Georgia Southern to Visit Justice Center for First Time

The Bulldogs will be back in action Wednesday night when they host Georgia Southern at the Justice Center. UNC Asheville (3-5) snapped a four-game losing streak on Friday with a convincing 94-63 victory over Southern Wesleyan. The Eagles (4-4, 2-0 Southern Conference) are off to a strong start and look to stymie the Bulldogs with their defense when the teams meet in Asheville for the first time.

The dismantling of Southern Wesleyan on Saturday was driven by a career day from Lindsey Montgomery, who finished with 29 points and 20 rebounds – both career highs. It was the first 20/20 performance by a Bulldog since the 1983-84 campaign. Linda Aughburns, Montgomery’s complement in the post, finished up with 17 points and 6 assists. Lindsey Thompson also cracked double figures with 13 points. The Bulldogs shot 55 percent from the field, including 67 percent in the second half, and out-rebounded the Warriors 47-23 to claim the easy win, despite turning the ball over 24 times.

Despite starting in only one game this season, Montgomery now leads the Bulldogs in scoring (12.1), field-goal percentage (.475), and rebounds (9.1). Thompson averages 10.0 points, and Aughburns is just shy of a double-double for the season with 9.1 points and 7.1 rebounds. Asheville’s 21.4 turnovers per game remain a concern, but the Bulldogs’ rebounding and defensive tenacity have kept them competitive.

Georgia Southern leads the Southern Conference in scoring defense, allowing only 57.2 points per game. The Eagles were picked to finish in the middle of the SoCon pack after an 11-9 finish last season, but have looked like contenders thus far. After a tough beginning to the season that included Duke and Auburn, Georgia Southern cruised to victories over conference foes Elon and Appalachian State. Guard Carolyn Whitney leads the Eagles in scoring with 11.3 PPG, and forward J’Lisia Ogburn is averaging 10.5 points and a team-high 5.9 boards. Jessica Geiger is a quality all-around producer, with 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game.

Georgia Southern has defeated UNC Asheville in each of the previous two meetings between the schools, but they have never faced off at the Justice Center. Last season the Eagles came away with a 52-39 victory over the Bulldogs in Statesboro behind a 12 point performance from Geiger. Chioma Okoli led Asheville with 12 points and 7 rebounds in the game. The Bulldogs have a chance to take down Georgia Southern, but will need to protect the ball and find Montgomery and Aughburns in the post for high-percentage shots.

Go Bulldogs!

Men's Basketball To Host Catawba

The Bulldogs seemed to have recovered from the rocky start to their season on Sunday night, when they clobbered Montreat 100-49. Five players scored in double figures for UNC Asheville and three others were within two points as the Bulldogs (2-6, 1-0) took advantage of a balanced attack and strong defensive effort to win their second straight. UNC Asheville will try to keep the streak alive on Tuesday evening when it hosts Division II Catawba, but the game will be no easy challenge. The Indians (5-3, 0-1) are the two-time defending champions of the South Atlantic Conference tournament and the favorite to win it again this year, thanks to the outstanding play of a trio of seniors.

Sean Smith knocked down 5-of-9 three-point attempts on Sunday night and led the Bulldogs with 18, but the supporting cast was just as impressive. J.P. Primm narrowly missed a triple-double, finishing with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists - to go with only one turnover. John Williams went a perfect 5-for-5 from the field to close the night with 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Quinard Jackson and Chris Stephenson were also in double figures with 10 points apiece. D.J. Cunningham posted nine points, nine boards, and a game-high five blocks. The Bulldogs also got excellent bench production from Eric Stubbs (8 points, 3 blocks), and Jaron Lane (8 points, 8 rebounds). UNC Asheville outshot the Cavaliers 49% to 29% and turned the ball over only 9 times. The Bulldogs also dominated on the defensive end, outrebounding Montreat by a staggering 58-32 margin and recording 15 steals and 13 blocks.

One week after a last-second shot from Stephenson at Gardner-Webb gave the Bulldogs their first win of the season, UNC Asheville appeared to be hitting on all cylinders. Smith remains Asheville’s leading scorer at 11.4 PPG, and has improved his three-point shooting to over 35 percent despite a brutal early season shooting slump. Primm and Stephenson also average double figures at 10.9 and 10.3 points, respectively. Williams averages 8.9 points and leads the team in rebounding (6.1 per game) and blocks (18 total).

Catawba was picked to win the South Atlantic Conference by a wide margin in the preseason coaches’ poll, following their dominance of the conference tournament the last two seasons. Picked to finish eighth in that nine team conference is Brevard College, a team that defeated UNC Asheville 73-69 at the Justice Center in an exhibition game this season. The Indians lost their conference opener at Lenoir-Rhyne on December 2^nd, but bounced back on the 5^th with a decisive 78-55 win over Chowan at the TWC Arena in Charlotte. Catawba’s backcourt was expected to excel and has not disappointed. Seniors Rob Fields and Antonio Houston were both first team all-conference selections in the preseason. Fields leads the team in scoring with 17.4 PPG on .518 shooting, and is also the leader in assists. Houston averages 15.9 points, 5.1 boards, and leads the Indians in steals. A third senior, forward Donald Rutherford is making the case that he belongs on the all-conference squad as well. Rutherford averages 15.4 PPG and team highs in field goal percentage (.560), rebounds (6.9), and blocks.

