University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Bulldogs Open Big South Conference Play at Gardner-Webb Friday Night
12.03.2009 | Men's Basketball
Asheville (0-6) is looking for its first win of the season on Friday. The Bulldogs played #4 Kentucky in Louisville Monday night and fell 94-57. Gardner-Webb (3-2) has not played since Saturday when it lost at home to Western Carolina, 75-59.
This is the worst start by an Asheville team since the 1999-00 club started out 0-9. However, that club recovered by finishing in third place in the Big South Conference that year and advanced to the league title game. Bulldog coach Eddie Biedenbach is starting to see some progress but there's still work to do.
"We're starting to get better and making some strides," stated Biedenbach. "However, we are not where we need to be right now. We're still turning the ball over way too much, not playing defense the way we need to, and we've got to shoot the ball better than we've been doing."
Asheville faces a Gardner-Webb team that the Bulldogs defeated twice last year in two very close games. Asheville rallied for an 86-76 victory on Jan. 10 at Gardner-Webb and then slipped past the Runnin' Bulldogs in overtime 87-78 in overtime on Feb. 11.
"We had two great games with Gardner-Webb last season that we were fortunate to win," commented Biedenbach. "Gardner-Webb is a talented team this year. They played North Carolina tough in Chapel Hill, and Rick Scruggs (GW's head coach) is an excellent coach. They'll be ready to play on Friday night."
NOTES - Bulldog Head Coach Eddie Biedenbach is 12-1 in Big South Conference lid-lifters, and Asheville has won four straight going into Friday night's game...the Bulldogs are 3-0 on the road in Big South opening games under Biedenbach...Sean Smith is in third place on Asheville's career three-pointers made list with 145...he knocked down six against Kentucky Monday night and moved past former teammate K.J. Garland (144)...the Bulldogs have allowed four of their last five opponents to shoot better than 50 percent from the field...Asheville has shot 56 percent or below from the free throw line in four of its six games.
