UNC ASHEVILLE 84, LIBERTY 56
UNC Asheville freshman guard J.P. Primm scored a career-high 21 points, dished out seven assists and pulled down seven rebounds to lead UNC Asheville to a resounding 84-56 Big South Conference win over visiting Liberty Tuesday afternoon at Justice Center.  The game was broadcast nationally by ESPN as part of its 24 Hours of Hoops.  The Bulldogs scored the first seven points of the game and remained unbeaten at 3-0 and 1-0 in the League.  The Flames dropped to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the Big South.

Primm had plenty of help on the day.  Sean Smith scored 17 points and was 5-of-6 from three-point line.  Reid Augst scored 13 points, while John Williams and Quinard Jackson finished with 10 points each.  The Bulldogs went 9-of-17 from beyond the arc for 53 percent.  Liberty was led by freshman guard Seth Curry with 18 points.  Anthony Smith added 13 points.  The Flames could never get untracked on offense as they shot 31 percent from the field (19-of-60) and 21 percent from beyond (6-of-28) the arc.  Primm was 6-of-11 from the field and 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.

The Bulldogs led 15-10 midway through the first half before going on a 9-0 run to race to a 24-10 lead.  Asheville led in double figures for the rest of the game.  Smith scored eight straight points to build the lead to 39-19 at the 4:50 mark.  The Bulldogs led 49-30 at halftime.  Curry scored six points early in the second half to bring Liberty to within 56-38 before the Bulldogs scored the next eight points to pad the lead to 64-38.  A three-pointer from Augst and a trey from Primm finished the run.  Asheville built the lead to as many as 31 points before settling for the 28-point win.  The victory was the biggest Big South win for the Bulldogs since a 27-point win over Coastal Carolina (94-67) in the 1998-99 season.  It was also the 198th career victory for Asheville head coach Eddie Biedenbach.

The Bulldogs controlled the boards with a 49-31 advantage.  Williams led the rebounding effort with eight rebounds.  UNC Asheville plays next at Campbell Saturday afternoon at 3:15 p.m.  Liberty plays at Virginia next Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

RADFORD 86, BRIDGEWATER 46
Radford opened each half with lengthy runs and Artsiom Parakhouski (Minsk, Belarus) scored 17 of his game-high 19 points in the first period to lead the Highlanders to an 86-46 victory over Bridgewater in men’s basketball action Tuesday evening at Peters Hall.  Parakhouski, a 6-11 transfer from the College of Southern Idaho, made six of his nine attempts from the floor and connected on 7-of-8 from the charity stripe to lead three Highlanders in double figures.  Kenny Thomas (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) and Joey Lynch-Flohr (Fairfax, Va./Fairfax) also contributed double-digits for the second time in as many contests with 14 and 12, respectively.  As a team, Radford shot 48.3 percent from the field, including a 51.5 percent clip in the second half, while holding the Eagles to just 25.9 percent overall.

Radford raced out to a 19-4 advantage, thanks to the strong frontcourt play of Lynch-Flohr (10) and Parakhouski (7), who combined to score 17 points during the streak.  The Highlanders continued to inch away as they carried a 45-24 lead into the locker room.  To go along with the 15 turnovers it forced in the first 20 minutes of action, Radford knocked down 22-of-26 (84.6 percent) from the line.  The Highlanders began the second half on a 14-0 run, capped off by a Martell McDuffy (Laurel, Md/DeMatha) one-handed jam to go up 59-24 with just over 15 minutes to play.  Radford stretched its lead to as many as 42, 86-44, on a Jamar Jenkins’ (Chapel Hill, Tenn./Forrest) putback with 1:36 left.  Radford outscore Bridgewater 42-10 in the paint and turned 31 Eagle miscues into 38 points.  The Highlanders also recorded 16 steals and eight blocks.  Dominic Maloney led the Eagles with 11 points and seven rebounds, while D.J. Billups added 10.  The 40-point win is the Highlanders’ largest margin of victory since defeating Concord 108-64 on Nov. 17, 1998.

Radford returns to action Friday evening in a 7 p.m. contest at Virginia.

VMI 118, MARYLAND BIBLE COLLEGE 72
Senior forward Travis Holmes hit 7 of 10 shots from the floor and nailed all eight free throw attempts for 23 points to lead VMI past Maryland Bible, 118-72 in the home opener for the Keydets Tuesday night at Cameron Hall.  VMI placed five in double figures scoring including sophomore guard Austin Kenon (15), freshman forward Michael Sparks (12), sophomore forward Quinn Brownfield (11) and senior guard Chavis Holmes (11).  The Keydets (2-1) forced 37 turnovers which led to 57 points.  Twelve of the 13 players who suited up and saw action scored including 54 points coming off the bench.  VMI shot 57.7% for the game including 61% in the second half.  The Keydets continued their sharp free throw shooting – hitting 24 of 27 from the line Tuesday night which put them 38 of 41 over the past two games.

