University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Photo by: UNC Asheville
Bulldogs Set to Host Charleston Southern on Wednesday Evening at Kimmel Arena
01.30.2017 | Men's Basketball
UNC Asheville-Charleston Southern Game Notes
McDevitt to Become a Subway Sandwich Artist for a Great Cause on Wednesday
THE MATCHUP
Teams: UNC Asheville (16-7, 8-2 Big South Conference)
Charleston Southern (7-14, 3-7 Big South Conference)
Location: Asheville, N.C. / Kimmel Arena
When: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 / 7 p.m.
Television: WMYA-TV, My40
Talent: Jack Connors (PxP), Jeff Jackson (Analyst)
Live Stats: uncabulldogs.com
Twitter: @ashevilledogs #ThePursuit
BULLDOG BITES
CONTINUING BIG SOUTH ACTION: UNC Asheville opens the month of February by welcoming Charleston Southern to Kimmel Arena for a 7 p.m. contest on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017.
BACK IN FIRST: With Winthrop (16-5, 8-2 Big South Conference) falling to High Point, 83-80, in overtime at home on Saturday, Jan. 28, UNC Asheville moves back into a three-way tie with the Eagles and Liberty (13-10, 8-2 Big South Conference) for the lead in the Big South Conference.
SERIES: UNC Asheville and Charleston Southern will be meeting for the 78th time on Wednesday. The Bulldogs own a 41-36 all-time series advantage over the Buccaneers.
ELITE GROUP: With the win over Presbyterian last week, UNC Asheville head coach Nick McDevitt became just the third coach in Big South history to win at least 15 games in his first four seasons in the league. McDevitt joins Radford's Ron Bradley and Winthrop's Gregg Marshall in the elite grouping.
ZILLI BLOCK PARTY: Giacomo Zilli tied his career high with three blocks in the win over Radford. Zilli also had three blocks in an 87-48 win over Johnson & Wales at Kimmel Arena on Nov. 19, 2014.
ABOUT CHARLESTON SOUTHERN: The Buccaneers are currently 7-14 on the 2016-17 season, but they are 2-2 over their last four games. Freshman guard Christian Keeling is leading the way for Charleston Southern with 16.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR: A dominating second half performance allowed UNC Asheville men's basketball to pick up a 76-67 road win over Charleston Southern at the Buc Dome on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017. The second half would commence with the Bulldogs going on an 18-9 run over the first almost seven and a half minutes of the half. The strong start to the half garnered Asheville a 43-42 lead with 12:36 remaining in the game. The Bulldogs owned a 46-44 lead after a Kevin Vannatta three-pointer with 12:03 left in the contest. One of the big reasons for the Bulldogs' ability to make the run over the course of the opening minutes of the second half is that they held Charleston Southern for almost 4:47 without a field goal. The two teams would play close over the next few minutes, but after a MaCio Teague jumper with 4:05 left in the contest the Bulldogs had picked up their largest lead of the game up to that point in time at 65-58. On the back of a 10-0 run over the course of an almost three-minute stretch in the closing minutes of the second half the Asheville lead would be nine at 67-58 with 3:41 to play in the contest. The Bulldogs would lead by as many as 13, but that nine-point advantage would be the same as the final score at 76-67. Asheville outscored Charleston Southern, 51-34, in the second stanza. Four Bulldogs ended their efforts in double figures with Teague leading the way with 18 points, four rebounds and three assists. Ahmad Thomas added 14 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists, while David Robertson had 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. The final Bulldog in double figures, Vannatta ended his day with 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.
SHARING THE WEALTH: In the win over Presbyterian, Asheville had 12 players see action with 10 different Bulldogs scoring. In addition, out of Asheville's 27 made field goals in the contest there were 19 assists with eight different Bulldogs collecting an assist.
PERFECT: The Bulldogs were a perfect 7-of-7 as a team from the free throw line in the win over Presbyterian.
MCDEVITT THE SANDWICH ARTIST FOR A GREAT CAUSE: UNC Asheville head coach Nick McDevitt is one of the Western North Carolina head men's basketball coaches teaming up with local SUBWAY® restaurants to launch a special Coaches vs. Cancer fundraising campaign that runs through February. The coaches will join local cancer survivors to become SUBWAY® Sandwich Artists in an effort to raise awareness and support for the fight against cancer. Donations in any amount can be made at the checkout of participating SUBWAY® restaurants from Jan. 15 through Feb. 28 with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the local Coaches vs. Cancer. For more information on Coaches vs. Cancer, visit www.cancer.org. McDevitt will be featured as a Subway Sandwich Artist from 12-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 (740 Merrimon Ave., Merrimon Square, Asheville, NC 28804).
ESPNU TO TELEVISE UNC ASHEVILLE-WINTHROP ON FEB. 9 AT KIMMEL ARENA: ESPNU has selected the Winthrop at UNC Asheville men's basketball contest scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 9 as its Big South Wildcard Selection broadcast. Game time will be 7 p.m. inside Kimmel Arena in Asheville, N.C. Robert Lee (play-by-play) and Nate Ross (analyst) will handle the call from courtside. "We're looking forward to showcasing our program and our University to a national television audience," UNC Asheville head men's basketball coach Nick McDevitt said. "The Asheville-Winthrop series is one of the best rivalries in college basketball. Our game in Rock Hill was a close and exciting contest and I'm sure the game here on Feb. 9 will be very similar."
