Bulldogs Set to Play Winthrop in Quarterfinals of Big South Tournament

ASHEVILLE, N.C. ? The UNC Asheville men's basketball team begins play in the Advance Auto Parts Big South Conference Tournament Tuesday night when the fourth-seeded Bulldogs host fifth-seeded Winthrop at Justice Center starting at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally on WISE Radio (1310-AM) and video-streamed on The Edge at www.bigsouthsports.com.

The winner of Tuesday's game heads to Radford to face either top-seeded Radford or eighth-seeded High Point Thursday night at the Dedmon Center in the semifinals of the tournament. The semifinal winners play for the championship Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the site of the highest remaining seed.

UNC Asheville (14-15, 10-8 BSC) has enjoyed a remarkable season. A very young Bulldog team was picked to finish in ninth place in the Big South preseason poll but earned a home game with a fourth-place finish. However, Asheville faces a tough assignment against Winthrop. The Eagles have won five straight games and knocked the Bulldogs off twice this year. They routed Asheville in Rock Hill on Jan. 17, 87-67 and rallied past the Dogs, 56-49 at Justice Center on Jan. 28. In addition, the Eagles whipped Asheville 66-48 in last year's Big South title game at Justice Center.

Winthrop (11-18, 9-9 BSC) has bounced back from a tough non-conference schedule and some frustrating close losses to play its best basketball at the end of the season. The Eagles have won five straight with four of those victories coming by five points or less. Winthrop's defense has always been its calling card and it has been especially tough in its winning streak. The Eagles have allowed their last five opponents to score just 53.4 points per game.

“We've got our work cut for us,” commented UNC Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach. Winthrop had a very difficult non-conference schedule and had some injuries to deal with. They've responded by playing very well lately, and we'll give us a very tough game on Tuesday. We have got to be able to match their intensity from the start on Tuesday and be ready to play.”

The Bulldogs have won five of their last seven games but did not play well in their last game as they fell at Presbyterian Saturday night, 76-61. An anemic Asheville offense only scored 15 points in the first half before making a nice rally in the second half only to fall short.

“We just didn't match Presbyterian's intensity on Saturday in the first half. We let them bang us around and didn't respond well,” stated Biedenbach. “We finally found our stride in the second half and made a nice run but it was way too late.”

This will be the ninth time that UNC Asheville and Winthrop have squared off in the Big South Tournament. The Eagles hold a 5-3 edge and have won the last two meetings which have occurred the past two years. Winthrop ended Asheville's season in the semifinals in 2007 with a 79-60 win in Rock Hill. The Eagles stunned the Dogs last year in the title game at Justice Center, 66-48.

NOTES: UNC Asheville is 2-2 all-time in Big South Tournament games held at Justice Center going 1-1 in quarterfinal contests...the Bulldogs have been slow to get out of the gate against Winthrop in their last three games, scoring just 21.6 points in the first half of those games...UNC Asheville had five players average in double figures in scoring in Big South Conference games...J.P. Primm's 130 assists are the most by a freshman since Josh Kohn had 141 in the 2002-03 season...the Bulldogs are 27-6 at Justice Center over the last two years but two of those losses are to Winthorp...UNC Asheville has only out-rebounded one opponent in its last 15 games but the Bulldogs are 8-7 in those games...John Williams shot 60 percent (87-of-145) from the field in league games.

University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics

Bulldogs Set to Play Winthrop in Quarterfinals of Big South Tournament

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