The UNC Asheville volleyball team is finally home for awhile. Bulldog fans need to take advantage of these five matches and come out and support this young team. It’s been a weird schedule for Julie Torbett’s club but when you have won as much as the Bulldogs have done the past few years its a little harder to schedule home matches.
Our fans need to support this young team that is playing its heart out every match but for Coach Torbett. She needs just two victories to reach 300 for her career, all at UNC Asheville. Coach “T” began her head coaching career back in 1994 with a win over UT-Martin, while she was pregnant with her first son Nate. A lot of wins have come since that Thursday night in late August and two more Torbett boys.
Julie’s teams have always played hard and given us some incredible volleyball action. Who can forget her 2002 team that was picked to finish in last place and finished first with a thrilling five-set win over Winthrop in the final home match of the season. The 2005 team that knocked off Memphis and Louisiana Tech and got to the Big South Conference title game. Her young 2006 team with Elif Unlu that went to another Big South title game. The Bulldogs bounced back from a tough start to finish in second place in the league standings. How about last year’s club that won the regular-season title in dramatic fashion over Winthrop on the final day of the season, 16-14 in the fifth set.
This year’s team graduated a lot from last year’s 25-10 squad. Throw in a tough non-conference schedule that has included road matches all throughout the southeast, the fact the Bulldogs are 13-10 is amazing. But Coach Torbett has amazed us time after time in her brilliant coaching career.
We need to show her the same support. Make your plans to come to Justice Center tonight, tomorrow after, next Tuesday and next weekend to support the Bulldogs.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Volleyball Player Jenna Dover Has A New Blog
Senior rightside hitter Jenna Dover will be writing a blog for the upcoming 2010 UNC Asheville volleyball season. Here are her first two entries.
VolleyBlog
Entry 2
August 3, 2010
"WORKING ON MY FITNESS"
Today, I did an entire agilities workout while listening to JOCK JAMS Volume 2. Working out, or doing anything for that matter, is better when music is playing in the background. A.D.D. could be a possible factor there. Needless to say, it was an awesome workout thanks to the music. The songs on this CD are standards for sporting events. How many times have you heard "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" at any kind of game?
When will ESPN come back to their senses and create a new volume? On the other hand, if they did, I probably won't enjoy it because the likely song selections would make the CD resemble the Now That's What I Call Music CD collection.
I would definitely include "Don't Stop Believing," "Eye of the Tiger," and "What a Feeling" on my JOCK JAMS playlist. What would be on yours?
VolleyBlog
Entry 1
July 22, 2010
"HOT OF THE PRESS"
The 2010 volleyball schedule just came out. It's a fresh start with a new season filled with new opponents. The promise of "next year;" it's why we keep coming back. This is my last "next year," though. The past three years have gone by so fast that I can't help but wonder, "How did I get here?" It feels like just yesterday I forgot my driver's license on the first road trip of my college career, which would not have been a big deal if we weren't flying to Florida State, but we were. The good thing about starting as a dunce is that you can't go anywhere but up!
With the real world lurking in the distance, will my last year as a college athlete at UNC Asheville be the "Last One there is the Rotten Egg" or "Saved the Best for Last?"
VolleyBlog
Entry 2
August 3, 2010
"WORKING ON MY FITNESS"
Today, I did an entire agilities workout while listening to JOCK JAMS Volume 2. Working out, or doing anything for that matter, is better when music is playing in the background. A.D.D. could be a possible factor there. Needless to say, it was an awesome workout thanks to the music. The songs on this CD are standards for sporting events. How many times have you heard "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" at any kind of game?
When will ESPN come back to their senses and create a new volume? On the other hand, if they did, I probably won't enjoy it because the likely song selections would make the CD resemble the Now That's What I Call Music CD collection.
I would definitely include "Don't Stop Believing," "Eye of the Tiger," and "What a Feeling" on my JOCK JAMS playlist. What would be on yours?
VolleyBlog
Entry 1
July 22, 2010
"HOT OF THE PRESS"
The 2010 volleyball schedule just came out. It's a fresh start with a new season filled with new opponents. The promise of "next year;" it's why we keep coming back. This is my last "next year," though. The past three years have gone by so fast that I can't help but wonder, "How did I get here?" It feels like just yesterday I forgot my driver's license on the first road trip of my college career, which would not have been a big deal if we weren't flying to Florida State, but we were. The good thing about starting as a dunce is that you can't go anywhere but up!