The Bulldogs defeated Catawba 84-67 last season at the Justice Center, a game in which both Primm and Stubbs reached double figures (in addition to then-seniors Reid Augst and Jason Ridenhour). Catawba will be far from an easy out on Tuesday, and will likely be emboldened by Brevard’s exhibition upset and Asheville’s less-than-stellar non-conference record. However, the Bulldogs looked like a team that is putting it all together on Sunday, and if they turn in a similar performance tomorrow night, they will have a good chance to make it three in a row.

Go Dogs!!!

Women's Hoops to Host Southern Wesleyan

UNC Asheville returns home to the Justice Center on Friday night to take on Southern Wesleyan. The Bulldogs (2-5) have lost four straight, including a brutal three-game road trip that concluded with a 59-37 loss at Charlotte on Saturday. Southern Wesleyan (6-2, 1-2 SSAC) boasts a high-scoring offense that could present a real challenge for Asheville.

The Bulldogs have put forth a good defensive effort but have yet to find an explosive scoring threat this season. No Asheville player currently averages double-figure points per game, but four are close. Lindsey Thompson leads the team in scoring at 9.6 PPG, and Lindsey Montgomery (9.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and Linda Aughburns (8.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG) have been consistent producers at both ends of the floor. Chioma Okoli (8.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG) has been solid but has not yet taken over a game offensively.

The Bulldogs struggled on Saturday with turnovers and poor field goal shooting. After protecting the ball much better against Western Carolina, Asheville committed 30 turnovers against Charlotte, the Bulldogs’ second game with at least 30 giveaways this season. Asheville shot over 40 percent in the first half, but 19 percent from the field (including 11 percent from three-point range) in the second half sealed the Bulldogs’ fate.

Southern Wesleyan has had no shortage of offense early this season. The Warriors average 84 points per game, and have four players averaging double-figures. Sophomore Kayla Plantin leads the team in points (16.0), rebounds (7.3), and field goal percentage (an astronomical .658). Senior point guard Kesha Smith averages 14.9 points on .579 shooting, along with team-highs 4.6 assists and 3.3 steals. Smith has turned in four points-assists double-doubles this season. Kendra Brooks averages 12.6 PPG for the Warriors, and Janaye Gillard rounds out the group with 12.4 (on .538 shooting).

Southern Wesleyan was picked to finish seventh in the Southern States Athletic Conference this season, but has reeled off some impressive wins in the early going, including a 72-44 clobbering of Montreat. On Saturday, the Warriors came up just short at Lee University, losing 95-85 to the 6^th-ranked NAIA squad in the nation. Gillard (23 points) and Smith (22 points, 10 assists) had big nights as Southern Wesleyan asserted its status as a contender in the SSAC.

UNC Asheville’s offensive woes on Saturday can be attributed to the stifling defense of Charlotte, which enjoyed a substantial size advantage over the Bulldogs. The much more porous defense of Southern Wesleyan will give the Bulldogs an opportunity to get the offense on track as they begin to gear up for conference play. The game tips off at 7 p.m.

Men's Basketball Tops Gardner-Webb 58-56

The Bulldogs may have opened the season with a six game slump against a grueling non-conference schedule, but UNC Asheville remained undefeated in Big South play on Friday night, capturing a thrilling 58-56 victory at Gardner-Webb. Chris Stephenson tipped in the winning bucket with 1.6 seconds on the clock to give the Bulldogs (1-6, 1-0) their first win of the season. It was the third consecutive loss for Gardner-Webb (3-3, 0-1).

Sean Smith led the Bulldogs in scoring for the second straight outing. The senior guard put up 18 points and had another solid night from beyond the arc, hitting 4-of-9 from three-point range. Stephenson was a big contributor down the stretch for Asheville, scoring all of his 13 points in the second half. John Williams filled out the box score with nine points, six rebounds, three blocks, and four steals.

The Bulldogs were able to slow down Gardner-Webb’s top two scoring threats, holding Grayson Flittner to eight points, and allowing Auryn MacMillan a season-low four. Anton Silver led the Runnin’ Bulldogs with 14 points, and C.J. Hailey added 11. After a long see-saw battle, Asheville took a 55-50 lead with 1:10 to play, but two turnovers and a missed free throw enabled Gardner-Webb to tie things up on a jumper from Hailey with 10 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Matt Dickey’s shot was off target, but Stephenson was there with the tip-in to silence the crowd at Porter Arena.

