University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Women's Basketball Picked to Finish in 10th Place in Preseason Poll
10.11.2011 | Women's Basketball
"It's not where you're picked; it's where you finish," stated Bulldog coach Betsy Blose. "We're a little disappointed to be picked that low but this should bring about a tremendous amount of motivation for this year's team."
The Bulldogs finished last season at 12-18. Asheville finished sixth in league play with a 5-11 BSC mark.
Blose likes what she sees so far from the 2011-12 Bulldog team.
"We're in a lot better shape at this time of the year than we've been in the past," explained Blose. "First and foremost, all 13 of our players are healthy. We're not rehabbing or hoping to get someone ready by the first week of the season. All of our players are working hard in the preseason and are healthy.
"The chemistry of this team has just been great so far," Blose said. "Hopefully, we can keep it that way, but everyone has bought into what we're doing and how we're doing it. We're all on the same page."
The Bulldogs do have some holes to fill. Asheville graduated two starters who were both 1,000-point career scorers in guard Kendall Shepard and forward Lindsey Montgomery.
"We have some scoring and rebounding to replace and that won't be easy," said Blose. "But I really like the newcomers we've brought into the program. They're really working well with the veterans and everyone is determined to get better each day.
The public will get its first chance to see the 2011-12 Bulldogs on Friday night at Dunkin' at the Doghouse presented by Zaxby's at Kimmel Arena starting at 6 p.m. Admission is free.
Asheville opens exhibition play at Kimmel on Nov. 7 against Bluefield starting at 5:30 p.m. The Bulldogs will then open the regular season at Kimmel on Nov. 12 when they host Winston-Salem State starting at 2 p.m.
