University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
7-10,1-2Big South
Longwood
9-9,1-2Big South
Bulldogs Top Longwood at Home, 72–61
01.07.2026 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's basketball team put together a balanced offensive and defensive performance Wednesday night, securing a 72–61 win over Longwood in Kimmel Arena. Wednesday night's contest was sponsored by Dave Steel Co.
Asheville controlled nearly the entire contest, allowing Longwood to lead for just 14 seconds and only by one point. The Bulldogs built their largest advantage of the night at 15 points following a driving layup from Kameron Taylor after the third media timeout. There were only two ties in the game—one in each half—as Asheville shot 44.6 percent from the field (25-of-56) and knocked down nine three-pointers while holding Longwood to six from beyond the arc. Both teams finished with 13 made free throws.
Key Moments From the Contest
After falling behind by one early, a three-pointer from Justin Wright ignited a 9–0 Bulldogs run that gave Asheville an 11–3 advantage.
Midway through the first half, Asheville went on another surge sparked by a DJ Patrick three-pointer to secure its first double-digit lead. Holding a 16–13 edge, the Bulldogs followed Patrick's triple with a layup from Wright and a three-pointer from Kameron Taylor. A free throw from Toyaz Solomon extended the margin before a dunk by Daniel Thomas pushed Asheville's lead to 14.
That is a @champion_cu slam dunk for @danthomas_13 😤 pic.twitter.com/bsHkIWfXpm
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) January 7, 2026
Moments later, Taylor connected again to give the Bulldogs their largest lead of the night at 15 while reaching double figures in scoring.
Longwood trimmed the deficit to one early in the second half, but Patrick answered with a three-pointer to restore a two-possession cushion at 43–39.
With under 11 minutes remaining and the score tied at 50, Taylor converted an old-fashioned three-point play, followed by a Thomas steal and layup, as Asheville regained a five-point advantage.
We'll take an old-fashioned three 🤩 pic.twitter.com/PhvJy8T7q2
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) January 8, 2026
In the final two minutes, Patrick put the game away with back-to-back three-pointers to seal the double-digit victory.
DJ with his sixth triple of the game! #ALLinAVL #IWWD @DarenPJr pic.twitter.com/PDRJHwUDeT
— Asheville Basketball (@UNCAvlMBB) January 8, 2026
Bulldogs Control the Glass and Tempo
The Bulldogs dominated on the glass, out rebounding Longwood 40–27, and limited second-chance opportunities throughout the night. Both teams committed 10 turnovers, but Asheville capitalized on key defensive stops to maintain momentum and separation in the second half.
Taylor Leads Scoring, Multiple Bulldogs Contribute
Kameron Taylor led all scorers with 24 points, while DJ Patrick added 18 points, knocking down six three-pointers and dishing out five assists. Justin Wright chipped in 11 points, four rebounds and three assists and Toyaz Solomon nearly missed a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Daniel Thomas added eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds to anchor Asheville inside. Thomas and Solomon led Asheville with two steals each while Solomon also tallied two blocks and three assists.
Up Next
The win moves Asheville to 7–10 overall and 1–2 in Big South action. The Bulldogs return to the road Saturday, traveling to Radford for a 2:30 p.m. matchup with the Highlanders.
