University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Photo by: UNC Asheville
UNC Asheville hits the road for nationally-televised game at Ohio State
12.20.2016 | Men's Basketball
UNC Asheville-Ohio State notes
UNC Asheville Bulldog Gift Giving Made Easy (It's not too late to get the perfect gifts for the Bulldogs in your life)
THE MATCHUP
Teams: UNC Asheville (8-4, 0-0 Big South Conference)
Ohio State (9-3, 0-0 Big Ten)
Location: Value City Arena/Columbus, Ohio
Time: Thursday, Dec. 22, 9 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Talent: Mark Neely (Play-by-Play) and Mark Adams (Analyst)
Live Stats: www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com
Twitter: @ashevilledogs #ThePursuit
BULLDOG BITES
CLOSING NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: UNC Asheville closes non-conference play by traveling to Columbus, Ohio to face off against Ohio State of the Big Ten.
SERIES: Ohio State leads the all-time series 5-0. The first meeting between UNC Asheville and Ohio State was in the 1993-94 season. The last time the two teams met was on Dec. 15, 2012, where then No. 7 Ohio State bested the Bulldogs, 90-72.
SECOND TIME: One player on this year's UNC Asheville roster was on the team that last played at Ohio State. In fact, redshirt senior Will Weeks, who redshirted the 2013-14 season with a knee injury, scored a then career-high 14 points in the 2012 meeting between Asheville and Ohio State.
HOMECOMING OF SORTS: The matchup with Ohio State is a homecoming of sorts for five Bulldogs as junior guard Kevin Vannatta, freshman forward Malik Smith, freshman guard MaCio Teague, freshman guard Drew Rackley and senior Will Weeks all are natives of the state.
SOLID START: Winners of eight of its last 10, UNC Asheville basketball is in the midst of its best start since the 2007-08 campaign at 8-4 overall.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Bulldogs are 4-1 on the year at home with wins over Siena, Brevard, Warren Wilson and Western Carolina. The Asheville men protected home court very efficiently last season as well, going 11-3 at home. UNC Asheville is 59-16 at Kimmel Arena all-time.
LAST TIME OUT: UNC Asheville head coach Nick McDevitt knew coming into the game that it may just come down to the final shot. It very much did with UNC Asheville having a chance to send the game into overtime with a MaCio Teague mid-range jumper just rimming out to allow UNCG to collect a narrow 75-73 win over Asheville on Monday, Dec. 19, at Kimmel Arena. The contest was about as tightly contested as one could be with the lead changing hands 19 times. The score was tied 10 times.
TOPS IN THE NATION: A record-breaking performance in UNC Asheville's dominant win over Warren Wilson earlier this season vaulted junior guard Ahmad Thomas into the top spot in the entire country in steals. The Danville, Va. native collected a program-record 10 steals in Asheville's win over Warren Wilson on Saturday, Dec. 10. He also had 13 points to procure a rare double-double in steals and points. On the year in 33.3 minutes played per game, Thomas has picked up 42 steals to average a nation's best 3.50 steals per outing.
THOMAS THE CONSISTENT ENGINE: Ahmad Thomas has scored in double figures every game this season after his 17 points in the loss to UNCG. Thomas has also recorded multiple rebounds and picked up at least a steal in each Bulldog game.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: In addition to collecting a career-high 29 points, MaCio Teague put together a first half to remember as he ended half No. 1 in the loss to UNCG with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting (77.7 percent). He was 3-for-5 (60 percent) from beyond the arc in the first stanza.
UP NEXT: UNC Asheville will open conference play by traveling to Radford, Va., to face off against Radford at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 29.