With the real world lurking in the distance, will my last year as a college athlete at UNC Asheville be the "Last One there is the Rotten Egg" or "Saved the Best for Last?"
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Ty Wigginton in the All-Star Game
The Major League All-Star game will be played tonight in Anaheim and for Bulldog fans this year’s event will definitely be worth watching.
That’s because the school’s only major league player – Ty Wigginton will be on the American League squad. Wigginton, who played at UNC Asheville from 1996-98, was picked by American League manager Joe Giradi. Ty has enjoyed a successful season with the Baltimore Orioles and has been a real bright spot for them in an otherwise tough first half for the O’s.
This is truly a great moment for Ty. He has played for five different teams, been cut twice, been sent to the minors and wasn’t scheduled to play much for Baltimore this year. The Orioles had some injuries, and Ty got put into the starting line-up, first at second base and then at first base. He carried the Orioles in the first two months of the season with his hitting.
Through it all, Ty Wigginton is the same guy that played hard for the Bulldogs each and ever day he was here. I had the pleasure of seeing him play in Boston a few weeks ago. Talking to him before a game at Fenway Park, Ty was the exact same guy I talked to at Greenwood Field in the late 90’s. Reading his interviews about being picked and watching some of his interviews on-line you see why his manager Juan Samuel said – “I’ve never heard anybody say anything bad about Wiggy. That’s why he’s getting so many calls and texts about making the All-Star Team. People are so happy for him. He plays the game the right way.”
So tonight turn your TV set on and root for Ty Wigginton. He’s one of our guys, and we’re proud of him.
That’s because the school’s only major league player – Ty Wigginton will be on the American League squad. Wigginton, who played at UNC Asheville from 1996-98, was picked by American League manager Joe Giradi. Ty has enjoyed a successful season with the Baltimore Orioles and has been a real bright spot for them in an otherwise tough first half for the O’s.
This is truly a great moment for Ty. He has played for five different teams, been cut twice, been sent to the minors and wasn’t scheduled to play much for Baltimore this year. The Orioles had some injuries, and Ty got put into the starting line-up, first at second base and then at first base. He carried the Orioles in the first two months of the season with his hitting.
Through it all, Ty Wigginton is the same guy that played hard for the Bulldogs each and ever day he was here. I had the pleasure of seeing him play in Boston a few weeks ago. Talking to him before a game at Fenway Park, Ty was the exact same guy I talked to at Greenwood Field in the late 90’s. Reading his interviews about being picked and watching some of his interviews on-line you see why his manager Juan Samuel said – “I’ve never heard anybody say anything bad about Wiggy. That’s why he’s getting so many calls and texts about making the All-Star Team. People are so happy for him. He plays the game the right way.”
So tonight turn your TV set on and root for Ty Wigginton. He’s one of our guys, and we’re proud of him.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
New Soccer Coaches Start Next Week
A new era of soccer will begin for UNC Asheville next week when new men’s soccer coach Matt Kern and women’s soccer coach Michelle Demko report to work officially.
The duo will replace the husband and wife team of Steve and Michele Cornish that guided both programs for a long time. Steve coached the men’s team for 18 years, while Michele became the Big South’s all-time winningest coach in her 16 years with the women’s team.
Matt Kern is not a stranger to Bulldog Athletics. After serving as head coach of Wofford for six years, he’s helped out both Asheville programs the past two years. Matt didn’t have a lot of luck with the Terrier program but he did lay the groundwork for Wofford’s championship team this year. The Terriers won the Southern Conference regular-season and tournament title in 2009. All 11 starters were recruited to Wofford by Matt Kern. Matt knows this year’s team pretty well and it should be a smooth transition.
Demko comes to Asheville after working at Nebraska for the past three years. She was a great player at the University of Maryland and was named as one of the top 50 players in the history of the ACC a few years ago. That’s a pretty big honor when you think of all the great players who have performed in that league over the years. It will be fun to watch her develop this year’s Bulldog team and build the program back up to the top of the Big South Conference.
