University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Big South-leading Coastal Carolina on Thursday
01.06.2010 | Men's Basketball
The Bulldogs (3-10, 1-2 BSC) look to break a four-game losing streak this afternoon but it won't be easy against a Coastal Carolina (14-2, 4-0 BSC) team that has won 10 games in a row. Asheville dropped a heart-breaking 66-62 decision at High Point Monday night. The Chanticleers improved to 4-0 in league play with a 76-62 win over Presbyterian Monday night.
Coastal Carolina was picked to finish in eighth place in the Big South Preseason Poll. Bulldog coach Eddie Biedenbach didn't believe that was going to happen in October and has been proven right with the Chanticleers play in the first part of the season.
"Cliff Ellis is a very good coach, and we knew some of the players he was bringing in would be very good," stated Biedenbach. "They have a very talented team. They're playing great defense and finding ways to win every time out. We have a major challenge in front of us on Thursday."
Asheville has battled and played hard the past three games but just has not been able to finish. The past two games against Radford and High Point have been very close late but the Bulldogs just haven't been able to get the win.
"We're playing hard and competing," commented Biedenbach. "When you get in a close game, sometimes it's the little things that you either do or don't do that can make a difference in winning or losing. We're missing too many free throws and making some costly turnovers that are costing us. If we can just eliminate a few mistakes we'll be OK."
The Bulldogs have been on the road for much of the 2009-10 season but finally will get to be a home for awhile. This afternoon's game starts a stretch where Asheville will play seven of its next nine games in the friendly confines of Justice Center. The Dogs host Charleston Southern Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. before going back on the road twice next week. Asheville starts a five-game homestand on Jan. 18th against Bluefield and that runs through Jan. 30 vs. Radford.
"It will be nice to be home for most of January," commented Biedenbach. "We've been on the road a lot this year and hopefully we can have success at home that we've enjoyed in the past."
NOTES - UNC Asheville and Coastal Carolina have met 54 times with each team winning 27 times...Asheville has lost 10 games but not one of those losses have come against a team with a losing record...the combined record of the opponents that have beaten the Bulldogs this year is 93-40...Asheville leads the Big South in blocked shots with a 5.5 per game average, while Coastal Carolina is second at 5.3
