Asheville's solid season comes to a close in Big South finals loss to Longwood

 Asheville forward Drew Pember closed his Big South tournament career in Sunday's loss against Longwood. (Photo:  Asheville Athletics)

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HIGH POINT, N.C. – There was an odd peace in the Asheville press room after Sunday’s championship game.

That’s not to suggest coach Mike Morrell and league Player of the Year Drew Pember were happy in a loss – they never are – but they epitomized the culture Morrell has fought to build and of which Pember is such a vital piece.

Asheville fell, 85-59, to fifth-seeded Longwood in the Big South championship game Sunday, ending its hopes for back-to-back tournament titles. Morrell, for all his self-deprecating humor, was wise and reflective in his words, as weas his senior leader.

“We picked a bad day to have a bad day,” Morrell said. “A ton of that is a real credit to Longwood. I thought those guys came out and really imposed their will on us from the word go. They got up big early. We obviously didn’t respond to it well at all – whether it be schematically, which is 100 percent on me, or emotionally, and it just kind of snowballed on us.”

“(The season finished) 22-12 for us this year, which is – my first year, I don’t know that I really would have ever imagined that we’d get there, but to be disappointed, the way we feel right now, having 22 wins, I guess you’ve kind of got to put it in perspective, but it still sucks. Today was a tough day.”

Morrell mentioned that the program loses a lot of players who have served as foundational pieces. Whether they be early Morrell recruits and cornerstones like guard Trent Stephney and forward Doc Battle, transfer standouts such as guards Caleb Burgess and Fletcher Abee, or the multi-time Player of the Year in Pember, the group has been a part of nearly 50 wins over the last two seasons, won a regular-season league title, and played for back-to-back tournament championships.

Those outside the program will remember Pember for his play on the court, the league honors, and his appearance in the NCAA tournament. Pember, for his part, has a different hope for his legacy.

“It’s not about statistics, I’ll tell you that,” Pember said. “The relationship that I have with the community and with my teammates, coaches, teachers, counselors, janitors, and everybody – that’s really the impact that it’s left on my heart. For me, Asheville means a lot, but it’s not everything. It’s not what my identity’s in. My identity is in Christ, and that’s where I’ll stay. That’s where my heart’s at.”

“It’s obviously not fun to lose, especially in this fashion. I hate it for my teammates. I hate it for the fans that drove out. Asheville means a lot to me. It’s my second home and always will be. My legacy – I don’t want it to be about basketball. I want it to be about how I was as a brother, friend, teammate, son, and things like that. My legacy at Asheville, I don’t want it to be about basketball, necessarily.”

Morrell finds lessons in everything – especially in tough times. When asked about what lessons could be carried forward by Sunday’s loss, he wasted little time in expressing those possibilities.

“I really believe you learn a lot more about yourself in defeat than you do in your triumphs. You’ve really got to take a growth approach to that,” Morrell said. “Defeat is something that can defeat you, or it’s something that you can grow from. It’s really hard in these situations, because there’s a finality to this particular segment. Drew, Fletch, CB – those guys, they’re not going to put on an Asheville uniform again.”

“I never had any real ambition to be a college coach. It just kind of happened because I didn’t know what the hell else to do. These guys just mean the world to me. The defeat of this – I’ll find a way to get better from it. I don’t have the answer for that right now. I told the guys in the locker room that coaches are supposed to have all the words. I didn’t have any words. What do you say?”

Morrell then pivoted toward his responsibilities and those of his star player sitting beside him.

“That’s what we asked for. He’s probably the best player that’s ever played at UNC Asheville. We’ve got to sit up here and do this. That’s what you do in times of defeat, and then you grow from it. You don’t get to hide from it. That was the same thing for my first year (with) 27 losses. That was a lot harder than this.”

Asheville shot 38.2 percent (21-for-55) in Sunday’s contest. The Bulldogs made just 22.7 percent (5-for-22) from distance, along with hitting 12-of-14 tries from the line.

Pember was Asheville’s lone double-digit scorer Sunday, turning in 14 points and boarding six misses.

Pember finishes his career as the first back-to-back Player of the Year honoree since Radford’s Art Parakhouski achieved the feat in 2008-09 and 2009-10. High Point’s John Brown won the award in non-consecutive seasons in 2013-14 and 2015-16. No Bulldog had won consecutive Players of the Year since Josh Pittman in 1996-97 and 1997-98. Pember turned in 1,933 career points and 820 rebounds, including a triple-double (30 points, 13 boards, 10 assists) in Saturday’s semifinal against Gardner-Webb.

Asheville finishes the season 22-12. The record gives the Bulldogs back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the three campaigns between 2015-18.