UNC-Asheville tops W Carolina 59-57 in Mountain Rivalry

Dec 17, 2016, 07:00 pm

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Ahmad Thomas scored 20 points, MaCio Teague had 10 and the game-winning free throws, and UNC-Asheville held off Western Carolina 59-57 to win its fifth straight game on Saturday in the 50th edition of the Mountain Rivalry.

Trailing 24-22 at halftime, Western Carolina's Elijah Pughsley hit a jumper and two free throws to put the Catamounts up 54-53 with 3:50 left. Thomas' layup put the Bulldogs on top 56-54 and Teague's two free throws made it 58-56 with 51 seconds to go.

Pughsley made one of two free throws to pull the Catamounts to 58-57, and then Alec Wunk's free throw sealed it for the Bulldogs. Western Carolina's Deriece Parks missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Will Weeks scored 13 points and Wunk finished with 11 for the Bulldogs (8-3), who made 20 of 35 free throws to the Catamounts' 11 of 12.

Parks scored career highs with 19 points and four 3-pointers for Western Carolina (3-7).