University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Women Open Conference Play at Winthrop on Saturday - UNC Asheville Bulldogs Official Athletics Site
01.01.1970 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 12, 2007
ROCK HILL, S.C.-- The UNC Asheville women's basketball team will take a four-game winning streak to Winthrop on Saturday night in the Big South opener for both teams. The game will be broadcast live on the internet beginning at 6:45 p.m.
The Bulldogs (9-6) are coming off their signature victory, a 58-53 win at Wake Forest. Winthrop (3-13) returns home after a 65-45 loss at Charlotte in its last game.
Asheville is on its longest winning streak since winning five straight from Dec. 23, 2004 through Jan. 18, 2005. In that streak, the fifth victory came against Winthrop. One key to the current winning streak is that the Bulldogs are shooting 76.7 percent (72-for-94) from the free throw line. In the last four games, the Dogs have made more free throws than opponents have taken.
Ashton Barton and Kyla Jones each posted double-doubles against Wake Forest on Monday. Barton scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds at Wake and is the Bulldogs' leading scorer averaging 14.9 points per game. Jones scored a career-high 14 points and also pulled down 10 boards at Wake Forest.
With a victory on Saturday, Asheville head coach Betsy Blose would become the winningest coach in UNC Asheville history. Blose has 64 career wins in Asheville tying her with Helen Carroll (1981-84) who led UNC Asheville to a NAIA National Championship in 1984.
Winthrop has lost five-straight games heading into Saturday's action. The Lady Eagles are the best free throw shooting team in the conference. Last season's Freshman of the Year Ashley Fann leads the Eagles in scoring and rebounding at 10.8 points and 5.8 boards per game. Tiffany Rodd is scoring 10.3 points per game while 65 percent of her shots this season are from three-point range. Winthrop is last in the Big South in scoring and rebounding.
UNC Asheville has played Winthrop more than any other opponent since 1980. The Bulldogs and Eagles have split their 48 pervious meetings. The teams are also 10-10 in games played the Winthrop Coliseum.
Both schools will be providing internet only audio broadcasts of the game and video streaming will also be available free of charge on bigsouthsports.com.
