CHARLOTTE, N.C. ? UNC Asheville's Ana Baker has been named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Player of the Week in women's basketball, while Taleia Moton from Radford was tabbed New Balance Freshman of the Week, the League announced today.
Baker, a junior from Odenton, Md., averaged 12.0 points per game, dished out 19 assists and came away with 17 steals to lead the Bulldogs to a 2-1 record on the week. She got her week going with 10 points on 5-of-12 from the floor for a 42-percent clip with seven assists, four rebounds and school-record tying eight steals as Asheville downed Montreat on Nov. 12. Four days later at home against Davidson in the Carolina First Tournament, Baker recorded 14 points, as she connected on 6-of-12 field goals and 2-of-3 from downtown. She also chipped in four assists, four steals and three boards in the game against the Wildcats. She helped the Bulldogs close the weekend out with a win with 12 points on 63-percent shooting from the floor and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc against Gardner-Webb the next day. She also dished out eight assists and came away with five steals and five rebounds against the Runnin' Bulldogs. For her efforts in the tournament she was named to the Carolina First All-Tournament Team.
Baker and Bulldogs return to the court tonight to face Furman in a 7 p.m. game. The game can be seen on the Big South Edge at www.bigsouthsports.com.
The Paladins opened the season with a 68-51 loss at Vanderbilt but have comeback to win their last two games, 77-63 over Tusculum and 88-76 over Jacksonville State. Kali Holtfreter is leading the team at 11.3 points per game while Katie Johnson is averaging 10.3 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game. Furman is shooting almost 80 percent as a team from the free throw line and averaging six made three-pointers per game.
The Bulldogs and Paladins have met 21 times with Furman holding a slim 11-10 advantage. The Bulldogs won the last meeting at the Justice Center 66-62 on Dec. 10, 2005. Furman's last win in the series came in Greenville, 79-65, on Nov. 26, 2004. Both teams enter tonight's match up with 2-1 records.
