Gardner-Webb beats Big South champ UNC Asheville 72-61

Feb 25, 2018, 12:21 am

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- Liam O'Reilly made four 3-pointers and scored 24 points and Gardner-Webb defeated Big South champion UNC Asheville 72-61 on Saturday in a regular-season finale.

UNC Asheville (20-11, 13-5) clinched the outright title earlier in the day when Winthrop lost to Charleston Southern.

David Efianayi added three treys and 19 points and DJ Laster had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Gardner-Webb (14-17, 9-9), which finished in a four-way tie for fifth place and will be the No. 6 tournament seed.

Alec Wnuk scored 15 points and Raekwon Miller and Macio Teague 11 each for UNC Asheville.

Gardner-Webb took a 43-36 halftime lead with O'Reilly and Efianayi combining for six of the team's eight 3-pointers on 16 attempts in the half.

UNC Asheville got within one with 9:47 remaining in the game and was down three with four minutes left but didn't score again as Gardner-Webb scored the final eight points.