The duo will replace the husband and wife team of Steve and Michele Cornish that guided both programs for a long time. Steve coached the men’s team for 18 years, while Michele became the Big South’s all-time winningest coach in her 16 years with the women’s team.
Matt Kern is not a stranger to Bulldog Athletics. After serving as head coach of Wofford for six years, he’s helped out both Asheville programs the past two years. Matt didn’t have a lot of luck with the Terrier program but he did lay the groundwork for Wofford’s championship team this year. The Terriers won the Southern Conference regular-season and tournament title in 2009. All 11 starters were recruited to Wofford by Matt Kern. Matt knows this year’s team pretty well and it should be a smooth transition.
Demko comes to Asheville after working at Nebraska for the past three years. She was a great player at the University of Maryland and was named as one of the top 50 players in the history of the ACC a few years ago. That’s a pretty big honor when you think of all the great players who have performed in that league over the years. It will be fun to watch her develop this year’s Bulldog team and build the program back up to the top of the Big South Conference.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
UNC Asheville at Tennessee Tonight In Baseball
The Bulldog Blog will be attending tonight's baseball game between UNC Asheville and the University of Tennessee. Stay up to date with everything going on in Knoxville at the ball park. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
This will be the 48th game of the season for the Bulldogs, who are currently 15-32 overall. The home-standing Volunteers are 29-23 on the year and will likely start Drew Steckenrider (0-1, 7.20 ERA).
UNC Asheville will most likely go with Drew Spear (3-4, 8.51 ERA).
The Volunteers lead the all-time series between the schools, 19-6. Tennessee is also 16-6 against the Bulldogs in Knoxville. UNC Asheville has won in Knoxville in 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2005 and 2006.
Tennessee won last year's match-up, 13-3.
This will be the 48th game of the season for the Bulldogs, who are currently 15-32 overall. The home-standing Volunteers are 29-23 on the year and will likely start Drew Steckenrider (0-1, 7.20 ERA).
UNC Asheville will most likely go with Drew Spear (3-4, 8.51 ERA).
The Volunteers lead the all-time series between the schools, 19-6. Tennessee is also 16-6 against the Bulldogs in Knoxville. UNC Asheville has won in Knoxville in 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2005 and 2006.
Tennessee won last year's match-up, 13-3.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Thank You Steve & Michele
The end of May will end two wonderful coaching era’s at UNC Asheville.
Steve and Michele Cornish have been the face of UNC Asheville soccer for the past 16 years. Steve was named as the Bulldogs head men’s coach in 1992, while Michele was named head women’s coach in 1994.
The duo have led Bulldog Athletics to some great moments during their careers. Steve inherited a tough situation in 1992 as the Bulldog program had been without a coach for almost six months. No recruiting being done. No spring practice. No spring season. Players left and transferred from a solid club in 1991.
Somehow Steve got the Bulldogs to win four matches that year and had them competitive in a bunch more. He led Asheville to some memorable victories. Who can forget the 2-1 upset of defending Big South champ Coastal Carolina in 1995 at Greenwood Field. There was a 2-1 victory over Evansville at home in 2001. And in 2007 with the Bulldogs in the midst of a seven-match losing streak, Asheville picked up its first ever win over an ACC foe when the Bulldogs shocked Clemson 2-1 in overtime. Patrick Tate’s goal midway through the second overtime period on a rainy day made us all forget how rainy and wet we were that day.
It didn’t take long for Michele to make an impact on Bulldog Athletics. In 1995, she guided the Bulldogs to a memorable Big South Conference championship. UNC Asheville was on fire from the start of the year and earned a trip to the its first ever Big South Conference championship game where the Bulldogs stunned nationally-ranked UNC Greensboro, 1-0 on the Lady Spartans home field. Fifteen years later I can still see Ashley Hart tapping in McKenzie’s Miller shot for the only goal of the match early in the second half. The Bulldogs won 16 matches that year, still a school record.
The next year Asheville went to another Big South title game against Greensboro and took the nationally-ranked Spartans to PK’s where the Bulldogs fell. That year had great moments, including a memorable 2-0 victory over Wake Forest at home. The Deacons were nationally-ranked and would win two games in the NCAA Tournament later that year but were denied by Cornish’s club that day.