Maryland Bible fell to 1-4 and was led by junior guard Terry Hosley who scored 20 points before fouling out with 4:00 remaining.  VMI trailed just once in the contest, a 20-second span during the game’s first two minutes when Aerion Slocum hit a jumper at the 18:35 mark of the first half to put the Eagles up 4-2.  Chavis Holmes hit two free throws to push VMI ahead for good at 5-4, but the Eagles hung close trailing 19-16 with 13:00 left when Hosley converted a layup.  VMI responded with a 12-0 run over the 2:43 to push the lead into double digits for the remainder of the night.  VMI led 63-29 at the break.  The Keydets led by as many as 50 points in the second half (90-40) when freshman forward Ron Burks canned a 3-pointer at the 11:53 mark.

The Keydets shot 12 of 32 beyond the arc and outrebounded the Eagles 39-32.  VMI also generated 25 steals and was led by Chavis Holmes who had eight – one off his career high.  Sparks dished out a team-leading five assists while Kenon had four.

VMI returns to action Thursday night at Cameron Hall to face Stevenson College at 7:00 p.m.

LONGWOOD 85, GARDNER-WEBB 84
Ryan Bogan hit the front end of a one-and-one with 5.8 seconds left Tuesday night to help Longwood stun visiting Gardner-Webb, 85-84. Bogan’s second shot missed, and Gardner-Webb corralled the rebound, but Aaron Linn’s attempt at a cross court pass was intercepted and the Lancers (2-1) escaped with the win.  The loss was a devastating one for the Runnin’ Bulldogs (0-2), who face road trips to 12th-ranked Oklahoma and a solid South Carolina squad next.  Poor defense and cold shooting doomed the ‘Dogs in the opening half, as a lackluster Longwood squad built an improbable 48-32 lead at
intermission – going on a 24-8 run in the final six minutes of the opening half.

Longwood shot 58.3 percent in the first half, slashing to the baselines for several easy layups to take control of the game.  Gardner-Webb hit just nine field goals in the first 20 minutes.  The Runnin’ Bulldogs went on a 17-6 run to pull within five points quickly in the second half, and cut the lead as close as one point several times over the course of the half – but could not string enough defensive stops together to go in front.  After an Aaron Linn layup cut the Lancers’ lead to just one point,
72-71, with 4:24 to go, Gardner-Webb allowed a five-point spurt that gave Longwood a 77-71 lead on Kevin Swicker’s trey with 3:36 left.  Three free throws by Grayson Flittner, a follow shot by Lu Dovonou and a trey from long distance by Flittner worked the Lancers’ lead back to just two points, 84-82, with 39 seconds left – and GWU caught a break moments later.

Martiz Washington missed the front end of a one-and-one at the charity stripe with 36 ticks left, and – after several tense moments, Linn drained a 12-foot turnaround to tie the score with 9.3 seconds left.  Longwood got the ball to Bogan on the inbounds, and the senior dashed frontcourt quickly – dribbling left to draw a foul on Flittner with 5.8 seconds remaining.  His first shot banged in, but the second missed high off the rim – leading to the last-second dash that left GWU behind at the final horn.  Gardner-Webb played Tuesday night without three of its top seven players and two starters – Auryn MacMillan (starter), Nate Blank (starter) and C.J. Hailey – who missed the game with minor injuries.  That hit the team’s depth hard, and saw Longwood hold a strong 32-0 edge in bench scoring.

Gardner-Webb recovered to shoot 50.0 percent for the game, hitting 19-of-30 shots in the final stanza. Anton Sliver led the way with a career-high 21 points, Linn added 20 points, Flittner scored 18 and Joshua Henley poured in 16 points and eight rebounds.  Dovonou netted nine points and four rebounds in his first career start.  Forward Dana Smith scored 14 of his team-high 18 points in the first half to pace Longwood.  The Lancers shot 57.4 percent for the game, getting several easy looks to pad their shooting stats.

SAVANNAH STATE 66, COASTAL CAROLINA 65
A Chris Linton free throw with three seconds remaining gave Savannah State (3-0) a 66-65 victory over the Coastal Carolina University men’s basketball team (0-2) Nov. 18 in Savannah, Ga.  Coastal Carolina, who led by as much as seven points in the second half, were up 63-58 after a free throw by senior Mario Sisinni (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips) at 1:41, but Jovonni Shuler hit a three pointer at 1:25, cutting the Chant lead to two.  Coastal Carolina would milk the 35 second shot clock, but Coastal Carolina turned the ball over to the Tigers.  Sisinni would foul Raye Bailey and he would hit both free throws to tie the game at 63.  The Chants came down on their next possession and sophomore Anthony Breeze (Greenville, S.C./Greenville) would muscle in a layup for a 65-63 lead.  Bailey would miss a jumper on SSU’s next trip down the floor, but Linton would grab the rebound and stick back the layup to tie the game for the eighth time, this time at 65.  Coastal Carolina would have trouble on the inbound and Linton would made the steal and get fouled by redshirt junior Logan Johnson (Knoxville, Tenn./South Doyle).  Linton missed the first attempt, but made the second for a one-point Tiger lead.  Junior Mario Edwards (Massillon, Ohio/Chipola J.C.) three-point attempt at the buzzer rattled out, giving the Tigers its third consecutive win to start the season.
 
