University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Bulldogs Host Gardner-Webb in Men's Hoops BSC Home Opener
01.02.2015 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's basketball team will play its first Big South Conference home game of the season Saturday afternoon when the Bulldogs host a red-hot Gardner-Webb squad at Kimmel Arena starting at 2 p.m.
Saturday's game will be televised locally on WMYA-TV and can be seen for free on the Big South Network. The game with the Runnin' Bulldogs will also be broadcast on WWNC Radio (570-AM) and iHeartRadio starting at 2 p.m.
Asheville (5-7, 1-0) won its Big South Conference opener for the 10th straight year on Wednesday when the Bulldogs won at Radford, 62-60 on a Jaleel Roberts' tap-in with two seconds left in the game. Gardner-Webb (9-5, 1-0 BSC) won its BSC opener Wednesday at Presbyterian College, 81-64. The victory was the Runnin' Bulldogs sixth in the last seven games. Included in that stretch was an 89-84 triumph at Big 10 foe Purdue on Dec. 22.
Bulldog coach Nick McDevitt was pleased with how Asheville played at Radford.
“I'm really proud of our guys for following the game-plan at Radford and finding a way to beat a very good team on the road,” stated McDevitt. “We played great transition defense and didn't turn the ball over against a team that will pressure you for 40 minutes. This was a great victory for our program.”
McDevitt knows the Bulldogs will need another effort like they had at Radford against Gardner-Webb.
“We've got our work cut for us against Gardner-Webb,” declared McDevitt. “They've beaten Clemson and Purdue and have been very impressive in the first part of the season. Gardner-Webb has an experienced team returning and knows how to win.”
Gardner-Webb leads the all-time series between the teams, 26-15 but Asheville has posted a 10-2 mark against the Runnin' Bulldogs since GWU joined the Big South Conference five years ago. Asheville won both meetings a year ago, winning 81-77 in Boiling Springs and 83-71 at Kimmel Arena.
Sophomore guard Andrew Rowsey leads the Bulldogs and the Big South in scoring with a 20.3 average. His scoring mark is 12th nationally, despite being held to five points at Radford Wednesday. Sophomore guard David Robertson had a game-high 17 points at Radford and is second on the team in scoring with a 12.6 mark. Senior center Jaleel Roberts tops the club in rebounding (5.8) and leads the Big South in blocked shots (3.27). His block average is seventh nationally.
Gardner-Webb is led by senior forward Jerome Hill with an 18.9 mark. He also tops the Runnin' Bulldogs and the Big South in rebounding (9.3). Hill is shooting .528 (95-of-180) from the field. Hill scored 31 points at Purdue on Dec. 22. Tyrell Nelson has a 13.4 scoring average and is shooting .587 (81-of-138) from the field. Tyler Strange leads the Big South in assists with 102 (7.29)
BULLDOG NOTES
UNC Asheville is 39-10 all-time at Kimmel Arena. The Bulldogs are 24-4 against BSC opponents. However, Gardner-Webb gave the Dogs one of those losses two years ago when it rallied for a 67-65 victory.
Asheville head coach Nick McDevitt is now 17-1 in Big South Conference opening games as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He is 2-0 as a head coach.
The Bulldogs have won at least 10 Big South Conference games for seven consecutive years, a claim no one else can make in the league.
Asheville is looking to start 2-0 in league play for the third time in the last four years.
Andrew Rowsey leads the Big South in scoring (20.7) and is second in free throw percentage (.898) and steals (1.8).
The Bulldogs lead the Big South Conference in free throw percentage (.745) and steals (8.42). They are second in three-point percentage (.367).
Asheville defeated Radford, 62-60 on Wednesday. The Bulldogs won despite going 3-of-20 from the three-point line.
Asheville had a season-low eight turnovers against Radford on Wednesday, making just one in the first half.
