Fab Five: A Big South Recap Week 3
Covering the wacky world of Big South Basketball with Previews of Next Week's action.
One week of especially wacky Big South hoops in the hoops, we had buzzer beaters, Overtimes, and a minature court storming. It’s time to recap it all.
Talking Points:
1. Buzzer Beaters GALORE
In one week of Big South action, you are extremely lucky to get one buzzer beater. This week, we got TWO BUZZER BEATERS, including one on National TV (and the other being featured on SportsCenter).
Shoutout to Nick Johnson and Colby Garland for having ice in their veins, and if you haven’t seen the buzzer beaters. They will be linked down below:
Colby Garland Buzzer Beater Alternate Angle (credit to LongwoodBlue on X/Twitter)
2. UNC Asheville, Top of the Big South
After now 6 games, actually 5 for Asheville thanks to their opening bye game. UNC Asheville has sole possesion of 1st place in the Big South conference, High Point is not far behind only being .5 games back. Then followed by the two Virginia teams Longwood and Radford at 3-2.
3. Home DOMINATION
Another week of Big South games, another week of just home domination. Home teams in the Big South went 8-0 last week moving the season record to 21-3.
Those three road wins being:
High Point at Charleston Southern
Radford at USC Upstate
UNC Asheville at Presbyterian
4. Miniature Court Storming
In one of the most heart warming and funniest moments of the week, we take you to the Gardner Webb vs Radford game and Pulaski County School Night. We will skip to 1:06 left in the game Radford leads 74-71 after Gardner Webb timeout, a young fan stormed the court evading Coach Sweat and Pharrel Boyogueno before Truth Harris finally catches the court stormer and bring him off the court.
Darris Nichols commented on the incident saying, “I just asked the ref, please don’t give me a technical for this.”
This moment made Sports Center, Inside Edition, Good Morning America and many other news outlets.
and even known court storming fan, Jay Bilas made a comment.
5. Big South Players of the Week
On Monday, The Big South Conference announced the Big South Co-Players of the Week and Freshman of the Week the Co-Players of the Week being Jordan Marsh and Taje Kelly and the Freshman of the Week being Iverson King.
Jordan Marsh: 2-0 on the week, 26.5 Points Per Game, 6.5 Assists Per Game, and 5.5 Rebounds Per Game including the game winning free throw vs USC Upstate and a career high 32 points vs Winthrop.
Taje Kelly: 25 Points Per Game and 14 Rebounds Per Game, including 22 points and a tied career high 16 rebounds in the triple OT thriller vs Winthrop and 28 points of Charleston Southern 58 points and 12 rebounds in their home win vs Radford.
Iverson King: Iverson tallied 13 points in his 2nd career start vs High Point, along with 3 rebounds, 3 steals and two blocks.
3 Best Games of Last Week:
3. USC Upstate at UNC Asheville:
The 1st part of the I-26 Rivarly, did not disappoint in the slightest with a game that came down to the wire. Down 8 with 2:31 remaining, it seemed like UNC Asheville would just cruise to another 10-ish point victory but Upstate had other thoughts.
Mister Dean drives down and scores, cutting it to 6. Brit Harris gets a steal and makes a shot cutting it to 4. Breylin Garcia blocks a Jordan Marsh layup and makes a pass to Karmani Gregory cutting the lead to 2.
Then Marsh gets fouled after an Asheville and Upstate miss and makes both, just for a Brit Harris 3 to cut the lead to 1. Then Upstate fouls Abee, he makes one, misses one and Karmani Gregory ties the game with another jumper. Then Marsh gets fouled late, misses the first free throw but makes the second and Asheville would hold on as Upstate took the ball out of bounds before a shot went off.
Asheville 93-92 win.
2. High Point at Longwood
In a rematch of last year’s thriller in Farmville, this game was just as good and ended with shades of last years game too.
The game really started to almost get out of hand in the 2nd half with Longwood getting out in front by 7 after a tech against High Point on Coach Alan Huss, followed by two made basketball one for each team then an in my eyes, questionable double tech on Kimani Hamilton and Jaylen Benard, then a few minutes Benard took a three to extend Longwood’s lead to 10.
But in High Point fashion they stormed back tying the game at 57 with 10:14 remainging and keeping it close until around 2:19 when Longwood pulled out to a 75-69 lead before again High Point stormed back to tie it at 80 with 11 seconds left.
Then channeling his best Walyn Napper impression, Colby Garland calls game hitting a shot making the game 82-80. High Point would have one last shot but it would not go in and Longwood would hold on to win 82-80 on ESPNU.
1. Charleston Southern vs Winthrop
In what many likely expect to be a Winthrop blowout, or at least a pretty stress free Winthrop win but it was not that in the slightest as this game is currently the #2 most exciting game of the year on KenPom and #1 in Tension.
We will pick up the action with 46 seconds left in the 2nd half, Charleston Southern leads 71-68 before a Bryce Baker three ties the game then two misses one from CSU and one from Winthrop sends up to Overtime #1.
Overtime #1 started with Reis Jones fouling out and Winthrop taking a lead, just for CSU to make two big shots putting them up 3 early. Then two Winthrop 3’s interupted by one CSU made free throw gave Winthrop a 2 point lead before with 27 seconds left, Winthrop has a 2 point lead before RJ Johnson ties it with 6 seconds left and we head to Overtime #2.
Overtime #2 started with RJ Johnson making a 3 and CSU would hold onto the lead until 2:35 when Winthrop took the lead and then quickly relinquished it and CSU took a 3 point lead after a Daylen Berry layup with 1:22 remaining. Then Kasen Harrison makes a layup before a series of misses before RJ Johnson made what seemed to hit a DAGGER putting CSU up 3 with 8 seconds left before Nick Johnson hit a 3 to send us to Overtime #3.
Overtime #3 was less exciting as CSU’s bench was depleted and Winthrop would win the game 102-97.
Other Recaps:
Wednesday Jan 15th:
Radford 79 - Gardner Webb 75
Saturday Jan 18th:
Charleston Southern 58 - Radford 54
UNC Asheville 93 - Winthrop 84
Gardner Webb 97 - USC Upstate 68
High Point 77 - Presbyterian 66
3 Biggest Games of Week 4:
3. Charleston Southern at Presbyterian
In fighting they say styles make fights, I think that standard can be applied to college basketball, and if you apply that to college basketball this would be an amazing bout.
Two of the best guards in the conference and two of the best big men facing off. Kory Mincy and RJ Johnson and Kaleb Scott and Taje Kelly. Now I think CSU has the two better stars, but I think Presbyterian has more depth which should make this game closer. This game depends on if Patrick plays, is Patrick plays I lean CSU. If he is gone, I lean Presbyterian.
Prediction: Charleston Southern 67 - Presbyterian 70
2. Winthrop at High Point
Probably one of the biggest barn burners of the week in all of college basketball, High Point and Winthrop, two of the most high powered offense in the Big South squaring off.
The matchup to watch will be the two headed monster of Talford and Doucet vs Bodo Bodo, Hamilton and Hildebrandt. Expect a lot of free throws as Winthrop is #1 in the country getting to the line and High Point not far behind in 29th.
Prediction: Winthrop 82 - High Point 91
1. Longwood at Radford
The game I’m most interested in seeing is an in state battle between Longwood and Radford. Last years game at Longwood got chippy, and Radford won the other game 88-82.
Very good matchup between two undersized bigs with Radford’s Josiah Harris and Longwood’s Elijah Tucker, along with two stars with Jarvis Moss and Michael Christmas facing off sets up an amazing matchup which both teams REALLY NEED to win.
Prediction: Longwood 75 - Radford 77