The Mountaineers scored 36 points in the paint, shot nearly 50 percent from the field and committed a season-low five turnovers in the all-around solid effort.
Donald Sims led the Mountaineers (11-13, 7-7 SoCon) with 20 points, six rebounds, four steals and two assists and helped seal the victory with ASU’s final four points of the night. The senior shot 7-of-15 from the field with a pair of three-pointers.
ASU sank 11-of-21 attempts from the field in the second half despite missing all five long-range attempts and sank six of its last eight foul shots to preserve a second-half lead. ASU trailed by eight points early in the game but rallied to take a 34-30 lead at intermission.
ASU then piled on early in the second half to bulk up its advantage to double figures with 17:32 remaining in regulation. Samford (12-13, 4-9) then cut its deficit to one point at 50-49 midway through the period. The Bulldogs never made it all the way over the hump as ASU maintained a single-digit lead the remainder of the game.
Omar Carter tallied 19 points, giving him 15 or more in each of the last five outings. Splitting time between the perimeter and post, Carter sank 8-of-15 attempts and hauled in four rebounds in the victory.
Samford’s potent outside attack was led by Andy King’s 21 points and six three-pointers off the bench as well as Josh Bedwell’s 15 points and eight rebounds. Bedwell sank 4-of-9 three-point attempts.
Jeremi Booth added nine points and five rebounds while starting forward Andre Williamson gave the Apps eight points, four boards and a huge blocked shot with just 27 seconds left in the game and a slim four-point lead. The junior was 4-of-6 from the field and also dished out an assist.
Mitch Woods matched Sims for the team lead with six rebounds and scored a crucial layup down the stretch to cap off a late six-point Mountaineer run.
"I'm pleased with it — it's three in a row, I'm happy — but at the same time there is room for improvement," said ASU head coach Jason Capel, "I am pleased with the steps we are taking. You want to be playing your best basketball in February heading into March, and I think we are heading in that direction."
The win boosted ASU’s home record to 6-2 on the season and moved the team to one game behind Western Carolina for second place in the SoCon North.
A 14-point run midway through the second half broke a tie and put ASU ahead of Chattanooga for good last Saturday, Feb. 12, in a 78-68 win at the Holmes Center.
Carter scored 10 points during the stretch and finished with a game-high 22. The junior also led ASU with seven rebounds to accompany three assists.
Once the Mountaineers (12-13, 8-7 SoCon) gained the first double-figure advantage of the game, the home team held it to the final horn for double-figure margin of victory in ASU’s four-game winning streak.
Sims scored 13 second-half points to finish with 19 on the night. He added six rebounds, four assists and two steals. The senior sank 6-of-11 field goal attempts as ASU sank 15-of-29 shots in the second half to finish the night with a 49.1 field goal percentage, including a 10-of-25 mark from downtown.
Considering Chattanooga played in a tight contest the night before at Western Carolina, the Mocs (14-13, 10-5) started strong out of the gate. Ricky Taylor knocked down his first three shots from downtown for a quick nine points to give Chattanooga a pair of six-point leads in the early going. ASU rallied back, however, as the lead changed hands eight times before UTC gained a 32-31 advantage heading into the break.
Petey Hausley sank 6-of-10 shots off the bench for 12 points, one shy of his career high, along with three rebounds for the Mountaineers. Booth added nine points—all via three-pointers—in addition to four rebounds.
The Mountaineers held a 35-33 advantage on the glass and turned nine offensive rebounds into nine second-chance points. ASU also turned 16 UTC turnovers into 16 points and scored 22 points in the paint.
Anthony Breeze returned to the floor for the first time since suffering an injury on Jan. 29 at College of Charleston. The junior played eight minutes in the second half during the ASU surge.
Starting his fourth-straight game, Marcus Wright knocked down all three shot attempts for eight points and two rebounds, while Williamson added six points and six rebounds in the win.
ASU closes out its three-game homestand at 7 p.m. this Thursday, Feb. 17, when Western Carolina visits the Holmes Center.
