Buccaneer comeback falls short at UNC Asheville, 79-75

Saturday, February 15

Asheville, N.C. / Kimmel Arena

4:30 PM

Charleston Southern University Athletics

13-14,7-8Big So

UNC Asheville

12-13,6-8Big So

Team	1	2	F
Charleston Southern	38	37	75
UNC Asheville	40	39	79

Photo by: Jim Killian/CSU Sports

Buccaneer comeback falls short at UNC Asheville, 79-75

2/15/2020 7:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Charleston Southern closed the gap to 78-75 with just 1:32 to play thanks to Phlandrous Fleming Jr.'s three-point basket and foul, but UNC Asheville would get two more stops and hit a late free throw to deter the comeback effort.

Charleston Southern (13-14, 7-8 Big South) saw a career-high 23 points off the bench from redshirt-freshman Travis Anderson and 22 form Ty Jones, but UNC Asheville (12-13, 6-8 Big South) got a game-high 27 from DeVon Baker to sneak away with the win.

A 19-4 run from the Bulldogs over a span of 7 minutes in the middle of the second half gave UNC Asheville a 63-53 lead, but the Bucs wouldn't go quietly. Baskets from Anderson, Jones, Louis and Fleming would cut it back to a 78-75 contest with 1:32 to play before the Bulldogs closed the game with a pair of stops.

Anderson led all players at the half with 16 points before adding seven in the second half while Jones scored 14 of his 22 in the final 20 minutes hitting five of his final six shots.
UNC Asheville also saw 15 points from Coty Jude and 10 from LJ Thorpe while Deontaye Buskey (15) and Fleming (10) finished in double figures for the Bucs.

Saturday's loss ends a nine day stretch that saw five contests for the Bucs with trips to Longwood, USC Upstate and UNC Asheville and just two home bouts against Hampton and High Point.

How It Happened

Charleston Southern and UNC Asheville traded baskets throughout the first half with neither team able to separate themselves
Travis Anderson led all scorers at the half with 16 points off the bench while Deontaye Buskey had 11
After falling behind 44-40, Charleston Southern went on a quick 9-0 run for a 49-44 lead with 15:50 to play on a Buskey jumper
UNC Asheville answered with their own 19-4 run over the next 7:07 to grab a 63-53 lead, the largest for either side on the night
Charleston Southern chipped away at the deficit before eventually getting it back to 78-75 Bulldogs behind a four-point play from Phlandrous Fleming Jr. and 1:32 on the clock
CSU missed shots on their final two possessions and the Bulldogs hit one free throw with under :10 to close it out

News and Notes

Travis Anderson had a career-high 23 points off the bench to lead the Bucs in scoring Saturday while Ty Jones added 22 in the loss
Saturday's loss ends a five-game in nine-day stretch for the Bucs that saw three come on the road
Jones' 11 field goals made are a new career-high for the junior forward as he also dished out a team-high four assists
The loss also snaps a three-game win streak in the state of North Carolina for the Bucs who had defeated Campbell, High Point and Gardner-Webbb on the road

Up Next

Charleston Southern returns home for a pair of Thursday night games over their last three regular season contests. Campbell comes to town Thursday night, Feb. 20 with the Bucs looking for a sweep of the Camels before welcoming Gardner-Webb a week later. Tipoff between the Camels and Buccaneers is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+ from Buccaneer Field House.