University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Bulldogs Host Mars Hill on Wednesday Night inside Kimmel Arena
11.17.2015 | Men's Basketball
THE MATCHUP
Teams: Asheville (0-2, 0-0 BSC)
Mars Hill (0-2, 0-0 SAC)
Location: Kimmel Arena/Asheville, N.C.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
VIDEO (Big South Network) - AUDIO (Bulldog Radio Network)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's basketball team will look to grab its first win of the season on Wednesday night against Mars Hill before the Bulldogs embark on a 10-day road trip across six time zones to play Texas A&M and in the Great Alaska Shootout. Wednesday night's game will be broadcast locally in the Asheville market on WMYA My40-TV.
NOTABLES
Bulldogs Look to Rebound on Wednesday: Asheville is off to a 0-2 start to the season for the fourth time in the last 10 seasons (2015-16, 2013-14, 2011-12, 2009-10). The Bulldogs have not started 0-3 overall since that 2009-10 campaign, part of a larger 0-6 start to the schedule. Wednesday's meeting will be the first time Asheville has met Mars Hill in the regular season since Nov. 16, 2011 - a 126-75 Bulldog victory. Overall, Asheville leads the all-time series 32-19. The first meeting came in 1965, a 92-70 Mars Hill victory.
Last Meeting in the Series: Asheville placed seven players in double figures and set a school record for assists as the Bulldogs won their first game of the 2011-12 season with an 126-75 victory over Mars Hill in what was the second men's contest in then-brand new Kimmel Arena. The 126 points was the second highest in school history by Asheville against a short-handed Lions squad that had five players out with injuries. The Bulldogs had 38 assists in the game, breaking the old mark of 31 assists set in the 1987-88 season against Voorhees. The November 2011 matchup was the first regular-season meeting between the two schools since the 1994-95 season when Asheville edged Mars Hill, 72-67 at the Civic Center.
Who Will Score...Answered: A team left wondering where the scoring would come from entering the season, Asheville has received scoring contributions from nine of the 10 players that have seen action through two games. Three players are averaging double-digit scoring over the first two games (Kevin Vannatta 18.5 points, Will Weeks 18.0 points, Sam Hughes 11.5 points).
Limit the Turnovers: Through two games, the Bulldogs have turned the ball over 32 times. In Sunday's loss at Western Carolina, Asheville gave it away 19 times and saw the Catamounts turn that into 17 points. Asheville did a little better in the opener at Tennessee, finishing with 12 turnovers that lead to 10 Tennessee points in the contest.
Welcome Home, For a Moment: Mostly due to the Great Alaska Shootout, Asheville opens up the 2015-16 season with six of its first seven games on the road, with Wednesday's Mars Hill contest the only home game. The Bulldogs will catch up on their time in front of the home fans in December however, as five of their seven games are inside Kimmel Arena next month. Asheville returns from Alaska with three straight home contests, including their Big South Conference opener against Campbell on December 13, as they will be able to enjoy their friendly confines until mid-December when they have to hit the road again to travel up to Georgetown on Saturday, December 19.
UP NEXT
-Following Wednesday night's game, Asheville heads out on their 10-day road trip to play Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon before continuing on to the Great Alaskan Shootout on November 27, 28 and 29. The Bulldogs return home to Kimmel Arena on December 5 when they host Johnson & Wales.
