Men's Basketball Heads to Charleston Southern & Coastal Carolina

ASHEVILLE, N.C. ? The UNC Asheville men's basketball team hits the South Carolina coast this weekend for a pair of Big South Conference battles. The Bulldogs play at Charleston Southern Saturday night and tip at 7:30 p.m.. On Monday, Asheville journeys to Coastal Carolina for a conference game at 7 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on WISE Radio (1310-AM) and can be seen via video-streaming at www.bigsouthsports.com for a small fee.

The Bulldogs bring a 15-4 record and perfect 4-0 mark in league play to Charleston Southern Saturday night. Asheville won its fourth straight game on Wednesday with a hard-fought 82-63 home win over Radford. The Bulldogs will attempt to go 5-0 in league play for the first time since the 2001-02 season.

Asheville knocked the Buccaneers off twice last season. The Dogs won 53-40 at Justice Center and then at Charleston Southern late in the year, 73-56. It was the Bulldogs first season sweep of the Buccaneers since the 1999-00 season. However, CSU is much improved from last season. Bulldog head coach Eddie Biedenbach expects a very tough game from the Buccaneers on Saturday. CSU has a 7-12 overall record and 1-3 mark in league play.

“Charleston Southern had a lot of injuries last season and didn't have the kind of season they wanted,” explained Biedenbach. “However, Charleston Southern is a much better team this year. Barclay Radenbaugh (CSU's head coach) always gets the most out of his team. They are very well-coached and play hard every possession. Charleston Southern has some good young players that are going to make them (CSU) a good team this year and in the future.”

Freshman guard Omar Carter leads the CSU attack with a 15.7 scoring average. He's knocked down 40 treys and leads the club in steals at 27. Another freshman guard, Jamaraco Warren, is second on the team in scoring with a 14.4 mark. He has knocked down 47 treys. Senior guard Chris Moore returns after missing last season with an injury. He beat the Bulldogs almost by himself two years ago twice. He averaged 13.1 points per game and has 54 assists. Moore has knocked down 49 treys.

“I've always liked the way Chris Moore plays,” explained Biedenbach. “I'm glad he's back playing this year but he'll be a handful Saturday night.

“We're going to have to play very well to have a chance at winning Saturday night,” added Biedenbach. “Charleston Southern is a tough place to play and they always play well at home.”

The Bulldogs continue to have great balance in their team scoring as four different players are averaging in double figures. Senior guard Bryan Smithson tops the club with an 18.1 average. K.J. Garland is averaging 14.3 points per game, while junior center Kenny George is averaging 12.7 points and a team-leading eight rebounds per game. Senior forward Vincent James is producing 11.2 points per game.

Asheville continues to enjoy an amazing year shooting the ball. The Bulldogs are fourth nationally in field goal percentage at 50.7 percent. Eddie Biedenbach's club has been at or above 50 percent from the field in 13 games this year.

NOTES ? K.J. Garland is second in school history for assists with 437 and needs just 24 to become the school's all-time leader and pass George Gilbert (460)...the Bulldogs have not been 15-4 since the 1982-83 season...Asheville has won 19 of its last 24 games dating back to last season...the Bulldogs are also ranked nationally in blocks as they're tied for third (7.6), 11^th in assists (18.2) and 33^rd in three-point field goal percentage (39.3%).