 points and was 13-of-13 from the charity stripe Saturday vs. Winthrop. He handed out eight assists and grabbed seven rebounds in the victory. For the week, Marsh recorded a 6.5 assist-to-turnover ratio and was 5-of-10 from three-point range.
Marsh is averaging a league-best 25.4 points in Big South games this season, the highest points-per-game clip in conference action since 2018-19 when Campbell's Chris Clemons scored 30.7 points per game against Big South foes.
Marsh's perfect day at the charity stripe on Saturday marks the 15th time a Big South player made 100 percent from the charity stripe with at least 13 attempts. Marsh is just the second player in league play this season to have two 30+ games, as he scored 30 against High Point and 32 against Winthrop, and Charleston Southern's RJ Johnson has scored 30 points on two separate occasions.
IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Following Saturday's game, Asheville moved to No. 6 in the nation in scoring offense, as the Bulldogs are averaging 86.7 points per game.
Asheville is in the top 50 in the nation in seven other categories:
- No. 30 Field goal percentage: 48.6 (No. 1 in BSC)
- No. 34 Turnover margin: 3.3 (No. 1 in BSC)
- No. 39 Assist/turnover ratio: 1.47 (No. 1 in BSC)
- No. 40 Effective field goal percentage: 0.555 (No. 1 in BSC)
- No. 42 Fastbreak points: 14.11 (No. 1 in BSC)
- No. 47 Turnovers per game: 10.6 (No. 2 in BSC)
- No. 49 Free throw attempts per game: 22.6 (No. 5 in BSC)
BIG SOUTH LEADERBOARD
Asheville is No. 1 in the Big South Conference in three other categories:
- Assists per game: 15.5
- Blocks per game: 3.9
- Three-pointers per game: 8.7
PLAYER LEADERBOARD
- Jordan Marsh- 17.5 ppg, 81 assists (4.3 per game), 27 steals, .859 free throw shooting percentage
- Josh Banks- 15.7 ppg, .404 3-point shooting percentage
- Toyaz Solomon- 15.3 ppg, .607 field goal shooting percentage, 7.7 rebounds per game, 28 blocks
- No. 1 in the Big South in blocks and blocks per game (1.47)
- No. 16 in the nation in field goal percentage
- No. 30 in the nation in field goals (128)
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Fletcher Abee- 11.3 ppg, .416 3-point shooting percentage
- No. 1 in the Big South in three-point percentage & No. 7 in the nation
- No. 1 in the Big South in 3-pointers per game (2.89)
- No. 1 in the Big South in total 3-point field goals made (52)
- Kameron Taylor- 9.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, .508 field goal shooting percentage
- Greg Gantt Jr.- 5.9 rpg, 4.5 ppg, .600 field goal shooting percentage, 60 assists (3.2 per game), 26 steals, 2.31 assist/turnover ratio
SCOUTING GARDNER-WEBB
- The Runnin' Bulldogs enter Wednesday's game following a 97-68 victory over USC Upstate on Saturday.
- GWU had five players reach double figures in their victory over Upstate, with Darryl Simmons II earning a career-high 20 points and Pharrell Boyogueno posting a double-double of 18 points and 10 boards.
- In league play, GWU is 3-3 and has an overall record of 8-11.
- Simmons leads GWU with 16.0 points per game, 47 3-pointers, and a .405 3-point shooting percentage. He is second on the team with 37 assists and 20 steals.
- Gardner-Webb's second-leading scorer is Anthony Seldon, who averages 14.7 points and 43 assists. Jamaine Mann is the final Runnin' Bulldog, averaging double figures with 11.0 points per game.
- Isaiah Richards is Gardner-Webb's leading rebounder with 7.6 boards on average a game and a team-high 24 blocks.
CONFERENCE RIVALRY
- Wednesday marks the 62nd matchup between Asheville and Gardner-Webb, with their first game dating back to the 1970-71 season, where Asheville won 74-65.
- Gardner-Webb holds a 37-24 series lead over Asheville.
- Asheville was swept during the regular season last year by Gardner-Webb before defeating the Runnin' Bulldogs 83-72 in overtime of the semifinals of the Big South Conference tournament. Asheville's home loss to Gardner-Webb last season marks just the second home loss in Kimmel Arena over the last three seasons, as Asheville is 34-2 at home since the beginning of the 2022-23 season.
- Since 2009, Asheville has an 18-12 Big South Conference series lead over GWU and an 8-7 road record against the Runnin' Bulldogs. Asheville is 4-6 in its last 10 matches against GWU.
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
| 2024-25 Season | Asheville | Gardner-Webb |
| Scoring Offense | 86.7 | 74.1 |
| Scoring Defense | 77.3 | 77.6 |
| Scoring Margin | 9.4 | -3.6 |
| FG Percentage | .486 | .468 |
| FG Pct. Defense | .451 | .447 |
| 3PT Percentage | .367 | .342 |
| FT Percentage | .705 | .673 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 36.2 | 36.8 |
| Assists Per Game | 15.5 | 11.3 |
| Steals Per Game | 7.3 | 5.3 |
| Blocks Per Game | 3.9 | 3.6 |
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