University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Wednesday, February 26
Clinton, SC
6:30 pm
UNC Asheville
3-25,1-14Big South
67
at
60
Presbyterian
6-22,4-11Big South
1
2
3
4
F
UNC Asheville
7
18
11
31
67
Presbyterian
9
6
20
25
60
Big Fourth Quarter Lifts Bulldogs Past Presbyterian
02.26.2025 | Women's Basketball
CLINTON, S.C. - A big fourth quarter lifted UNC Asheville Women's Basketball past Presbyterian 67-60 Wednesday night (Feb. 26) inside the Templeton Center.
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The teams played a slow-moving first quarter with Presbyterian leading 9-7. Asheville dominated the second quarter after a slow start to the period, winning the frame 18-6 with LaImani Simmons surpassing 700 career points on the last bucket of the first half as Asheville led 25-15 at the break.
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Presbyterian responded by scoring 20 points in the third quarter and holding Asheville to just 11. After Asheville quickly pushed its lead to 12, Presbyterian responded with a run over the next few minutes to tie the game at 29 with four minutes and change to play in the third. The lead swayed back in Presbyterian's favor in the last few minutes, before a layup from Simmons and a three-pointer from Dakota McCaughan gave the Bulldogs a 36-35 lead headed to the fourth.
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Asheville would score 31 points to Presbyterian's 25 in the fourth quarter on the way to the victory. The teams played to a 42-42 tie with just over seven minutes to play in the frame, before Presbyterian rallied to tie the game at 48 with just over five minutes to play. The teams would trade scores into the final two and a half minutes, when an old-fashioned three-point play from Kishyah Anderson got Presbyterian back within one with 2:27 to play. That is as close as Presbyterian would get for the remainder of the game, as McCaughan would knock down another three-pointer to stretch the lead to four before yet another triple would push the lead to seven in the final minute. The Bulldogs were able to ice the victory from the free throw line.
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Asheville shot 33.9 percent (20-59) from the field, just 25 percent (5-20) from long range and 75.9 percent (22-29) from the foul line in the game. Asheville outscored Presbyterian 12-8 on second chances and 34-11 off the bench, while also scoring 14 points off turnovers, 24 points in the paint and two points on fast breaks. McCaughan paced the Bulldogs with 17 points including five three-pointers, while Sydney Burris added 13 points, Simmons had 11 and Alana Swift had 10. Abigail Wilson added nine points, while Skylar Bailey chipped in three and Taylor Wilkins and Deborah Orianegbena each had two. Asheville dominated Presbyterian 44-33 on the glass, paced by a game-high 13 boards from Wilson and eight from Burris. McCaughan matched her career-high with six rebounds in the game, while Simmons had four and Orianegbena also had three. Wilkins pulled down two boards in the game, while Swift and Trinity Barnes each had one. Swift finished just one off her career-high with a game-high five assists, while McCaughan and Wilson each had two and Bailey and Orianegbena each had one. McCaughan led the Bulldogs with a game-high four steals, while Burris had two and Simmons, Swift and Barnes each had one. Wilson posted Asheville's lone rejection on the night. Â
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The Bulldogs return to Kimmel Arena for the final time this season on Saturday (Mar. 1) to host Winthrop for Senior Day. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. with video, live stats, audio and tickets available at www.uncabulldogs.com. The Senior Day ceremony will take place prior to tip-off.
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About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank
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First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.1 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 113 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina and a nationwide SBA platform. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC." Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.
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The teams played a slow-moving first quarter with Presbyterian leading 9-7. Asheville dominated the second quarter after a slow start to the period, winning the frame 18-6 with LaImani Simmons surpassing 700 career points on the last bucket of the first half as Asheville led 25-15 at the break.
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Presbyterian responded by scoring 20 points in the third quarter and holding Asheville to just 11. After Asheville quickly pushed its lead to 12, Presbyterian responded with a run over the next few minutes to tie the game at 29 with four minutes and change to play in the third. The lead swayed back in Presbyterian's favor in the last few minutes, before a layup from Simmons and a three-pointer from Dakota McCaughan gave the Bulldogs a 36-35 lead headed to the fourth.
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Asheville would score 31 points to Presbyterian's 25 in the fourth quarter on the way to the victory. The teams played to a 42-42 tie with just over seven minutes to play in the frame, before Presbyterian rallied to tie the game at 48 with just over five minutes to play. The teams would trade scores into the final two and a half minutes, when an old-fashioned three-point play from Kishyah Anderson got Presbyterian back within one with 2:27 to play. That is as close as Presbyterian would get for the remainder of the game, as McCaughan would knock down another three-pointer to stretch the lead to four before yet another triple would push the lead to seven in the final minute. The Bulldogs were able to ice the victory from the free throw line.
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Asheville shot 33.9 percent (20-59) from the field, just 25 percent (5-20) from long range and 75.9 percent (22-29) from the foul line in the game. Asheville outscored Presbyterian 12-8 on second chances and 34-11 off the bench, while also scoring 14 points off turnovers, 24 points in the paint and two points on fast breaks. McCaughan paced the Bulldogs with 17 points including five three-pointers, while Sydney Burris added 13 points, Simmons had 11 and Alana Swift had 10. Abigail Wilson added nine points, while Skylar Bailey chipped in three and Taylor Wilkins and Deborah Orianegbena each had two. Asheville dominated Presbyterian 44-33 on the glass, paced by a game-high 13 boards from Wilson and eight from Burris. McCaughan matched her career-high with six rebounds in the game, while Simmons had four and Orianegbena also had three. Wilkins pulled down two boards in the game, while Swift and Trinity Barnes each had one. Swift finished just one off her career-high with a game-high five assists, while McCaughan and Wilson each had two and Bailey and Orianegbena each had one. McCaughan led the Bulldogs with a game-high four steals, while Burris had two and Simmons, Swift and Barnes each had one. Wilson posted Asheville's lone rejection on the night. Â
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The Bulldogs return to Kimmel Arena for the final time this season on Saturday (Mar. 1) to host Winthrop for Senior Day. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. with video, live stats, audio and tickets available at www.uncabulldogs.com. The Senior Day ceremony will take place prior to tip-off.
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About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank
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First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.1 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 113 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina and a nationwide SBA platform. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC." Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.
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Team Stats
AVL
Presb
FG%
.339
.382
3FG%
.250
.222
FT%
.759
.737
RB
44
34
TO
22
20
STL
9
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
5
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
10
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F
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