University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Paige Love Named 2nd Team Preseason All-Conference
10.27.2014 | Women's Basketball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – UNC Asheville junior guard Paige Love has been selected to the Big South Preseason All-Conference second team Monday morning at the league's annual media day that is being held at the Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites in Uptown Charlotte.
In addition, the women's team was selected seventh in the Big South Conference preseason poll. League juggernaut Liberty was picked to win the league, followed by last year's regular-season champion High Point. Winthrop, which won the league last season, was selected in third, followed by Campbell, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb and UNC Asheville.
It was the highest the Bulldog program has been picked in four years. Third-year Asheville coach Brenda Kirkpatrick is optimistic about the upcoming season. The Bulldogs improved from 2-28 in 2013-13 to 11-20 last year. Asheville returns 11 letterwinners and five starters from last year's club.
“We want to build off of last season's turnaround from zero Division I wins in 2012-13 to 10 Division I wins in 2013-14. It's time now to take this program to the next level and begin competing consistently, which is not something we did last season,” stated Kirkpatrick.
“We need to be a more disciplined team on the court in all facets. I was not always pleased with our shot selection on offense and lack of discipline on defense, in particular our average production on the boards,” added Kirkpatrick. “We are capable of being a much better rebounding team with the personnel we have. We have recruited that skill set with our three freshmen, and our returners are dedicated to a more consistent approach to competing for rebounds in practice and in games.”
Love was Asheville's third leading scorer with a 9.3 average last season. She led the Bulldogs in rebounding with a 5.2 mark and was second in assists at 69. The junior guard gave Asheville some national exposure last year with her half-court shot on opening day that beat Furman, 69-66.
“Paige Love is the epitome of hard work leading to success. She is totally bought into our system and truly shares the vision of winning a championship in the Big South,” stated Kirkpatrick. “She was one of our most consistent players from practice to practice and game to game last year. Paige has worked hard to become an even more physical player and threat from the perimeter in the off season. I expect her to pick up where she left off.”
UNC Asheville will have one exhibition game on Nov. 8 when the Bulldogs host Brevard College at Kimmel Arena starting at 5 p.m. Asheville opens the 2014-15 season at home on Friday, Nov. 14 against East Tennessee State at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs open Big South Conference play at home on Dec. 1 vs. Charleston Southern.
