Pember's board, Banks' three help propel Asheville past Winthrop in nationally-televised game

 

Asheville forward Drew Pember tallied a double-double with 29 points and 13 boards in Thursday's win over Winthrop. (Photo:  Asheville Athletics)

ROCK HILL, S.C. – With all the accolades Drew Pember has earned in his time in Asheville, it’s fair to wonder if anything he does still surprises Mike Morrell.

“It does,” Morrell matter-of-factly said after Thursday’s game at Winthrop. “I think he’s doing a great job of playing lower and getting closer to the basket this year than in years previous. I thought that was one of the better games he’s played in his career. He’s obviously had better numbers, but I thought that was one of the better games he’s played.”

Pember scored 29 points and boarded 13 misses – his fifth double-double of the 2023-24 campaign – but one rebound loomed larger than any other. After Asheville pulled even at 70 with about three minutes remaining, the Bulldogs missed two free throws. Pember leapt, snared the second miss, then found Josh Banks behind the three-point line. Pember’s pass found Banks, then Banks hit a three that gave Asheville a lead it would never relinquish.

The Bulldogs led Winthrop for 4:44 – most importantly, the final 2:54 – and placed four scorers in double figures while surging past the Eagles late, 82-77, before an announced crowd of 2,831 in Winthrop Coliseum for a nationally-televised contest.

Winthrop (13-7, 4-1 Big South) started the game with a 10-5 lead behind threes from Nick Johnson and K.J. Doucet, before an 8-2 burst by the visitors put the Bulldogs ahead for the only time in the first half at 13-12. Asheville (12-8, 4-1) seized that advantage on two Pember free throws at the 14:13 mark. Johnson then splashed back-to-back triples to flip the one-point deficit into a five-point advantage.

Asheville cut the margin to just a pair on a Caleb Burgess three, but the Eagles countered with an 8-0 burst that ran the Winthrop difference back to 37-27 with 4:34 to play in the first half. Pember scored the final six points of the half for the Bulldogs, but Asheville could still claw Winthrop’s interval lead no smaller than seven points.

“I thought we were fortunate to be down seven going into halftime,” Morrell said. “Two segments in the first half, I thought, kept us from going in down double digits. They got it to 10, we called time out, and Trent hit a big three. Then, we got a stop, we scored, and we got a stop to end the half. There’s just a little bit different feeling when it’s seven, rather than 10.”

“I didn’t think we played terribly in the first half. Give Winthrop a lot of credit. I thought they made some really good shots.”

Kelton Talford countered a Pember layup with a bucket of his own to start the second half, holding the Winthrop advantage at seven. The Bulldogs would then unfurl an 11-4 burst over the next five-and-a-half minutes, capped by a square-up jumper from Fletcher Abee that leveled the proceedings at 49.

“I thought Fletch – he’s not felt great, so what he gave us tonight was huge,” Morrell said of Abee.

A tug-of-war then broke out over the next 11 minutes, with neither side able to gain separation past two possessions. Winthrop established a 64-59 lead with 8:10 to play, courtesy of a 5-0 spurt after a Banks three again squared the game at 59. The Eagles could not further capitalize, though, stalling out the margin there before back-to-back threes from Trent Stephney – sandwiched by another Johnson bucket for Winthrop – shaved the margin to one with 7:03 to play.

Banks would convert a layup to put Asheville ahead by one, before a trade of baskets knotted the game at 70. Pember would find Banks for the game-winner off an unfruitful trip to the line.

“(The keys were) threefold,” Morrell said. “Fletcher’s just coming back off of not feeling great. He did have that little stretch in the first of the second half that I thought really helped us. Trent hit those two threes, and then Josh Banks hit probably the biggest shot of the game off Drew getting an offensive rebound.”

“I’m really happy for (Stephney) because he’s having success. The biggest reason is that he’s just playing, man. It’s back to, really, his freshman year, when he helped us so much. He’s a menace on defense, as we all know.”

