Bulldogs and Shepard Prepare for Big South Tournament; Asheville Hosts Radford Friday at 4:30

By Jason Mcgill

COURTESY OF Asheville Citizen-Times

ASHEVILLE ? For the first time in 22 years of Big South Conference women's basketball, the defending champion will enter the tournament with the last-place seed.

That's the scenario facing UNC Asheville as the Bulldogs prepare to play Radford at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Justice Center.

Asheville coach Betsy Blose is hoping a “loosen up” approach ? similar to how the Bulldogs began their championship run last year ? will help her team overcome the daunting challenge of playing three games in three days with just seven players. Blose even took the team bowling before last Wednesday's win at Winthrop, just looking to relax at the end of a long season marred by injuries and letdowns.

“We work hard, but we don't always work smart,” said Blose, whose team beat Radford in last year's championship game for its first NCAA tournament berth. “(Last year), I had a lot of confidence in our upperclassmen. We just seemed real relaxed ... everything became so mental."

Blose recently showed her team a compilation of last year's highlights to help motivate the Bulldogs (12-17). She'll also call heavily on seniors Stacy Shepard, a 6-foot-3 center, and Ashton Barton, a 5-8 guard.

Shepard leads the league with 9.9 rebounds per game ? 18th overall in NCAA Division I ? while Barton ranks fourth in the Big South in scoring at 13.4 points per game.

“I'm a senior, I'm expected to step up,” said Shepard, who was named to the All-Tournament team as a freshman. “We definitely had high expectations coming into this season, but we can't help what happens as far as injuries go. I'm approaching (the tournament) the same way I always do. I still want to play hard and win.”

Blose said Shepard has matured during her time at Asheville, but it hasn't always been easy. Before starting all 29 games this year, Shepard started just 18 of 89 games in large part because of inconsistent play and a four-guard lineup.

“Somewhere along the line, she stopped earning the right. She thought it'd be given to her,” Blose said. “She's definitely earned the right to be out there this season.”

Shepard's 9.9 rpg this season is a stark contrast to her 5.3 career average. In a 66-60 win over Mercer Dec. 21, the Altavista, Va., native netted 19 points and 15 rebounds.

“That was the point I knew I could really help my team,” said Shepard, who has been hitting on 70.6 percent of her free throws in conference play compared to 52.1 percent for her career. “I want to average double figures in rebounds. ... I've got to get 12 rebounds against Radford.”

Shepard collected her 700th career rebound this season, and is on pace to finish fourth all-time at Asheville. She also is fourth in the league in blocks (1.34 bpg), while averaging 7.8 ppg.