Solomon leads UNC Asheville against Gardner-Webb after 23-point showing — and more

UNC Asheville Bulldogs (13-15, 7-7 Big South) at Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (3-26, 1-13 Big South)

Boiling Springs, North Carolina; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: UNC Asheville visits Gardner-Webb after Toyaz Solomon scored 23 points in UNC Asheville's 74-73 overtime win over the Radford Highlanders.

The Runnin' Bulldogs have gone 3-9 at home. Gardner-Webb ranks ninth in the Big South in rebounding with 27.3 rebounds. Jacob Hogarth paces the Runnin' Bulldogs with 6.9 boards.

The Bulldogs are 7-7 in conference matchups. UNC Asheville has an 8-7 record in games decided by 10 points or more.

Gardner-Webb is shooting 43.0% from the field this season, 0.9 percentage points lower than the 43.9% UNC Asheville allows to opponents. UNC Asheville's 45.4% shooting percentage from the field this season is 4.5 percentage points lower than Gardner-Webb has given up to its opponents (49.9%).

The teams play for the second time this season in Big South play. UNC Asheville won the last matchup 69-50 on Jan. 29. Justin Wright scored 16 points to help lead the Bulldogs to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Hogarth is averaging 11.1 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Jacob Hudson is averaging 9.9 points over the last 10 games.

Solomon is averaging 15.9 points and 7.4 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Daren Patrick is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Runnin' Bulldogs: 1-9, averaging 66.4 points, 25.5 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 6.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 84.3 points per game.

Bulldogs: 5-5, averaging 69.4 points, 30.4 rebounds, 10.6 assists, 5.8 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 43.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 68.9 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Salah Legacy Sparks Debate as Merson Makes Bold GOAT Claim

Numbers Behind Merson’s Verdict

When Paul Merson talks football, he rarely whispers. His latest proclamation, first reported by Rousing The Kop, was delivered with typical certainty: Mohamed Salah is the greatest winger the game has seen. Not among the best. Not of his era. Ever.

“I’ll go Salah, because the numbers he’s put up are ridiculous,” Merson said when asked to pick his all-time winger. It is a statement designed to stir the bar-room arguments and light up message boards, yet there is a statistical case that refuses to be dismissed.

Salah’s haul since arriving at Anfield is remarkable for its relentlessness. Goals, assists, trophies, decisive moments in Champions League nights and title races. Week after week, season after season, he has delivered with mechanical precision and theatrical flair. Consistency is often undervalued in debates about greatness, yet it is precisely what separates Salah from many who burned brighter but shorter.

Consider how Liverpool’s spine has been built around enduring excellence. Virgil van Dijk at centre-half, Alisson between the posts, Trent Alexander-Arnold redefining the full-back role, and Salah slicing defences from the right. That quartet once gave Liverpool an aura bordering on inevitability.

Photo: IMAGO

Comparisons With Modern Wide Players

Merson’s present-day pick was more cautious. Asked to name the best winger currently, he replied: “Probably Saka, for being robust and everything.” It was a nod to Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, whose durability and productivity have driven his club’s recent title pushes.

Yet comparisons with Salah inevitably surface. Both are talismans, both shoulder the attacking burden of their teams, but Salah’s body of work remains larger, heavier, more decorated. He has done it in title-winning seasons, in Champions League triumphs, and against the fiercest defensive units Europe could muster.

There are other names in the modern conversation – Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia – players of pace and imagination. But few have blended longevity, output and big-match temperament quite like Salah.

And still, critics linger. They point to recent dips, a quiet spell in front of goal, Liverpool’s uneven form. Football is impatient. It measures greatness week to week, not decade to decade.

Liverpool Context Shapes Legacy

Salah’s case is inseparable from Liverpool’s wider story. During Jurgen Klopp’s peak years, Van Dijk marshalled the back line with imperial calm, Salah carried the attack, and the team played with a ferocity that bent rivals to its will. When Liverpool were at their best, they were irresistible.

This season, the edges have dulled. Injuries, tactical tweaks, fatigue, perhaps simply the natural cycle of elite sport. Suddenly, Liverpool no longer boast the best player in multiple positions. Van Dijk remains commanding, Salah remains dangerous, but rivals have closed ground.

That is where Merson’s claim becomes provocative. Greatness is often judged in hindsight. It demands perspective, context, and the willingness to weigh eras fairly. Hazard, Bale, Neymar – all dazzled. None sustained their peak as Salah has done in England’s unforgiving theatre.

Debate That Defines Greatness

Merson’s words will echo because football thrives on argument. Was George Best greater? What of Cristiano Ronaldo in his early Manchester United days? Where does Lionel Messi fit when he drifted wide from Barcelona’s right? These are questions without tidy answers.

Yet Salah’s case grows stronger each year. He is Liverpool’s modern icon, their relentless scorer, their emblem of ambition. He has rewritten record books while carrying the expectations of a global fanbase. He has been decisive when silverware was on the line.

And as long as Van Dijk stands tall behind him and Liverpool chase honours, Salah’s legend will keep expanding. Merson may be prone to bold claims, but sometimes boldness simply recognises what the numbers – and the memories – already show.

Football debates endure because they matter. They remind us of greatness, of eras defined by extraordinary individuals. Salah belongs in that company, and perhaps, just perhaps, he belongs at the very top.

Bucky Brooks projects the Tennessee Titans to select Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese with the fourth overall pick in his pre-combine mock draft.

The Titans aim to bolster their defense during the Combine. Brooks suggests taking a chance on the explosive athlete from Ohio State, noting that while Reese is a projection due to limited starting experience, his athleticism and potential could appeal to the defensive-minded head coach.