CLINTON, S.C. (Interstat) — The UNC Asheville women’s basketball team built a substantial early lead and withstood a late push to secure a 64-53 victory over Presbyterian on Saturday at the Templeton Center in a Big South Conference game.

The Bulldogs, who improved to 7-12 overall, led by as many as 19 points in the second half before the Blue Hose mounted a fourth-quarter rally that cut the deficit to single digits. Presbyterian, which fell to 2-16, outscored UNC Asheville 18-9 in the final period but could not overcome its offensive struggles from earlier in the contest.

The most important part of the game was UNC Asheville’s dominant first-half performance, which established a cushion the Blue Hose could never fully erase. The Bulldogs opened the game with a 19-14 first quarter and extended their lead to 35-25 by halftime. They shot more efficiently from the field and capitalized on Presbyterian’s turnovers, converting them into transition opportunities.

Presbyterian’s offense, which entered the game averaging just over 50 points per game, was stifled for three quarters. The Blue Hose shot just 35.4% from the field for the game and 23.5% from three-point range. Their 20 turnovers also hindered any sustained momentum until the final period.

Ja’Cia Cunningham led all scorers with 20 points for Presbyterian, adding a steal and a block in 25 minutes. Krystal Haddock contributed 15 points, two assists and two steals in a game-high 39 minutes of action. Allie Sykes added nine points, all from beyond the arc.

UNC Asheville’s attack was more balanced. Nia Green filled the stat sheet with 15 points, four assists and four steals. Journee McDaniel and Kristen McMillan each added 12 points, while D’Yanna Maxey finished with 10 points and a game-high four steals. The Bulldogs’ defense was active throughout, tallying 13 total steals.

Despite committing 21 turnovers of their own, the Bulldogs controlled the glass with a 16-11 advantage in offensive rebounds, leading to 15 second-chance points. They also found more success at the free-throw line, making 23 of 33 attempts compared to Presbyterian’s 15 of 25.

The Blue Hose made their strongest push in the fourth quarter, opening the period on a 12-4 run to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 55-47 with just over five minutes remaining. Cunningham and Haddock fueled the surge with aggressive drives and timely free throws. However, UNC Asheville responded with key defensive stops and clutch free throws from Green and Deb Orianegbena down the stretch to seal the win.

Presbyterian’s late effort was not enough to overcome its slow start, as the team’s offensive rating of 77.0 on 69 possessions underscored a afternoon of inefficient scoring. UNC Asheville, with an offensive rating of 97.4, did just enough offensively to complement its disruptive defense.

The game was a departure from the preseason statistical projections, which had favored Presbyterian with a 61.2% probability to win based on Interstat’s ELO system.

UNC Asheville will look to build on the conference win when it hosts South Carolina Upstate on Wednesday. Presbyterian, still seeking its first Big South victory, continues a challenging stretch with a non-conference game against Iowa State later Saturday before resuming league play at Gardner-Webb on Wednesday.