The Bulldog win was the latest chapter in a storied regional rivalry between the sides that has gained a lot of traction over a span of quality coaches for both teams.

“I don’t know how many rivalries there are in the Big South, but this is by far the best,” Morrell said. “I think it’s because the two programs have won way before (Winthrop coach) Mark (Prosser) got to our respective places. I know he feels the same way. Every time we come down here, it’s just a war. It’s a great win for us. It’s a great win for our program, because we respect them so much.”

Pember led Asheville and all scorers with 29. Banks added 14, with Burgess booking 12 and Abee 10. Asheville shot 53.1 percent (26-for-49) for the game, hitting at a blistering 65.2 percent (15-for-23) clip in the second 20. The Bulldogs shot 43.5 percent (10-for-23) from three, with 50 percent (4-for-8) of their second-half looks falling.

Talford’s 21 paced Winthrop, as he turned in a double-double with 10 caroms accompanying his scoring output. Johnson added 20 to finish as the only other Eagle in double figures. Winthrop shot 47.1 percent (24-of-51) on the night but was hampered by an icy 30.8 percent (8-for-26) effort in the second stanza. Winthrop also finished 19-for-27 (70.4 percent) from the line, but closed by connecting on just four of its last 12 attempts from the stripe.

“(Winthrop’s) 30.8 is more important, no question,” Morrell said. “The 30.8 leads to the 65.2. We weren’t as fast in transition tonight as we usually are because of some things they were doing. It allows us to get out there and it allows the court to kind of open up a little bit when you get stops.”

Winthrop resumes play Saturday, venturing to Boiling Springs, N.C., to take on fellow regional rival Gardner-Webb. Tip time inside Paul Porter Arena is set for 1:00 (Eastern), with streaming coverage planned for ESPN+. Asheville is off Saturday before resuming play on their home deck at Kimmel Arena with a Wednesday night tilt against Radford. That game is scheduled for a 6:30 tip, with streaming also set for ESPN+.

ASHEVILLE 82, WINTHROP 77

ASHEVILLE (12-8, 4-1 BIG SOUTH)

Pember 8-14 12-12 29, McMullen 1-4 1-2 3, Burgess 5-6 0-4 12, Banks 4-7 4-5 14, Abee 4-13 0-0 10, Gantt 0-0 0-2 0, Solomon 1-1 1-2 3, Stephney 3-3 2-2 11, Battle 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-49 20-29 82.

WINTHROP (13-7, 4-1)

Talford 8-13 5-9 21, Doucet 3-13 0-0 9, Claxton 2-2 1-2 7, Johnson 6-10 5-8 20, Harrison 1-7 2-2 4, McMahon 2-3 2-2 7, Anumba 2-2 0-0 5, Timmerman 0-1 2-2 2, Diallo 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 24-51 19-27 77.

Halftime:  Winthrop 43-36. 3-Point goals:  Winthrop 10-22 (Doucet 3-10, Claxton 2-2, Johnson 3-4, Harrison 0-3, McMahon 1-2, Anumba 1-1), Asheville 10-23 (Pember 1-5, Burgess 2-2, Banks 2-3, Abee 2-10, Stephney 3-3). Fouled out:  Gantt (AVL), Doucet (WU), Claxton (WU), Anumba (WU). Rebounds:  Asheville 30 (Pember 13), Winthrop 29 (Talford 10). Assists: Asheville 15 (Pember 4), Winthrop 12 (Johnson 4). Total fouls:  Asheville 23, Winthrop 22. Technicals:  NA.

Points off turnovers:  Asheville 15, Winthrop 15.  Points in the paint:  Asheville 28, Winthrop 26.  Second-chance points:  Asheville 7, Winthrop 4.  Fast-break points:  Asheville 16, Winthrop 8.  Bench points:  Winthrop 16, Asheville 14.