Many of the Bulldogs’ early season issues were evident in Friday’s game. Asheville shot only 38 percent from the field, turned the ball over 19 times, and was outrebounded 45-30. Although free throw shooting was improved, the Bulldogs still shot below 70 percent as a team. UNC Asheville tightened up on defense, however, collecting 11 steals and forcing 23 total Gardner-Webb turnovers. The Bulldogs were also able to limit Gardner-Webb to a woeful 23 percent from the field in the second half. In the end, when the Bulldogs needed a clutch basket for the win in regulation, they were able to get it.

The Bulldogs have the week off for exams and are back in action on Sunday, when they host Montreat (2-9, 1-3 Appalachian Athletic Conference) to begin a four game home stand.

Women's Basketball Travels Charlotte

UNC Asheville will wrap up a three game road trip on Saturday when the Bulldogs travel to Charlotte to face the 49ers at Halton Arena. The Bulldogs (2-4) have lost three straight, culminating with a tough 62-51 loss in Cullowhee to rival Western Carolina on Wednesday night. Charlotte (2-5) has performed well against some of the nation’s best, and crushed Presbyterian 72-36 on Wednesday in its only meeting with a Big South Team.

The Atlantic 10 preseason poll picked Charlotte to finish second in the conference. The 49ers are led by Aysha Jones and Shannon McCallum. Jones, a first team all-conference selection, is averaging 11.9 points per game, and had a team-high 14 against Presbyterian in only 20 minutes of work. McCallum was named to the conference’s second team in the preseason and averages 12.7 points and 6.2 rebounds. She poured in 25 points in a closely-fought overtime loss to South Carolina in November. In addition to the Gamecocks, Charlotte has played close games this season against Indiana and Duke.

Linda Aughburns led the Bulldogs on Wednesday night with 14 points and 7 rebounds, bringing her season averages to 8.5 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds. Lindsey Montgomery is also a double-double threat in the sixth man role, averaging 9.4 and 7.4. Lindsey Thompson leads the team in scoring with 10.2 points per game. Guard Kendall Shepard has also played well lately, scoring in double figures in two of her last three outings. Shepard is also the team’s assists leader, with 17.

Last season, Charlotte defeated the Bulldogs 72-50 at the Justice Center. That game was highlighted by a 19 point performance on 6-of-9 shooting from Jones. Montgomery had a strong showing for the Bulldogs in that game, with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Charlotte leads the all-time series 11-3 over the Bulldogs and has won the last four meetings.

Men's Basketball Opens Conference Play Against Gardner-Webb

UNC Asheville has struggled out of the gate this season, but both teams will enter the game undefeated in conference play when the Bulldogs travel to Boiling Springs to take on Gardner-Webb on Friday night. Asheville (0-6) is off to its worst start since the 1999-2000 campaign while Gardner-Webb (3-2) boasts a winning record, but the Bulldogs have faced a much more consistently challenging slate.

UNC Asheville’s losing streak is the result of matchups against such elite opposition as 5^th-ranked Kentucky (7-0), 11^th-ranked Tennessee (6-1), Georgia (4-2), and Charlotte (5-1), in addition to Atlantic Sun leader Campbell (4-1) and Southern Conference leader Furman (4-1). Gardner-Webb has faced a much softer early season schedule, collecting three wins over Covenant, Montreat, and Methodist. Gardner-Webb’s first loss came on November 23 at the hands of 10^th-ranked North Carolina. The Runnin’ Bulldogs put together a strong showing in the loss, and were paced by 32 points from Grayson Flittner, including a Dean E. Smith Center record nine three-pointers. Gardner-Webb dropped its second straight on Saturday, when it was pounded at home by a very good Western Carolina team.

Most of Gardner-Webb’s production comes from its strong senior class. Flittner leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.2 points per game. Australian-born center Auryn MacMillan is averaging 10.4 points and 9.0 rebounds. Guard C.J. Hailey contributes 9.0 points per game. UNC Asheville has spread the scoring around thus far. In six games the Bulldogs have had five different high scorers, with J.P. Primm the only player to lead the team twice. UNC Asheville may have an emerging leader in Primm, who averages a team-high 12.2 points per game, but needs more consistent production from its veterans. Sharpshooter Sean Smith found his scoring touch on Monday against Kentucky, knocking down six three-pointers en route to a 19 point performance. John Williams leads the team in rebounding and blocked shots, and will look to increase his output on the offensive end.

The stakes will be high on Friday as both teams look to shake off losing streaks and claim a winning record in Big South conference play. UNC Asheville is 12-1 in conference openers in the Eddie Biedenbach era, and has won its last four. The Bulldogs won both games last year against a Gardner-Webb team that played without Flittner, who missed the season with a knee injury. Matt Dickey performed well in both games for Asheville, averaging 17.5 points.

Basketball Live Updates

Check out the Athletic Department's Twitter page for live updates from tonight's women's basketball game against rival Western Carolina