University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Women Travel to Chapel Hill to Face 7th Ranked Tar Heels - UNC Asheville Bulldogs Official Athletics Site
01.01.1970 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 28, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- UNC Asheville's women's basketball team faces its toughest test of the season as it travels to 7th ranked UNC Chapel Hill on Tuesday in a 6 p.m. game at Carmichael Auditorium.
Asheville has won its first three games of the season for the first time since 1987-88 defeating Jacksonville, Campbell, and Gardner-Webb to start the season. The Defense has been ahead of the offense over the first three games. The Bulldogs are allowing just 51 points per game and are holding opponents to just 32 percent shooting from the floor. The `Dogs are also averaging 11.3 steals per game and are forcing 25 turnovers a game by opponents.
Kristal Hood, this week's Big South Player of the Week, is leading the Bulldogs in scoring averaging 16 points per game and reached the 1,000 career point milestone at Gardner-Webb. Hood became the 11th Bulldog player to reach the milestone and the first since Tonisa Jackson did it during the 2003-04 season. She now has 1,006 career points and is seven points shy of Tara McMinn (1989-92) for 10th place on the Bulldogs' all-time scoring list.
Ashton Barton is also averaging in double figures with 11.7 points per game while Stacy Shepard is averaging 10.7 rebounds per game. Amanda Elder and Leslie Young each recorded career best rebounding performances in their last outing at Gardner-Webb.
"I look at this game like it's a part of the plan we have for our team. Our goal is to win the Big South Conference and if we do that this is the type of team we would play," says Asheville Head Coach Betsy Blose. "It's a challenge, we want to go in and compete and bring our best every defensive possession. We are preparing for them like we prepare for anyone. It is a good experience for our team and we will learn a lot about ourselves."
Defending ACC Champion UNC Chapel Hill (4-0) returns home after collecting a pair of victories in Mexico over No. 16 Arizona State and TCU. The Tar Heels had thier best shooting night of the season on Saturday against TCU shooting 53.7 percent from the floor and 57.9 percent from three-point range. Ivory Latta had 18 points and five steals against TCU. She leads the Heels in scoring averaging 21.5 points per game. Erlana Larkins is next averaging 12.5 points per game and leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game. Asheville native Rashanda McCants had 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists against TCU.
The Bulldogs are 0-3 in three trips to Chapel Hill. The two teams have not faced each other since the third game of the 1997-98 season. The Tar Heels won that game 90-48.
The game will be broadcast live on the internet at www.uncabulldogs.com with the pre-game show beginning at 5:50 p.m.