Michele had good teams over the years but had some back luck in Big South finals. Two regular-season championship clubs fell in the tourney and in 2003 the cruelest loss of all came when the Bulldogs fell in PK’s to High Point, 3-2. Asheville led 2-0 in PK’s but couldn’t hold on for easily the toughest loss in school history.
In 2006, Michele’s team broke through and became the first women’s team at UNC Asheville to go to the NCAA Tournament. The freshmen who had suffered through that bitter loss in 2003 to High Point led the Bulldogs to an amazing tournament title. Asheville knocked off three teams that it had not beaten in the regular season and downed Liberty in PK’s 4-2. The Bulldogs got a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament and play eventual national champion UNC Chapel Hill.
Steve and Michele did a great job running their programs and did it a class way. They put Asheville soccer on the map in the area and their players did things the right way. Mike Roach, a men’s soccer player in the early part of the last decade, was a first-team Academic All-American who had a perfect 4.0 GPA, while majoring in chemistry. Michele’s teams always did well in the classroom with several of her players earning spots on the All-Region All-Academic team.
Steve and Michele leave us for a great opportunity at Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep School in Minnesota. That’s where Steve was at before he came to UNC Asheville in the spring of 1992. It shows how much a school thinks of Steve that 18 years later they still wanted him back.
An era of Bulldog soccer ends later this month but Steve and Michele will never be forgotten.
Steve and Michele Cornish have been the face of UNC Asheville soccer for the past 16 years. Steve was named as the Bulldogs head men’s coach in 1992, while Michele was named head women’s coach in 1994.
The duo have led Bulldog Athletics to some great moments during their careers. Steve inherited a tough situation in 1992 as the Bulldog program had been without a coach for almost six months. No recruiting being done. No spring practice. No spring season. Players left and transferred from a solid club in 1991.
Somehow Steve got the Bulldogs to win four matches that year and had them competitive in a bunch more. He led Asheville to some memorable victories. Who can forget the 2-1 upset of defending Big South champ Coastal Carolina in 1995 at Greenwood Field. There was a 2-1 victory over Evansville at home in 2001. And in 2007 with the Bulldogs in the midst of a seven-match losing streak, Asheville picked up its first ever win over an ACC foe when the Bulldogs shocked Clemson 2-1 in overtime. Patrick Tate’s goal midway through the second overtime period on a rainy day made us all forget how rainy and wet we were that day.
It didn’t take long for Michele to make an impact on Bulldog Athletics. In 1995, she guided the Bulldogs to a memorable Big South Conference championship. UNC Asheville was on fire from the start of the year and earned a trip to the its first ever Big South Conference championship game where the Bulldogs stunned nationally-ranked UNC Greensboro, 1-0 on the Lady Spartans home field. Fifteen years later I can still see Ashley Hart tapping in McKenzie’s Miller shot for the only goal of the match early in the second half. The Bulldogs won 16 matches that year, still a school record.
The next year Asheville went to another Big South title game against Greensboro and took the nationally-ranked Spartans to PK’s where the Bulldogs fell. That year had great moments, including a memorable 2-0 victory over Wake Forest at home. The Deacons were nationally-ranked and would win two games in the NCAA Tournament later that year but were denied by Cornish’s club that day.
Michele had good teams over the years but had some back luck in Big South finals. Two regular-season championship clubs fell in the tourney and in 2003 the cruelest loss of all came when the Bulldogs fell in PK’s to High Point, 3-2. Asheville led 2-0 in PK’s but couldn’t hold on for easily the toughest loss in school history.
In 2006, Michele’s team broke through and became the first women’s team at UNC Asheville to go to the NCAA Tournament. The freshmen who had suffered through that bitter loss in 2003 to High Point led the Bulldogs to an amazing tournament title. Asheville knocked off three teams that it had not beaten in the regular season and downed Liberty in PK’s 4-2. The Bulldogs got a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament and play eventual national champion UNC Chapel Hill.
Steve and Michele did a great job running their programs and did it a class way. They put Asheville soccer on the map in the area and their players did things the right way. Mike Roach, a men’s soccer player in the early part of the last decade, was a first-team Academic All-American who had a perfect 4.0 GPA, while majoring in chemistry. Michele’s teams always did well in the classroom with several of her players earning spots on the All-Region All-Academic team.
