Men's Basketball Set to Host Montreat College on Saturday

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville men's basketball team is glad to be home after a long and demanding five-game road trip. The Bulldogs host area foe Montreat College at Justice Center on Saturday starting at 4:30 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcast locally on ESPN Radio (1310-AM) with the pre-game show at 4 p.m. The game will also be video-streamed and can be seen for a small fee at www.uncabulldogs.com.

Fans can get into the game for free by bringing a toy to donate to Toys for Tots. Any fan bringing a toy will receive a free general admission ticket.

The Bulldogs (3-5) have not played since a 76-73 defeat at High Point last Saturday night. Asheville's five-game road trip includes stops in three states and the District of Columbia over a two-week period. Saturday's contest vs. Montreat begins a stretch of five home games over the next six games. The Bulldogs only road game during that time will be at #2 Oho State on Dec. 21.

"We're glad to be at home for awhile," stated Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach. "We've been on the road for most of the season and it will be nice to play some home games. Our guys have played well at home this year. Hopefully that trend will continue on Saturday."

The Bulldogs face a Montreat club that is 3-6 on the season. Asheville won last year's meeting, 100-49 as five players scored in double figures as the Bulldogs led from start to finish. The Cavaliers played Appalachian State and Charleston Southern in exhibition games earlier this year. They lost to ASU, 101-71 and to CSU, 103-85. In both contests, Montreat played well for most of the game until the Cavaliers got worn down late.

"Montreat is much improved from last year," explained Biedenbach. "They gave both Appalachian State and Charleston Southern fits for much of their games, and we know they'll be ready to play on Saturday. Our guys better be focused and ready to play hard for 40 minutes"

Senior forward Matt Rushing leads the Cavalier attack with a 10.8 scoring average. He scored 28 points earlier this season in a game. Junior center Steve McBorrough is averaging 9.8 points per game and is shooting close to 50 percent from the field.

Junior guards Matt Dickey and J.P. Primm are both tied for the team lead in scoring with 16.3 averages. Sophomore center D.J. Cunningham is averaging 10.9 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per outing.

BULLDOG NOTES
UNC Asheville head coach Eddie Biedenbach is gunning for his 200^th win as Bulldogs head coach. He has a 199-223 overall record in his 15 years as Asheville's head coach.

The Bulldogs are sixth nationally in steals with an 11.4 average. They have had at least 10 steals in the past six games.

Senior forward John Williams will not play on Saturday due a facial injury suffered at UNC Chapel Hill on Nov. 23. He could be out from anywhere to two to six more weeks.

Asheville has a 10-game winning streak at Justice Center dating back to last season. The streak is tied for the 15^th longest in the nation.

The Bulldogs have played seven of their first eight games away from home. They have lost three games by a total of seven points.

Four of Asheville's last 13 games have gone to overtime, all on the road. The Bulldogs are 2-2 in those games and 1-1 this year.

Asheville leads the all-time series with Montreat 16-2. The Bulldogs have won the last four meetings, including last year's 100-49 decision.

Junior forward Quinard Jackson scored a career-high 17 points at High Point last Saturday. He made his first start of the year in that game as he went 6-of-7 from the field and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe. Jackson leads Asheville in field goal percentage at 65.5 percent (19-of-29).

The Bulldogs have out-scored each of their eight opponents in the second half. Asheville has been behind at halftime in six of its games and been behind by double figures in five of those contests.