Mike Gore's "40-for-40": Big South Conference Basketball Tournament Memories

The Big South basketball tournament is underway in Johnson City, Tennessee and I'm going to write a couple of stories about some tournament memories that I have.

The first one is from 10 years ago when the men's team won the Big South Tournament at beautiful Gore Arena (no relation darn it) at Campbell University.

It was the first year after I retired and it was exciting to watch Nick McDevitt's young team throughout the 2015-16 season. Nick told me before the year began that he had brought in some exciting freshmen that could help right away and with the returnees they had, this could be a special season.

The Bulldogs showed right off the bat they would be a good squad as they nearly beat Tennessee in head coach Rick Barnes debut in Knoxville. Asheville led late before the Vols rallied to get the win.

Asheville began to get wins soon as it devoured a talented ETSU squad coached by current Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes. Forbes stated years later that it was one of longest nights of his coaching career. A win over a talented Campbell squad opened league play after the Camels had upset Charlotte a few days earlier.

Then right before Christmas the Dogs walked into the Verizon Center and shocked Big East power Georgetown. It was no fluke as the Bulldogs led from start-to-finish and were simply the better team that day.

The Big South was very good that year and quite deep with talented teams. But the Bulldogs were one of those teams. One of the greatest wins in Kimmel Arena came in mid-January when rival Winthrop came to town. Current Louisville coach, who was then the head coach of the Winthrop Eagles, Pat Kelsey had a four-game winning streak against the Dogs and it looked like it would be five when Winthrop surged to a 24-point lead early in the second half.

But this young Asheville team didn't quit. Led by a walk-on guard Raekwon Miller, the Bulldogs began to rally. Miller was hitting three-pointers from just beyond Weaverville and suddenly Asheville was back in the game. The Dogs trailed 84-83 with less than 30 seconds remaining when Miller sent a perfect bounce pass into Ahmad Thomas to put Asheville in front 85-84.

Asheville needed one more stop to pull out the incredible win and the Bulldogs got it when Winthrop superstar Keon Johnson's three-pointer missed and Sam Hughes got the defensive rebound as the buzzer sounded.

The Bulldogs would enter the Big South Tournament as the #4 seed with a 19-10 overall record. Not bad for a team that was picked to finish in ninth place in the Big South preseason poll.

With the tournament in Buies Creek, the team stayed in Raleigh and Coach McDevitt was gracious enough to let me eat with the team and ride with the team to Buies Creek. We had a huge breakfast each day and when the pancakes came, I had to cry uncle. Well my pancakes would not go to waste as Sam Hughes graciously agreed to take my pancakes and put them to good use.

The Bulldogs faced #5 seed Liberty in the quarterfinals. A couple of days before the tournament, my lovely wife Lisa and I were in the workout room when we saw Ahmad Thomas. Ahmad wanted to know if we were coming to the tournament. I told him indeed I was. Lisa had to work but hoped to drive to Buies Creek for the semifinals on Saturday if we won on Friday.

Ahmad assured Lisa that we were going to win and he expected to see her on Saturday!!!

Ahmad was not someone who would go back on his word. Asheville rolled to a stunning 44-16 lead at halftime. The Bulldogs defense smothered the Liberty offense and Asheville was unstoppable on offense.

I was part of the radio crew that day with Brian Hall. And as the second half was about to get underway, Ahmad came over to me and asked me if Lisa was coming tomorrow. Lisa was listening to the game from her downtown office and heard Ahmad asking if she was coming on Saturday!!! She texted me and told me to tell Ahmad she was coming!!

Ahmad made sure that Lisa would be making the trek to Buies Creek with 27 points against the Flames. He was 12-of-15 from the field and it was the second highest scoring game by a Bulldog in a Big South Tournament game.

Up next was top-seeded High Point in the semifinals. With Lisa in attendance and Sam Hughes with my pancakes in his belly, Asheville was ready to play. The Dogs' defense gave the Panthers fits in the first half. Freshman guard Dylan Smith was hitting from everywhere and the Dogs rolled to a 39-26 halftime lead. High Point made some runs in the second half but this young Bulldog team was never rattled and rolled into the championship game, 80-69. Thomas and Smith led the Dogs with 18 points each. Freshman forward Dwayne Sutton added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Dwayne was just getting started.

Lisa and I got up early the next morning and were invited to have breakfast with the team again. While waiting for the bus, Ahmad came up to Lisa and thanked her for coming. He then began to stare at my 2012 Big South championship ring. Ahmad asked if he could see it a little closer. I took it off and gave it to him. He looked at it and studied it for about five minutes. Ahmad returned it, looked at us, and said "We're going to get one of those rings in a few hours."

And yes, Sam Hughes got my pancakes again. Why argue with a winning formula?

The championship game would be against old rival Winthrop. The Bulldogs and Eagles played two classic games that year. Asheville rallied for the 85-84 win at Kimmel Arena. Later in the year, the Eagles had barely held off the Dogs, 81-80 in Rock Hill.

At the half, the Bulldogs had Winthrop right where they wanted them as they trailed, 33-24.

After trailing by 24 points six weeks earlier, nine points was nothing for this determined club. Asheville quickly rallied and took the lead midway through the half. Hughes, plagued by foul trouble in the first half, scored at will and seemed everywhere on defense. Dylan Smith hit three big three-pointers and his third put the Dogs ahead to stay.

But it was freshman Dwayne Sutton who was next to impossible for Winthrop to stop. He would grab 18 rebounds on the day and score a season-high 25 points. Three different times in the second half, Sutton scored on three-point plays after rebounding a Bulldog miss, to break Winthrop's back.

Asheville would go to win its third Big South Tournament championship in six years with a 77-68 triumph.

Sutton was named MVP of the tournament, while Thomas made the All-Tournament team.

It's hard to believe that championship was 10 years ago as it seems like just yesterday. As we prepare for this year's tournament, it might be interesting to note that this year Asheville is the fourth seed!!! Just like 2016. If any Bulldogs from this year's team want my pancakes, just let me know!!!

University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics

Mike Gore's "40-for-40": Big South Conference Basketball Tournament Memories

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