En route to its fifth straight victory, UNC Asheville women’s basketball downed Presbyterian, 52-43, as the Bulldog defense held Presbyterian to only 20 second-half points on Tuesday night inside the Templeton Center.
The five-game win streak matches UNC Asheville’s win streak that it set a year ago. It is also one win shy of matching the Bulldogs’ six-game win streak that they achieved two years ago.
BULLDOG BITES
Game Highlights
UNC Asheville started hot to open the game, which was highlighted by a 6-0 run to open the contest. The lead started to slowly dissipate, as Presbyterian gained its first lead of the game, 13-12, with 1:27 left in the first quarter. PC added two more points to end the stanza. PC led by three points at the end of the first quarter, 15-12.
The Blue Hose continued to carry their momentum, as they saw their lead get as high as seven points early in the second quarter, 19-12. The Bulldog offense clawed their way back into the game, as Amaryah Corpening drilled a three-pointer with 47 seconds left in the second quarter. Overall, the two teams combined for only 10 made field goals and 18 points in the quarter.
At the halftime intermission, UNC Asheville had two players with seven points apiece – Jimeshia Lawson and Brooke Jordan-Brown. Jordan-Brown dominated the boards, as the junior center corralled nine rebounds (four offensive and five defensive rebounds). Between Lawson and Jordan-Brown, the duo combined for five of the eight UNC Asheville made field goals.
UNC Asheville held a four-point advantage in the third quarter, 14-10, to take a 36-33 lead into the final quarter. Jessica Wall connected on a pair of clutch three-pointers, and four other Bulldogs added two points each. Jordan-Brown also corralled three more rebounds to reach double figures in rebounding.
The Bulldogs carried their momentum into the fourth quarter, as their lead got as high as 10 halfway through the stanza. With just over one minute left in the game, Asheville pushed its lead to 12 and cruised to a nine-point victory over the Blue Hose, 52-43.
Overall, Wall had a team-high 11 points, as eight of those points came in the second half. She was 3-for-6 from the field in the second half, including 2-for-3 behind the three-point arc in the final 20 minutes.
Jordan-Brown nearly collected her first career double-double, as she finished with nine points and 13 rebounds. The 13 total rebounds broke her previous career best by one. The junior went a respectable 4-for-7 from the field. Her double-digit rebounding game was her second of the season.
Sophomore Nadiria Evans and Lawson contributed nine points each. Evans netted seven of her points in the second half on 3-for-3 shooting, while Lawson tallied seven of her nine points in the first 20 minutes.
Of the 10 Bulldogs that touched the hardwood, every player scored.
As a team, UNC Asheville shot 35.3 percent from the field and corralled 41 boards. The Bulldog defense was strong, as it held PC to 32 percent from the field, two made three-pointers and 11 bench points. Asheville’s defense also held Presbyterian to only 28 points in the final three quarters, including only 20 second-half points.
With its fifth straight victory, UNC Asheville advances to 10-9 overall and 5-3 in Big South play. It is the second time this year the Bulldogs have been above .500 overall this season. The Blue Hose fall to 4-15 on the year and 2-6 in league contests.
What’s Next?
The Bulldogs will play their third home game in the last four contests on Saturday, Feb. 2, as they welcome Winthrop to Kimmel Arena.