Steve and Michele leave us for a great opportunity at Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep School in Minnesota. That’s where Steve was at before he came to UNC Asheville in the spring of 1992. It shows how much a school thinks of Steve that 18 years later they still wanted him back.
An era of Bulldog soccer ends later this month but Steve and Michele will never be forgotten.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Josh Pittman Going Into Big South Hall of Fame
UNC Asheville received some great news last week when we found out that former men’s basketball player Josh Pittman was being inducted into the Big South Hall of Fame in June.
Josh enjoyed a great career for the Bulldogs from 1994-98. He helped lead UNC Asheville to its first ever Big South Conference regular-season championships in 1997 and 1998. Josh was the Big South Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998.
I have a lot of great memories from Josh’s career. I remember some of his great dunks, including one over 1997 Final Four MVP Miles Simon at Arizona his senior year. There was another at New Mexico State when the Bulldogs stunned the Aggies in his junior season.
I also remember what a class act he was on and off the court. He never got too high or too low and just went about his business. Whenever he was interviewed, Josh was always quick to praise his teammates for any accomplishments. When we inducted Josh into the UNC Asheville Hall of Fame he hadn’t changed a bit.
Josh Pittman will become the first male from UNC Asheville to be in the Big South Hall of Fame. No one is more deserving.
Josh enjoyed a great career for the Bulldogs from 1994-98. He helped lead UNC Asheville to its first ever Big South Conference regular-season championships in 1997 and 1998. Josh was the Big South Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998.
I have a lot of great memories from Josh’s career. I remember some of his great dunks, including one over 1997 Final Four MVP Miles Simon at Arizona his senior year. There was another at New Mexico State when the Bulldogs stunned the Aggies in his junior season.
I also remember what a class act he was on and off the court. He never got too high or too low and just went about his business. Whenever he was interviewed, Josh was always quick to praise his teammates for any accomplishments. When we inducted Josh into the UNC Asheville Hall of Fame he hadn’t changed a bit.
Josh Pittman will become the first male from UNC Asheville to be in the Big South Hall of Fame. No one is more deserving.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Bulldog Baseball Posts Two Big Wins This Weekend
The UNC Asheville baseball team picked up two impressive wins this weekend as the Bulldogs won a Big South Conference series against Liberty at Greenwood Field.
First-year coach Tom Smith’s team edged the Flames 5-4 on Friday and then won Saturday’s first game, 2-1 on Justin Schumer’s solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Liberty won Saturday’s nightcap 7-3 but the Bulldogs had already claimed their first Big South series win since the 2008 season. The Flames are traditionally one of the top teams in the league every year and they did not expect to lose a series to the Bulldogs.
Asheville is 7-13 on the young season and has shown a great deal of improvement already this year. The Bulldogs only won nine games all of last year and will surpass their win total from a year ago shortly.
One of the most impressive feats this weekend was Asheville’s pitching. The Bulldogs got a great effort from freshman Drew Spear in Friday’s win. Spear bounced back from a rocky start to limit Liberty the rest of the game. On Saturday, sophomore Ryan Dull was impressive in pitching a complete game against the Flames. He allowed a run in the first inning and little else after that to raise his record to 3-0. Dull also earned a save on Friday.
Smith promised his team would play hard for nine innings. The Bulldogs have done just that and will play everybody tough the rest of the season.
This weekend Asheville hosts VMI in a Big South Conference series. The series begins at Greenwood Field on Friday at 3 p.m., followed by a double-header at McCormick Field on Saturday at 1 p.m. Come out and support the Bulldogs. You’ll see an improved team that’s only going to get better.
First-year coach Tom Smith’s team edged the Flames 5-4 on Friday and then won Saturday’s first game, 2-1 on Justin Schumer’s solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Liberty won Saturday’s nightcap 7-3 but the Bulldogs had already claimed their first Big South series win since the 2008 season. The Flames are traditionally one of the top teams in the league every year and they did not expect to lose a series to the Bulldogs.
Asheville is 7-13 on the young season and has shown a great deal of improvement already this year. The Bulldogs only won nine games all of last year and will surpass their win total from a year ago shortly.
