University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
15 Home Games Highlight 2009-10 Women?s Basketball Schedule
07.01.2009 | Women's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C.?UNC Asheville will have one of the youngest teams in the Big South in 2009-10. Head Coach Betsy Blose hopes to counter not having any senior players with 15 home games as she announced her 2009-10 schedule on Tuesday.
“There are so many uncertainties about this year's team. We do not have any seniors and I will have a new coaching staff so I thought it would be important to play at home early in the season so we have a chance to build some confidence,” said Blose.
Three of the Bulldogs first four games will be played at the Justice Center beginning with the opener against Newberry on Nov. 14. The Dogs go on the road for the first time against South Carolina State on Nov. 17, before returning home to play Lees-McRae (Nov. 21) and Campbell (Nov. 24). November ends with a game at USC Upstate on the 28th.
Asheville will open December at Western Carolina on the second before traveling to Charlotte on the fifth. The Bulldogs return to Justice Center for three games against Southern Wesleyan (Dec. 11), Georgia Southern (Dec. 16), and Elon (Dec. 21). It will be the first meeting with Elon since the Phoenix left the Big South Conference in 2003.
Coach Blose will return to her Alma Mater, James Madison on Dec. 29 and 30, as the Bulldogs compete in the James Madison Holiday Tournament along with Western Michigan and Lafayette (Pa.).
“JMU has been trying to get me to come back and play for a number of years. It will be exciting to go back there and be surrounded by family and friends,” said Blose.
Big South Conference play begins on Jan. 2, as the Bulldogs host Coastal Carolina. Charleston Southern will be at Justice Center on Jan. 4.
The longest road trip of the season has the Dogs playing their next four games away from Asheville against Gardner-Webb (Jan. 9), Presbyterian (Jan. 11), Radford (Jan. 16), and Liberty (Jan. 18).
The Dogs return home for a non-conference bout with North Carolina Central on Jan. 22, before facing High Point on Jan. 25.
A trip to Winthrop on Jan. 30, wraps up January and February begins with the beach trip. Asheville is at Charleston Southern on Feb. 6, and at Coastal Carolina on Feb. 8. A pair of home games against Presbyterian (Feb. 13) and Gardner-Webb (Feb. 15) begin a stretch which has Asheville playing five of its final six games at home to end the year.
The last road game will be at High Point on Feb. 20. The Dogs host Liberty (Feb. 27) on homecoming, Radford (March 1) and Winthrop (March 5) to conclude the regular season.
For the second year in a row, the Big South Tournament will be played at High Point from March 13-15.
“I think we have a balanced schedule this year,” said Blose. “We have three NCAA tournament teams (Western Carolina, Charlotte, and Liberty) along with a WNIT team (James Madison). I hope that we can gain confidence and experience in the non-conference and have that build into conference play. I think the Big South is going to be strong this year. Coastal, High Point, and Gardner-Webb have everyone back. Liberty will reload. To be successful we are going to have to grow up fast.”
