UNC Asheville defeats Longwood 72-61

Longwood Falls Short at UNC Asheville

The UNCG Spartans' conference rival, UNC Asheville, emerged victorious with a 72-61 win over Longwood on Thursday night in Kimmel Arena.

As the home team took an early lead, they were able to build upon it, eventually taking a 15-point advantage into halftime. The visitors struggled to find their rhythm, trailing by as many as 15 points at one point in the second half before mounting a late comeback attempt. However, it was too little, too late, and Longwood ultimately fell short.

Kameron Taylor led UNC Asheville with 24 points, shooting 44.4% from the field and making 1 of 4 three-point attempts. Daniel Thomas chipped in with 10 rebounds and 8 points, while DJ Patrick contributed 5 assists and 18 points to the effort.

In contrast, Emanuel Richards paced Longwood with 14 points on an impressive 50.0% shooting night from the field. Johan Nziemi rounded out the top scorers for Longwood with 6 rebounds and 3 points.

From a statistical perspective, UNC Asheville's strong performance was highlighted by their 45.0% mark from three-point range. The Spartans also excelled on the glass, grabbing 40 rebounds while limiting Longwood to just 27. Meanwhile, Longwood's shooting percentages were somewhat more balanced, with both teams managing respectable field goal percentages of 38.0% and 45.5%.

The advanced metrics paint a slightly different picture, however. UNC Asheville's true shooting percentage was an efficient 55.2%, while Longwood's trailed at 47.8%. On the flip side, Longwood held an edge in free throw attempts, making 13 of 20 shots from the line compared to UNC Asheville's 13 of 21.

Overall, it was a balanced effort from both teams, but ultimately, UNC Asheville's superior shooting and rebounding allowed them to secure the conference victory.