ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Cannon Lamb led the way for the Tornados with 14 points, six rebounds, and two assists as the Brevard College men's basketball team traveled just up the road for an exhibition test against NCAA DI UNC-Asheville (2-2) on Saturday, November 16 at Kimmel Arena.
The matchup counted towards regular season play for the host Bulldogs and as an exhibition for the visiting Tornados.
Demari Hopper added seven points and four rebounds for Brevard, while Messiah Pankey contributed six points off the bench. Hayden Cassell was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, while Joshua Wilson (seven rebounds) and Mike Williams (six rebounds) helped lead Brevard's rebounding efforts.
UNCA was paced by Tajion Jones, who was one of two Bulldogs in double figures with 16 points. UNCA's Jamon Battle added 13 points off the bench for the hosts.
The host Bulldogs jumped out to a big halftime lead, 44-18, before the Tornados adjusted and played much improved in the second half. Brevard kept pace with UNCA, as the Bulldogs narrowly edged the Tornados, 35-31 in second-half scoring that helped Brevard keep the contest manageable.
UNCA's big advantages on the evening came from assists and turnovers. The Bulldogs forced a grand total of 31 turnovers in the game, which UNCA turned into 32 total points-off-turnovers. The Bulldogs also assisted on a total of 18 buckets, compared to Brevard's four assists on the evening.
Brevard was able to attempt 38 free throws in the game, as the Tornados drew a total of 30 fouls over the course of the game's 40 minutes.
The Bulldogs outscored the Tornados, 52-16 in the paint, and led from wire-to-wire in the Saturday night showdown between the two Western North Carolina schools.
UNCA jumped quickly to a big 23-3 scoring run over the contest's first 11 minutes of action and kept applying the pressure to Brevard en route to a 44-18 halftime lead. After the Bulldogs took their largest lead of the game in the second half, 62-27, with 11:17 left in the contest, Head Coach Lee Burgess' squad ran with the Bulldogs through the game's remaining 11-plus minutes, trading buckets with their NCAA DI counterparts before the Bulldogs claimed the victory, 79-49.
Brevard will return to action when the Tornados host Bob Jones University on Tuesday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Boshamer Gymnasium. The contest will be part of a doubleheader, with Brevard's women's team set to tip-off at 5:30 p.m. prior to the start of the men's game. The doubleheader marks the first games of Brevard College Athletics' Toy Drive and will serve as BC basketball's Faculty & Staff Appreciation games.
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