University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Wednesday, February 5
Boiling Springs, NC
7 pm
UNC Asheville
2-20,0-9Big South
72
at
79
Gardner-Webb
9-13,6-4Big South
1
2
3
4
F
UNC Asheville
18
19
19
16
72
Gardner-Webb
19
24
16
20
79
Women's Basketball Battles, but Falls at Gardner-Webb Wednesday Night
02.05.2025 | Women's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - UNC Asheville Women's Basketball battled, but fell at Gardner-Webb Wednesday night (Feb. 5) in Big South Conference action by a score of 79-72.
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Asheville jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead with points on consecutive possessions from Dakota McCaughan, before the teams would trade buckets throughout the remainder of the quarter with Gardner-Webb leading 19-18. Asheville was held to just three points in the final three minutes of the opening frame.
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The teams traded buckets to give Asheville a one-point lead about three and a half minutes into the second quarter, before Gardner-Webb took the lead all the way to the break. Gardner-Webb stretched its lead to as many as seven, while Asheville cut the deficit to as little as two in the period with Gardner-Webb leading 43-37 at the half.
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Gardner-Webb pushed its lead to as many as nine early in the third quarter, before Asheville responded with an 8-2 run to close the quarter as Gardner-Webb led just 59-56 headed to the fourth. Three-pointers from McCaughan and Skylar Bailey cut the deficit to three, before a late layup from McCaughan cut the deficit to one before Gardner-Webb scored one more bucket before the horn.
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Asheville got the game back to within two three minutes into the fourth quarter, before tying the game at 65 with under six minutes to play in the game. The teams traded buckets into the final minute, as Asheville trailed just 73-72 with 49 seconds to play. After a Gardner-Webb bucket made it 75-72, the Runnin' Bulldogs iced the game at the free throw line.
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Asheville shot 42.9 percent (24-56), 42.9 percent (9-21) from three-point range and 88.2 percent (15-17) from the foul line in the game. McCaughan led the way with 19 points on 6-10 shooting including 5-9 from three-point range, while Alana Swift finished just two shy of her career-high with 16 in the game. Bailey scored a career-high 12 points in the game, while Abigail Wilson added 11 points. Taylor Wilkins and LaImani Simmons each added five points in the game, while Deborah Orianegbena also had four points. Asheville out-rebounded Gardner-Webb 35-33 in the game, led by six boards from Orianegbena and five each from McCaughan and Wilkins. Wilson and Swift each had four rebounds in the game, while Simmons had three and Bailey and Jazlyn Ware each had two. McCaughan and Wilson each had a team-high three assists in the game, while Swift had two and Bailey and Simmons each had one. McCaughan and Bailey each had two steals in the game, while Wilson led the way with three blocks and Wilkins also had one.
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The Bulldogs return to Kimmel Arena on Saturday (Feb. 8) to host High Point in the program's annual Play 4 Kay game. Please visit www.uncabulldogs.com/play4kay for additional information. Video, live stats, audio and tickets will be available at www.uncabulldogs.com.
About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank
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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Asheville jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead with points on consecutive possessions from Dakota McCaughan, before the teams would trade buckets throughout the remainder of the quarter with Gardner-Webb leading 19-18. Asheville was held to just three points in the final three minutes of the opening frame.
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The teams traded buckets to give Asheville a one-point lead about three and a half minutes into the second quarter, before Gardner-Webb took the lead all the way to the break. Gardner-Webb stretched its lead to as many as seven, while Asheville cut the deficit to as little as two in the period with Gardner-Webb leading 43-37 at the half.
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Gardner-Webb pushed its lead to as many as nine early in the third quarter, before Asheville responded with an 8-2 run to close the quarter as Gardner-Webb led just 59-56 headed to the fourth. Three-pointers from McCaughan and Skylar Bailey cut the deficit to three, before a late layup from McCaughan cut the deficit to one before Gardner-Webb scored one more bucket before the horn.
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Asheville got the game back to within two three minutes into the fourth quarter, before tying the game at 65 with under six minutes to play in the game. The teams traded buckets into the final minute, as Asheville trailed just 73-72 with 49 seconds to play. After a Gardner-Webb bucket made it 75-72, the Runnin' Bulldogs iced the game at the free throw line.
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Asheville shot 42.9 percent (24-56), 42.9 percent (9-21) from three-point range and 88.2 percent (15-17) from the foul line in the game. McCaughan led the way with 19 points on 6-10 shooting including 5-9 from three-point range, while Alana Swift finished just two shy of her career-high with 16 in the game. Bailey scored a career-high 12 points in the game, while Abigail Wilson added 11 points. Taylor Wilkins and LaImani Simmons each added five points in the game, while Deborah Orianegbena also had four points. Asheville out-rebounded Gardner-Webb 35-33 in the game, led by six boards from Orianegbena and five each from McCaughan and Wilkins. Wilson and Swift each had four rebounds in the game, while Simmons had three and Bailey and Jazlyn Ware each had two. McCaughan and Wilson each had a team-high three assists in the game, while Swift had two and Bailey and Simmons each had one. McCaughan and Bailey each had two steals in the game, while Wilson led the way with three blocks and Wilkins also had one.
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The Bulldogs return to Kimmel Arena on Saturday (Feb. 8) to host High Point in the program's annual Play 4 Kay game. Please visit www.uncabulldogs.com/play4kay for additional information. Video, live stats, audio and tickets will be available at www.uncabulldogs.com.
About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank
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
GW
FG%
.429
.458
3FG%
.429
.350
FT%
.882
.783
RB
35
33
TO
16
12
STL
4
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
5
FTM
2
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F
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