ASHEVILLE, N.C. --- Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) scored a career-high 18 points and Tyrell Nelson (Charlotte, N.C.) turned in his third straight double-double on Saturday afternoon, as UNC Asheville strung together a 22-9 run midway through the second half to erase a 13-point deficit en route to a 75-69 come-from-behind Big South Conference victory over Gardner-Webb.

UNC Asheville (13-6, 6-1 Big South) moves into sole possession of first place in the Big South standings, while Gardner-Webb (10-9, 5-2 Big South) falls into third place.

Asheville shot 59.1 percent from the floor in the second half to recover from a 20 percent clip in the opening 20 minutes; the Bulldogs held Gardner-Webb to a field goal percentage of 35.8 percent on the night, including a 5-for-22 (22.7 percent) effort from three-point range.

The Bulldogs edged the Runnin' Bulldogs on the glass, 50-48, and converted 19 offensive boards into 20 second-chance points. Asheville connected on 32-of-43 attempts at the free throw line compared to a 16-for-27 night for Gardner-Webb.

Rideau led the way for Gardner-Webb with 18 points and five steals, connecting on 6-of-11 from the floor and 5-of-10 at the free throw line to establish a new career-high in scoring. Nelson added 18 points and 11 rebounds to account for his third straight double-double and eighth of the season. Dylan Poston (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) chipped in 11 points with a 4-for-9 evening from the field.

Ahmad Thomas paced the Bulldogs with a double-double, recording game-highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds while converting 12-of-15 at the free throw line. Sam Hughes added 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Kevin Vannatta and Dylan Smith chipped in 14 and 11 points, respectively. Vannatta dished out a game-high five assists.

The Runnin' Bulldogs got off to a strong start in the first half, scoring 10 of the game's first 16 points to open a 10-6 advantage on a bucket by Nelson. Asheville quickly countered with an 8-0 run, claiming a 14-10 lead with a fast break slam from Hughes at the 12:04 mark.

Gardner-Webb answered right back with a 15-2 surge, retaking the lead on a Rideau trey before the freshman capped the spurt with a silky smooth lay-in to put GWU up 25-16 with 6:30 left in the half. The Bulldogs would fight back with four of the next six points, trimming the margin to 27-20 before Gardner-Webb closed out the half with a 5-3 spurt to take a 32-23 advantage into the intermission.

Nelson and the Runnin' Bulldogs carried the momentum into the early moments of the second half, opening their largest lead of the game, 38-25, on a three-point play by Isaiah Ivey (Georgetown, Ky.) to cap a 6-2 spurt.

Asheville would storm back with a 22-9 run over the next eight minutes, erasing the double-digit deficit and evening the tally at 47-47 on a trey ball by Smith at the 10:08 mark. The Bulldogs kept pushing over the next minute and a half, taking a 53-48 lead on a nifty lay-in from Vannatta with 8:46 to play to cap a 30-16 run to start the second half.

Gardner-Webb answered moments later with an 8-0 spurt, reclaiming the lead at 56-53 on a pair of technical free throws by Ivey at the 6:11 mark. The lead would changes hands several times over the next four minutes, with Gardner-Webb snatching a 60-59 advantage on a Nelson follow before Vannatta nailed a long three to give Asheville the lead for good, 62-60.

With Asheville leading by two – 64-62 – Smith knocked down his third trey of the night, connecting from long range to put the Bulldogs ahead 67-62 with 44 seconds left. Rideau kept the Runnin' Bulldogs in striking distance with four points in the final 31 seconds, but clutch free throw shooting by Asheville - a perfect eight-for-eight in the last 28 ticks – ensured the victory for UNC Asheville.

Gardner-Webb is back in action on Wednesday evening when the Runnin' Bulldogs host Winthrop in Big South play on 90s Night. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 pm on the Big South Network from Paul Porter Arena. Fans are encouraged to bring select food items to the game as part of Gardner-Webb's Hoops Against Hunger promotion.