Men's Basketball Time at South Carolina on Saturday Changed to 8 p.m.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville men's basketball team will play at South Carolina on Saturday night. Tip-off for the game with the Gamecocks has been changed from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The game will be televised by CSS in the Asheville area and can be heard live on ESPN Radio 970 and 1310 WISE.

The UNC Asheville will look to continue its best start in 23 years as it travels to South Carolina on Saturday. The Dogs are 10-3 this season and winners of two-straight after knocking off Buffalo and Montreat at the Justice Center. Asheville has played nine of its first 13 games at home but now begins a tough two-game road trip to wrap up non-conference play. The Bulldogs are 14-4 dating back to last season and have shot 50 percent or better from the floor in nine games this season. Bryan Smithson has scored in double figures in nine of 10 games he has played in this season. Asheville has 118 blocked shots on the year and could break the school record of 142 that was set last year sometime in January.

Asheville has five players averaging double-figure points led by Smithson at 17.3 points per game. K.J. Garland adds 16.1 points per game while Kenny George contributes 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest. Vincent James scores 11.6 points and Reid Augst adds 10.9 points per game.

South Carolina has won three straight games and brings an 8-5 record into Saturday's action. Devan Downey leads the Gamecocks in scoring at 18.6 points per game. Zam Fredrick , Dominique Archie and Brandis Raley-Ross are all averaging in double figures for USC. Raley-Ross will miss Saturday's game with an ankle sprain.

USC leads the all-time series 7-1 after the Gamecocks took a 71-51 victory at the Colonial Center last season. Asheville's lone win in the series came back on Dec. 19, 1996 at the Carolina Coliseum.