Sisinni wouild start the game by hitting three free throws, but Bailey came back to tie the game at 3-3 with 18:14 left in the first half.  Savannah State led 14-11 at 12:38 on a layup from Anthony Jones, but a jumper by Johnson and five points from freshman Dexter Moore (Bluefield, W. Va./Hargrave Military) gave the Chants an 18-14 lead with 10:36 left.  Savannah State would make a 13-4 run over the next 3:36 gave the Tigers a 27-21 lead.  Senior Steven Sexton (Monticello, Ky./Wayne County) hit a three to cut the lead to 29-26 at 4:34 and freshman Darius Steger’s (Guntersville, Ala./Guntersville) triple at 3:56 tied the game at 29.  Redshirt junior Joseph Harris (Lejuene, N.C./Lejeune) scored the Chants’ last six points of the half, including a layup as time expired to give Coastal Carolina a 38-37 halftime lead.
 
Harris had eight points and six rebounds in the first half, while Moore added seven points.  Coastal Carolina shot 45.2 percent in the first 20 minutes, including going 4-of-9 from three-point range.  Savannah State was led by Rashad Hassan’s nine points.  The Chanticleers would come out of the lockerroom on a 7-1 run, capped off by a thunderous dunk from Breeze at 16:26.  After a jumper by Patrick Hardy cut the Chant lead to 46-45 at 13:04, Coastal Carolina would score the next six points, garnering its largest lead of the game at 11:01 on a three-point play from Harris.  Shuler’s three at 8:47 cut the lead to 52-50, but two free throws from redshirt freshman Jon Pack (Dallas, Ga./East Paulding) and another three-point play from Harris extended the lead to five with 8:11 left.  Savannah State would again cut the lead to one on a Bailey three, but a Harris layup and another Breeze dunk gave the Chants the 61-56 lead with 3:05 left.  Breeze made 1-of-2 free throws at 2:14 for a six-point lead, but Linton would start his run with a layup at 1:58. Linton scored five of the last eight points for the Tigers.
 
Harris earned his 12th career double-double after scoring 16 points and adding 14 rebounds, two off his career high.  He also added four blocked shots, which tied a career high.  Moore was the other Chant in double figures, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and two three-pointers.  Sisinni led the Chanticleers with five assists and two steals.  Linton had a double-double for Savannah State with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  Bailey was the Tigers’ leading scorer with 14 points, while Shuler added 12.  Coastal Carolina ended the game shooting 49 percent from the field, but just 54.5 percent from the free-throw line.  Coastal Carolina also had 22 turnovers and were outrebounded 35-33.  Savannah State shot 37 percent from the field and were 20-of-27 from the charity stripe.
 
Coastal Carolina starts the Global Sports Classic Saturday, Nov. 22 at Florida State. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

AKRON 72, WINTHROP 58
Akron gained control in the final four minutes of the first half and went on to defeat Winthrop 72-58 Tuesday night in a non-conference game.  With the victory, Akron has now won 50 of its last 55 home contests in Rhodes Arena.  The Zips improve to 2-0 while Winthrop falls to 1-2, in the second of four straight road games.  One of the telling stats in the game was in the turnover column where Winthrop committed 17 that led to 21 Akron points.  The Zips took care of the ball on their offensive end by committing only seven miscues.  Akron's Chris McKnight scored the final six points of the first half to give the Zips a 32-24 cushion at intermission.  The Eagles could get no closer in the second half as Akron led by as many as 14 at 58-44 before Winthrop made a bit of a run to cut the margin to eight at 62-54.  With Akron leading 58-44, the Zips scored 12 of their final 14 points from the free throw line as Winthrop was forced to foul down the stretch. 

Sophomore guard Justin Burton scored a career-high with 15 points, including 10 in the second half while Cameron Stanley scored 17 on five of six shooting from behind the 3-point arc.  The only other Eagle to reach double figures was sophomore guard Byron Faison, who finished with 11.

Akron jumped out to a 32-24 halftime lead after getting the ball inside to Chris McKnight in the final four minutes of the period.  He scored the final six points of the half, including a dunk just before the buzzer sounded.  He scored nine points in the opening half.  The Zips got off 12 more shots in the first half and connected on 14, including four from beyond the arc.  Winthrop, on the other hand, was just 8 of 19 in the first half, including five treys.  The Eagles only two buckets in the paint came on a tip-in by Stanley and a driving bank shot by Faison.  After getting off to another slow start offensively, the Eagles finally began to find the range from 3-point distance in the first half.  Burton connected on a 3-pointer followed by another one from Stanley that put the Eagles up 6-5. 

Winthrop will be back in action Friday night when it travels up I-77 to face No. 21 Davidson for a 7 p.m. tip-off.