Bulldogs-Tar Heels Set to Square off at Kimmel Arena on Sunday

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville men's basketball team will play one of the most anticipated games in school history when the Bulldogs welcome the top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels to Kimmel Arena at 4 p.m. Sunday's game will be nationally televised on ESPNU and can also be heard locally on WWNC Radio (570-AM). It can also be heard via audio-streamed at www.uncabulldogs.com.

The game with the Tar Heels is the first official game in Kimmel Arena and has been sold out for weeks.

Asheville (0-1) opened the season with an 84-75 loss at N.C. State Friday night. The Tar Heels downed Michigan State, 67-55 on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

Head Coach Eddie Biedenbach is looking forward to Sunday but knows his Bulldogs have a huge challenge in front of them.

"North Carolina is exceptionally talented," stated Biedenbach. "We know we're going to have to play a lot better than we did at N.C. State to have any chance of staying in the game.

"But our kids are very excited," added Biedenbach. "This game has been talked about for a long time and it's finally here. It's going to be a great day at UNC Asheville on Sunday. We have a new arena, the top-ranked team in the nation opening it, a sell-out crowd plus the game is on national television. It doesn't get much better than this."

The defending Big South Conference champions got off to a slow start at N.C. State. The Bulldogs trailed 44-27 at halftime before making several spirited runs in the second half. Asheville out-scored the Wolfpack, 48-40 but just couldn't get any closer than seven points.

"We were sloppy in the first half and didn't get back on defense at times," commented Biedenbach. "We made some runs in the second half but just didn't play well enough to beat an ACC team on the road."

This will be the eighth meeting between the teams with UNC holding a 7-0 advantage. The Tar Heels held off the Bulldogs last year in Chapel Hill, 80-69. J.P. Primm led Asheville with 21 points. UNC led by 22 points early in the second half only to see Asheville claw within six late in the game. Tyler Zeller led the Tar Heels with 21 points.

On Friday, Asheville had four players in double figures. Matt Dickey paced the Bulldogs with 17 points, while Jaron Lane added 13 points. Chris Stephenson and newcomer Jeremy Atkinson finished with 11 points each.