Women's Basketball Travels to WCU Wednesday Night

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville women's basketball team goes on the road Wednesday night to take on mountain rival Western Carolina at the Ramsey Center starting at 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs (1-0) face a Catamount (2-0) team that is coming off two straight wins to open the season. Asheville opened the year with an 83-74 victory over Winston-Salem State Saturday afternoon at Kimmel Arena.

"We're a work in progress but there were a lot of good things to see in Saturday's win," commented Asheville head coach Betsy Blose. "We led the whole game but Winston-Salem State made a serious run at us in the second half, and we weathered that run."

Kelli Riles enjoyed a sensational game for the Bulldogs on Saturday with 21 points and a career-high 24 rebounds. She was a perfect 13-of-13 from the free throw line in the victory. Senior guard Lindsey Thompson led Asheville with 22 points. Grace Blaylock had 18 points on six 3-pointers in the win, while freshman guard Tacey Trammel had 13 points and five steals.

"Kelli was sensational and seemed to get every rebound there was," explained Blose. "But it was nice to see so many people contributing to the win. That's what it's going to take is everyone helping for us to have a chance at having a good season."

The Bulldogs fell to the Catamounts last year at Justice Center, 78-59. Blose expects a stiff challenge from WCU on Wednesday.

"Western Carolina is a pretty good basketball team," commented Blose. "They knocked off Charleston Southern Monday night and opened the season with a win at North Carolina Central. We're both similar in the way we play so it should make for a great game. We'll need to play very well to have a chance at winning."

The Bulldogs play next on Saturday afternoon at Kimmel Arena when they host Montreat College at 2 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcast locally on 880-AM and can be seen via video-streaming at www.uncabulldogs.com.

NOTING THE BULLDOGS

Kelli Riles had the second 20-20 game in the last 25 years at UNC Asheville on Saturday when she had 21 points and 24 rebounds. The 24 rebounds are the most by a Bulldog player since the 1983-84 season. Riles' 13-for-13 performance from the charity stripe is the second best performance by a Bulldog player as only Tara McMinn's 14-of-14 performance in the 1990-91 season is better.

Bulldog assistant coach Lauren Powell graduated from Western Carolina in 2009. She is one of the best players to ever play for the Catamounts and is the school's all-time leader in three-pointers made. Powell is in her second year as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs. Ironically, she broke the record for most career three-pointers against UNC Asheville at Justice Center on Dec. 2, 2008.

WCU has won four of the last five meetings between the teams. Asheville has lost its last two games in Cullowhee. The Bulldogs last victory in Cullowhee came on Dec. 3, 2005 when they rallied for a 77-66 overtime win.

UNC Asheville Director of Athletics Janet Cone was the head coach at Western Carolina from 1990 through 1993. She went 4-2 vs. the Bulldogs during her time in Cullowhee.

The Bulldogs went 18-of-19 from the charity stripe on Saturday.

Asheville was 7-7 on the road last year.