QUOTABLES
"We're looking forward to going to Columbus. Certainly, the opportunity to play against a national program like Ohio State on national TV is a great opportunity. It's a homecoming of sorts for several of our players as we have five from Ohio on our roster. Certainly Kevin Vannatta's from right there, so it will be great for those young men to get back in front of friends and family on Thursday night." - Nick McDevitt
UNC Asheville Bulldog Gift Giving Made Easy (It's not too late to get the perfect gifts for the Bulldogs in your life)
THE MATCHUP
Teams: UNC Asheville (8-4, 0-0 Big South Conference)
Ohio State (9-3, 0-0 Big Ten)
Location: Value City Arena/Columbus, Ohio
Time: Thursday, Dec. 22, 9 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Talent: Mark Neely (Play-by-Play) and Mark Adams (Analyst)
Live Stats: www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com
Twitter: @ashevilledogs #ThePursuit
BULLDOG BITES
CLOSING NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: UNC Asheville closes non-conference play by traveling to Columbus, Ohio to face off against Ohio State of the Big Ten.
SERIES: Ohio State leads the all-time series 5-0. The first meeting between UNC Asheville and Ohio State was in the 1993-94 season. The last time the two teams met was on Dec. 15, 2012, where then No. 7 Ohio State bested the Bulldogs, 90-72.
SECOND TIME: One player on this year's UNC Asheville roster was on the team that last played at Ohio State. In fact, redshirt senior Will Weeks, who redshirted the 2013-14 season with a knee injury, scored a then career-high 14 points in the 2012 meeting between Asheville and Ohio State.
HOMECOMING OF SORTS: The matchup with Ohio State is a homecoming of sorts for five Bulldogs as junior guard Kevin Vannatta, freshman forward Malik Smith, freshman guard MaCio Teague, freshman guard Drew Rackley and senior Will Weeks all are natives of the state.
SOLID START: Winners of eight of its last 10, UNC Asheville basketball is in the midst of its best start since the 2007-08 campaign at 8-4 overall.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Bulldogs are 4-1 on the year at home with wins over Siena, Brevard, Warren Wilson and Western Carolina. The Asheville men protected home court very efficiently last season as well, going 11-3 at home. UNC Asheville is 59-16 at Kimmel Arena all-time.
LAST TIME OUT: UNC Asheville head coach Nick McDevitt knew coming into the game that it may just come down to the final shot. It very much did with UNC Asheville having a chance to send the game into overtime with a MaCio Teague mid-range jumper just rimming out to allow UNCG to collect a narrow 75-73 win over Asheville on Monday, Dec. 19, at Kimmel Arena. The contest was about as tightly contested as one could be with the lead changing hands 19 times. The score was tied 10 times.
TOPS IN THE NATION: A record-breaking performance in UNC Asheville's dominant win over Warren Wilson earlier this season vaulted junior guard Ahmad Thomas into the top spot in the entire country in steals. The Danville, Va. native collected a program-record 10 steals in Asheville's win over Warren Wilson on Saturday, Dec. 10. He also had 13 points to procure a rare double-double in steals and points. On the year in 33.3 minutes played per game, Thomas has picked up 42 steals to average a nation's best 3.50 steals per outing.
THOMAS THE CONSISTENT ENGINE: Ahmad Thomas has scored in double figures every game this season after his 17 points in the loss to UNCG. Thomas has also recorded multiple rebounds and picked up at least a steal in each Bulldog game.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: In addition to collecting a career-high 29 points, MaCio Teague put together a first half to remember as he ended half No. 1 in the loss to UNCG with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting (77.7 percent). He was 3-for-5 (60 percent) from beyond the arc in the first stanza.
UP NEXT: UNC Asheville will open conference play by traveling to Radford, Va., to face off against Radford at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 29.
QUOTABLES
"We're looking forward to going to Columbus. Certainly, the opportunity to play against a national program like Ohio State on national TV is a great opportunity. It's a homecoming of sorts for several of our players as we have five from Ohio on our roster. Certainly Kevin Vannatta's from right there, so it will be great for those young men to get back in front of friends and family on Thursday night." - Nick McDevitt
Players Mentioned
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