ASHEVILLE, N.C.?UNC Asheville women's basketball team returns home to face Winthrop on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. It is Asheville's Think Pink game to support the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. The game can be seen via video stream on bigsouthsports.com for a small fee.
Asheville (10-11, 1-3 Big South) is coming off a pair of road losses that saw the Bulldogs shoot a combined 25 percent from the floor in two games. Asheville has been much better at home this season with an 8-2 home record.
“This is a big game for us,” said Asheville head coach Betsy Blose. “The atmosphere in the Justice Center gives our players a boost that we do not get on the road. I hope fans will wear pink to the game and support this cause. Winthrop is having a great year and we will have to put some adversity behind us and play well to be successful.”
The most recent two members of the Big South's 1,000 point club will be on display. Winthrop's (14-8, 2-2 Big South) Ashley Fann became the 49th Big South player to reach 1,000 points on Jan. 26 and enters the game with 1,030 career points. Asheville's Ashton Barton became the 50th player to reach the milestone on Jan. 29, and enters the game with 1,016 points. Both players scored their 1,000th points against Charleston Southern.
Barton, who will be honored before the game, leads Asheville in scoring at 13.3 points per game and is third in the Big South in scoring. Stacy Shepard continues to lead the conference in rebounding at 9.6 boards per game.
The Eagles have dropped two straight games after winning six in a row from Jan. 9-Jan. 26. Winthrop's next victory will set a new school record for wins as a division I program. The Eagles lead the Big South in field goal percentage defense while leading scorer Fann is fourth in the league is scoring a 13.2 points per game and is seventh in rebounding at 6.4 boards per game. Yvonne Van Daalen is second in the Big South in assists and Tiffany Rodd is third in made three-pointers per game.
UNC Asheville took all three games last season to take a 26-25 lead in the all-time series. The last meeting came in the Big South semifinals last season at the Justice Center with Asheville coming away with a 64-53 victory on its way to the tournament title. Winthrop's last win in the series came 64-61 in Rock Hill on Jan. 18, 2006.
Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game in support of the WBCA's Think Pink initiative. Those who wear pink to the game will be admitted free of charge with a $2 donation to the Kay Yow Foundation. Coaches for both teams will be wearing pink Crocs on the sidelines during the game.
Tip-off is 7 p.m. and the UNC Asheville men's team will be signing autographs from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
