University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Women's Basketball Returns Home on Saturday Afternoon
12.04.2015 | Women's Basketball
THE MATCHUP
Teams: Asheville (5-1, 1-0 BSC)
Warren Wilson (6-5, 0-0 USCAA)
Location: Kimmel Arena/Asheville, NC
Time: 2:00 p.m.
VIDEO (Big South Network) - AUDIO (Bulldog Radio Network)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville women's basketball team looks to continue a five-game winning streak at home in the Kimmel Arena on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Immediately following the game, the UNC Asheville men's basketball team will host Johnson & Wales at 4:30 for the season's first doubleheader. This doubleheader will also fall on Star Wars Day for the Bulldogs, and fans are encouraged to show off their best Star Wars costumes.
NOTABLES
Bulldogs on a Roll: The Bulldogs have rolled off five consecutive victories under fourth-year head coach Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, as Asheville has gotten off to the program's best start in NCAA Division I era at 5-1. The only other Bulldog team in program history to have started 5-1 was the 1984-85 team during the NAIA era. The previous best-NCAA Division I era start was a 4-2 mark to open the 2006-07 season, a year in which the Bulldogs won the Big South Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Big in the Big South: Asheville leads the Big South Conference in six different team statistical categories, including: scoring offense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, turnovers, and assist-to-turnover ratio. Individually, Tianna Knuckles is fifth in the conference in scoring and has the most three-point baskets made to this point in the season, while Ja'Da Brayboy is second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Starting Strong: With their win at Presbyterian on Monday night, the Bulldogs have now opened Big South Conference play with a victory three seasons in a row, starting with a road victory twice during that stretch (2013 and 2015).
QUOTEABLES FROM BRENDA MOCK KIRKPATRICK
On the matchup: “We are looking forward to the matchup because we're excited about another opportunity to get better. This team is incredibly fun to work with. They have a real hunger for getting better through the process of practice and competing, on and off the court.”
On the keys to current success: “Right now, we're extremely focused on the defensive side of the ball. We have been scoring pretty well on the offensive side as of late, but we don't want to hang our hat on offense, because that's not too safe, or wise in basketball.”
On continuing to get better: “We want to be a better rebounding team and a better defensive team. By really focusing on how we can improve and add in that area, we can become a better-rounded team. We're hoping to use this game as an opportunity to improve in both areas as we look forward to conference play.”
UP NEXT
-Following Saturday afternoon's game, Asheville will be back in the Kimmel Arena for a non-conference matchup against UNC Greensboro on December 10th at 7:00 p.m.
