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Bryan Smithson scored 21 points to lead UNC Asheville Saturday night to an 86-73 win at Charleston Southern. Photo courtesy of UNCA

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Bryan Smithson scored 21 points as UNC Asheville remained perfect in the Big South Conference when the Bulldogs downed Charleston Southern, 86-73 before a sell-out crowd of 1,128 at the CSU Fieldhouse last Saturday night.

 The victory propelled Asheville to a 16-4 overall record and stayed unbeaten in league play at 5-0. The Bulldogs are 5-0 in league play for the first time since the 2001-02 season. The Buccaneers fell to a 7-13 overall and 1-4 in league play.

 Kenny George had another solid game for Asheville as he had 17 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. K.J. Garland finished with 14 points and eight assists. He also pulled down six rebounds. Vincent James had the first double-double of his career with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

 The Bulldogs built a 20-point lead midway through the second half at 62-42 only to see Charleston Southern rally to close to 72-69 with 5:22 left. Asheville led 76-71 with four minutes left before the Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run to seal the game thanks to the play of their senior guards. Smithson began the run with a 10-foot jumper in the lane. Garland scored on a lay-up to push the lead ot 80-71.

After CSU missed on the offensive end, the Bulldogs ran the shot clock down to one second before Smithson sank a long three-pointer to give Asheville an 83-71 lead.

 “We let Charleston Southern back in the game but in the end we made plays when we absolutely had to have them,” UNCA coach Eddie Biedenbach said after the game. “I’m proud of our guys for coming in here in a tough environment and finding a way to win. We played pretty well for the most part and did a great job getting a 20-point lead.”

Charleston Southern was led by Jamarco Warren with 16 points, while Quinton Goods and Shelton Carter finished with 10 points each.

 The Buccaneers hit four treys early in the game and built a 26-20 lead midway through the opening half. Asheville responded with a 21-3 run to race to a 41-29 lead. George helped spark the run with all 10 of his first-half points. Smithson and Garland had treys during the run. Asheville settled for a 47-37 halftime lead.

 The Bulldogs came out of the game strong in the second half as they went on a 13-1 run to get the lead to 62-42 on a James lay-up with 11 minutes left.

UNCA finished the game shooting 54 percent (34-of-63) from the field. It was the 14th time this season the Bulldogs have shot at or better than 50 percent in a game this season. Asheville controlled the boards, 42-26 and outscored the home team, 54-26 in the paint.

 “We had tremendous balance tonight in our scoring,” Biedenbach said. “Everyone who played made a contribution. That’s what we’re going to have when you play a tough game on the road. This is a great victory for us on the road. Charleston Southern is a well-coached team that will win a lot of games this year.”