ASHEVILLE, N.C. - In its first competitive action of the 2014-2015 season, the Brevard College men's basketball team was tied with Division I UNC Asheville 10 minutes into the contest and remained within striking distance well into the second half before falling to the Bulldogs 81-58 at Kimmel Arena on Saturday evening.
Brevard, which was led by 13 points from Stevie Williams and 12 from preseason first team all-South Atlantic Conference selection Darius Moose, cut UNC Asheville's lead to six points with just over 13 minutes remaining in the contest after a pair of Williams free throws made the score 47-41. But a Bulldogs' layup and dunk in transition sparked a 20-2 UNC Asheville run over the next four and a half minutes that saw the Bulldogs shoot 8-of-10 from the field and put the game out of reach for the Tornados.
The game began with promise for Brevard, which took its first lead of the game at the 12:24 mark of the first half on a three-pointer near the top of the key by junior center Alex Moe. Another triple by D.J. Bostick moments later gave the Tornados an 18-14 lead in a game that had already seen four tied scores.
But the Bulldogs responded by scoring 18 consecutive points in a spurt that included six made field goals by six different players. Moe's second three-point field goal of the game put an end to the Bulldogs' run, trimming the lead to 32-21 with just over five minutes remaining in the half.
Moe would finish the game tied with freshman forward Brayden Masten as Brevard's third-leading scorer as the duo poured in eight points each. Junior guard Phil Wallace, a transfer from Cape Fear Community College, was impressive in his first action in royal blue and white, dishing out a game-high 10 assists while scoring four points in 29 minutes of action.
The Bulldogs had three scorers reach double figures, led by 18 each from guards Andrew Rowsey and Kevin Vanetta, who totaled 24 minutes off the bench. Vanetta's impressive performance contributed greatly to a 35-19 edge in bench points for the Bulldogs. UNC Asheville also held a 48-22 advantage in the paint and scored 20 second-chance points without allowing Brevard to score on any of its second efforts.
The Tornados will open their season on Friday afternoon as Brevard takes on Clayton State in the Peach Belt-SAC Challenge in Augusta, Georgia. Brevard will then face host GRU Augusta on Saturday. Both Peach Belt schools will also play Anderson in the two-day stretch. Brevard's home opener will come on Tuesday, November 18 against North Georgia at 7:00 p.m.
Featured image courtesy of Tommy Moss.