One of the most impressive feats this weekend was Asheville’s pitching. The Bulldogs got a great effort from freshman Drew Spear in Friday’s win. Spear bounced back from a rocky start to limit Liberty the rest of the game. On Saturday, sophomore Ryan Dull was impressive in pitching a complete game against the Flames. He allowed a run in the first inning and little else after that to raise his record to 3-0. Dull also earned a save on Friday.
Smith promised his team would play hard for nine innings. The Bulldogs have done just that and will play everybody tough the rest of the season.
This weekend Asheville hosts VMI in a Big South Conference series. The series begins at Greenwood Field on Friday at 3 p.m., followed by a double-header at McCormick Field on Saturday at 1 p.m. Come out and support the Bulldogs. You’ll see an improved team that’s only going to get better.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Bulldog Tennis To Shine in 2010
We’re coming down the stretch with basketball season, but this spring make sure you check out the Bulldog men’s and women’s tennis teams.
The men’s squad is 2-2 on the year, while the women’s team is 1-1. Both teams look much improved from last year and could compete for Big South Conference titles this season.
The men’s squad has some new players and returnees that could make them one of the most improved teams in the nation. An impressive 7-0 win over Division II power Mars Hill two weeks ago gave just a glimpse of how good this team could be. They lost to Furman last week but every match was competitive and the Paladins are among the nation’s top teams every year.
On the women’s side, the Bulldogs return just about everyone from last year. They lost to Furman last week but came so close to winning the doubles point and each singles match could have gone either way. The Lady Paladins are a national power, as well.
Both teams should be better because of their new home. The Bulldog squads will practice and play at the Crowne Plaza Tennis Center, just five minutes away from campus. If the weather is good, it’s a nice place to watch a match outdoors. If the weather is bad, then the indoor courts are a good place to play and watch.
Head Coach Lise Gregory and Assistant Coach Tom Hand have worked hard to improve Bulldog tennis. Watch them as the year goes on and you’ll be impressed with what they’ve achieved.
The men’s squad is 2-2 on the year, while the women’s team is 1-1. Both teams look much improved from last year and could compete for Big South Conference titles this season.
The men’s squad has some new players and returnees that could make them one of the most improved teams in the nation. An impressive 7-0 win over Division II power Mars Hill two weeks ago gave just a glimpse of how good this team could be. They lost to Furman last week but every match was competitive and the Paladins are among the nation’s top teams every year.
On the women’s side, the Bulldogs return just about everyone from last year. They lost to Furman last week but came so close to winning the doubles point and each singles match could have gone either way. The Lady Paladins are a national power, as well.
Both teams should be better because of their new home. The Bulldog squads will practice and play at the Crowne Plaza Tennis Center, just five minutes away from campus. If the weather is good, it’s a nice place to watch a match outdoors. If the weather is bad, then the indoor courts are a good place to play and watch.
Head Coach Lise Gregory and Assistant Coach Tom Hand have worked hard to improve Bulldog tennis. Watch them as the year goes on and you’ll be impressed with what they’ve achieved.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Bulldogs Go to the South Carolina Coast This Weekend
Sunday was a great win for the UNC Asheville men’s basketball team. The Bulldogs played very well in beating the defending Big South champions Radford, 92-84. Ironically, the same score that the Highlanders beat the Bulldogs in last year’s Big South Conference semifinal tournament game.
It was a total team effort in the victory as once again Asheville had five players in double figures. Matt Dickey scored 26 points, despite only taking eight shots in the game. He was 10-of-12 from the free throw line. How about the play of freshman Jaron Lane with a career-best 17 points and eight rebounds? He really gave the Bulldogs a lift off the bench. John Williams is blocking every shot in sight it seems. His next one will make him the school’s all-time leader in that category.
Another big weekend is ahead for Coach Biedenbach’s club. Asheville plays at Charleston Southern Thursday night and Coastal Carolina on Saturday afternoon. Two teams that beat the Bulldogs at home in early January. Each game becomes bigger as we head toward March.
It was a total team effort in the victory as once again Asheville had five players in double figures. Matt Dickey scored 26 points, despite only taking eight shots in the game. He was 10-of-12 from the free throw line. How about the play of freshman Jaron Lane with a career-best 17 points and eight rebounds? He really gave the Bulldogs a lift off the bench. John Williams is blocking every shot in sight it seems. His next one will make him the school’s all-time leader in that category.
