University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
1-2,0-0Big South
Western Carolina
1-1,0-0SoCon
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Caro. | 44 | 39 | 83 |
| UNC Asheville | 40 | 35 | 75 |
11.07.2026 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville men's basketball battled back from an early 13-point deficit and traded leads with Western Carolina throughout Saturday's Mountain Rivalry, but the Catamounts pulled away down the stretch to defeat the Bulldogs 83-75 inside Kimmel Arena.
Connor Dubsky led Asheville with 16 points, connecting on five three-pointers while recording a career-high three steals. Ja'Corey Lipkins followed with 15 points on five triples of his own, tying his career high with eight rebounds.
Jermaurhiyun Anderson added a career-high 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting, while matching his career high with three assists. Myles Mayfield rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures with 11 points and eight rebounds, knocking down a career-high five free throws.
Asheville finished the contest shooting 43.1 percent from the field (25-of-58) and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc (11-of-29). The Bulldogs held a 37-33 advantage on the glass and outscored the Catamounts 29-8 in bench points.
FIRST HALF
Western Carolina jumped out to an early advantage, opening the contest on a 14-1 run with 15:36 remaining in the first half.
The Bulldogs responded with a 10-0 run, sparked by a three-pointer from Dubsky, to trim the deficit to three at 14-11 with 12:14 remaining.
Asheville continued to chip away at the Catamounts' lead, with Dubsky connecting on three more triples over the next several minutes. A layup from Anderson tied the contest at 26 with 5:21 remaining before Lipkins knocked down a three-pointer to even the score again at 29.
Mayfield gave Asheville its first lead of the evening with a pair of free throws at the 3:53 mark, putting the Bulldogs ahead 31-29.
The two teams continued to trade baskets down the stretch, but a three-pointer from Western Carolina's Jaeden Roberts with three seconds remaining sent the Catamounts into the locker room with a 44-40 advantage.
Dubsky led Asheville with 13 first-half points, shooting 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
SECOND HALF
Asheville came out of the break firing, as Lipkins knocked down three three-pointers in the opening three minutes of the second half.
After a three-pointer from Lipkins tied the game at 46, Mayfield threw down a dunk to give Asheville a 48-46 advantage with 18:13 remaining. Lipkins followed with another triple at the 17:33 mark, extending the Bulldogs' lead to three at 51-48, their largest advantage of the contest.
Western Carolina answered with a scoring surge to regain control, and despite Asheville's efforts to stay within striking distance, the Catamounts maintained their advantage through the middle stages of the half.
Anderson helped keep Asheville in the contest, scoring six second-half points, including a putback layup that brought the Bulldogs within four at 71-67 with 5:25 remaining.
Western Carolina responded and extended its lead to 10 with just over two minutes remaining.
The Bulldogs made one final push, as Tylon Chatman connected on a three-pointer, Mayfield threw down a dunk, and Chatman added a basket to cut the deficit to five at 80-75 with 43 seconds remaining.
Asheville forced a turnover on the ensuing possession but was unable to capitalize, and Western Carolina closed out the contest at the free-throw line to secure the 83-75 victory.
UP NEXT
Asheville heads to the Peach State for its next two matchups. The Bulldogs will first travel to West Georgia on Wednesday, Nov. 11, for a 7 p.m. tipoff in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Asheville will then head to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m., marking the first meeting between the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets in 21 years.
The Bulldogs return to Kimmel Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 18, to host Tennessee Tech at 6:30 p.m.
