ASHEVILLE, N.C.?UNC Asheville's women's basketball team will travel to East Tennessee State on Saturday for a non-conference match-up. Tip-off has been changed from the scheduled 1:30 tip and will now begin at 3 p.m. after the ETSU men's game which begins a Noon.
UNC Asheville is 4-3 on the season and is wrapping up a four-game road trip on Saturday. The Dogs fell 89-74 at Western Carolina on Wednesday. Ana Baker scored a career-high 19 points in the loss. Baker went 8-for-12 from the floor and is averaging 11.3 ppg this season which is well over her average of 4.5 ppg during her first two seasons. Ashton Barton continues to lead the Bulldogs in scoring at 15.3 points per game.
Asheville has scored 70 points or more in five of its first seven games. The Dogs are averaging 71.3 points per game. The problem is Asheville is allowing division I opponents to score 73.8 points per game. Two of the last three opponents have scored 88 and 89 points against Asheville. The Dogs have not lost two-straight this season and will look to rebound defensively against one of the top teams in the Atlantic Sun.
The Lady Bucs are 2-3 on the season and are coming off a tough 77-74 loss at Chattanooga. ETSU is scoring 73 points per game led by Michelle DeVault who is scoring 16.6 points per game. Sierra Evans is averaging 14.8 points and 10 rebounds per game while Kelli Thurman is adding 11.8 points off the bench. ETSU's trouble has been on the defensive end where it is allowing opponents to score 79.4 points per game.
The Bulldogs are 1-15 all-time against East Tennessee State. Last season, the Lady Bucs won 91-79 at the Justice Center. The Dogs only win in the series came in Asheville, 55-49, on Dec. 3, 2003. The Bulldogs ended a long losing streak to UNC Greensboro earning just their second win over the Spartans earlier this season 77-70 on Nov. 24.
The game can be heard on the internet at uncabulldogs.com with the pre-game show starting at 2:45 p.m.