Another big weekend is ahead for Coach Biedenbach’s club. Asheville plays at Charleston Southern Thursday night and Coastal Carolina on Saturday afternoon. Two teams that beat the Bulldogs at home in early January. Each game becomes bigger as we head toward March.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Two Big Games for Men's Basketball This Week
The UNC Asheville men’s basketball team has battled back and picked up five straight wins over a 10-day period and is over .500 in league play (5-4).
The more the Bulldogs wins and the bigger the next game becomes. Asheville ends its five-game homestand with two crucial league games this week. The Dogs host High Point Thursday night and then take on Radford Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
Both games are huge. After Saturday, Asheville has only three league games at home remaining. The Bulldogs are in position to make a move in the league standings but must hold serve at home. Asheville and High Point always play close games that can go either way. Last year, both games against the Panthers went the Bulldogs’ way. Earlier this month, the game went High Point’s way. On Saturday against Radford, the Bulldogs hope to break a five-game losing streak to the Highlanders. All five losses have been close but they’ve been losses nevertheless.
The Bulldogs have improved in all areas over the past few weeks but the offense has really taken off. After only having one player average in double figures in scoring (J.P. Primm) for most of the season, Asheville has five players averaging in double figures going into the High Point game. The Dogs don’t have anybody who will lead the league in scoring but they have plenty of guys that can hurt you.
We need two great crowds this week to support our Bulldogs and try and get us two wins.
The more the Bulldogs wins and the bigger the next game becomes. Asheville ends its five-game homestand with two crucial league games this week. The Dogs host High Point Thursday night and then take on Radford Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
Both games are huge. After Saturday, Asheville has only three league games at home remaining. The Bulldogs are in position to make a move in the league standings but must hold serve at home. Asheville and High Point always play close games that can go either way. Last year, both games against the Panthers went the Bulldogs’ way. Earlier this month, the game went High Point’s way. On Saturday against Radford, the Bulldogs hope to break a five-game losing streak to the Highlanders. All five losses have been close but they’ve been losses nevertheless.
The Bulldogs have improved in all areas over the past few weeks but the offense has really taken off. After only having one player average in double figures in scoring (J.P. Primm) for most of the season, Asheville has five players averaging in double figures going into the High Point game. The Dogs don’t have anybody who will lead the league in scoring but they have plenty of guys that can hurt you.
We need two great crowds this week to support our Bulldogs and try and get us two wins.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Men's Basketball Just Needs A Little Luck
The UNC Asheville men’s basketball team had a lot of luck last week but not too much of it was good luck. The Bulldogs lost four Big South Conference games in seven days that they easily could have won. In three of the games, Asheville was either tied or in the lead in the last two minutes but just couldn’t get the right bounce. Last Monday at High Point, a long three-pointer off a busted play helped give the Panthers the victory. Thursday against Coastal Carolina, a team that has now won 12 games in a row, a shot that came oh so close to bouncing out instead bounced in with 5.5 seconds left to give the Chanticleers the victory. Last Saturday against Charleston Southern, the Bulldogs were one defensive stop away from winning.
What’s impressive about this Asheville team is that it keeps battling and playing. With the tough schedule the Bulldogs had early and the expectations it had, it would be easy for them to hang their heads or simply throw in the towel for this season. But this Asheville team has not come close to doing that and as we all know it’s a long season and a lot of interesting things can happen in March. The Bulldogs are on the road for two games this week at VMI and Liberty and then come home for five straight home games. It’s one of the longest homestands in recent memory. If Asheville can keep improving and maybe find a lucky bounce along the way the Bulldogs have a chance to make some noise come March.
What’s impressive about this Asheville team is that it keeps battling and playing. With the tough schedule the Bulldogs had early and the expectations it had, it would be easy for them to hang their heads or simply throw in the towel for this season. But this Asheville team has not come close to doing that and as we all know it’s a long season and a lot of interesting things can happen in March. The Bulldogs are on the road for two games this week at VMI and Liberty and then come home for five straight home games. It’s one of the longest homestands in recent memory. If Asheville can keep improving and maybe find a lucky bounce along the way the Bulldogs have a chance to make some noise come March.
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