HOME SWEET HOME: The Bulldogs are now 9-1 on the year at home. UNC Asheville is 64-16 at Kimmel Arena all-time. Asheville is 44-10 all-time in Big South Conference contests played at Kimmel Arena.
AMONG THE BEST: Ahmad Thomas is currently fifth in the country in total steals with 66. He is seventh in the country in steals per game with 2.87 steals per outing. Thomas is just four steals away from becoming the first Big South player with back-to-back 70-steal campaigns since VMI's Chavis Holmes (2006-08). Currently second in the league in steals, Thomas is trying to become the first player to lead the league in steals in consecutive years since Radford's Javonte Green (2013-15).
FANTASTIC FRESHMAN START: UNC Asheville freshman guard MaCio Teague is currently in the top-10 in the Big South Conference in scoring (seventh, 15.3 points per game), field goal percentage (fifth, .470), assists (10th, 2.6 per game) and free throw percentage (second, .861). With 351 points already this season he is just 49 points away from 400 in his freshman year, which would allow him to join a group of 25 in league history that posted 400 or more points in their freshmen campaigns.
NEARING 1,000: Junior guards Ahmad Thomas and Kevin Vannatta are both nearing 1,000 points. Currently, Thomas has 896 career points, while Vannatta has scored 810 in his Bulldog career. Asheville senior guard David Robertson is also closing in on 1,000 points in his career as he currently has 828 points in his four-year career.
STREAKING: UNC Asheville has put together two five-game winning streaks over the course of the 2016-17 season.
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will next travel to High Point to face off against the Panthers in a game that will be featured on ESPN3.
QUOTABLES
"Certainly any time that you play Charleston Southern you have to be ready to guard the three-point line and keep them from playing in the lane. They thrive off of dribble penetration and in getting easy layups at the rim or kick out threes. We know that they're going to try and push the ball in transition and we have to be ready to defend those things on Wednesday night." - Head Coach Nick McDevitt
McDevitt to Become a Subway Sandwich Artist for a Great Cause on Wednesday
THE MATCHUP
Teams: UNC Asheville (16-7, 8-2 Big South Conference)
Charleston Southern (7-14, 3-7 Big South Conference)
Location: Asheville, N.C. / Kimmel Arena
When: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 / 7 p.m.
Television: WMYA-TV, My40
Talent: Jack Connors (PxP), Jeff Jackson (Analyst)
Live Stats: uncabulldogs.com
Twitter: @ashevilledogs #ThePursuit
BULLDOG BITES
CONTINUING BIG SOUTH ACTION: UNC Asheville opens the month of February by welcoming Charleston Southern to Kimmel Arena for a 7 p.m. contest on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017.
BACK IN FIRST: With Winthrop (16-5, 8-2 Big South Conference) falling to High Point, 83-80, in overtime at home on Saturday, Jan. 28, UNC Asheville moves back into a three-way tie with the Eagles and Liberty (13-10, 8-2 Big South Conference) for the lead in the Big South Conference.
SERIES: UNC Asheville and Charleston Southern will be meeting for the 78th time on Wednesday. The Bulldogs own a 41-36 all-time series advantage over the Buccaneers.
ELITE GROUP: With the win over Presbyterian last week, UNC Asheville head coach Nick McDevitt became just the third coach in Big South history to win at least 15 games in his first four seasons in the league. McDevitt joins Radford's Ron Bradley and Winthrop's Gregg Marshall in the elite grouping.
ZILLI BLOCK PARTY: Giacomo Zilli tied his career high with three blocks in the win over Radford. Zilli also had three blocks in an 87-48 win over Johnson & Wales at Kimmel Arena on Nov. 19, 2014.
ABOUT CHARLESTON SOUTHERN: The Buccaneers are currently 7-14 on the 2016-17 season, but they are 2-2 over their last four games. Freshman guard Christian Keeling is leading the way for Charleston Southern with 16.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR: A dominating second half performance allowed UNC Asheville men's basketball to pick up a 76-67 road win over Charleston Southern at the Buc Dome on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017. The second half would commence with the Bulldogs going on an 18-9 run over the first almost seven and a half minutes of the half. The strong start to the half garnered Asheville a 43-42 lead with 12:36 remaining in the game. The Bulldogs owned a 46-44 lead after a Kevin Vannatta three-pointer with 12:03 left in the contest. One of the big reasons for the Bulldogs' ability to make the run over the course of the opening minutes of the second half is that they held Charleston Southern for almost 4:47 without a field goal. The two teams would play close over the next few minutes, but after a MaCio Teague jumper with 4:05 left in the contest the Bulldogs had picked up their largest lead of the game up to that point in time at 65-58. On the back of a 10-0 run over the course of an almost three-minute stretch in the closing minutes of the second half the Asheville lead would be nine at 67-58 with 3:41 to play in the contest. The Bulldogs would lead by as many as 13, but that nine-point advantage would be the same as the final score at 76-67. Asheville outscored Charleston Southern, 51-34, in the second stanza. Four Bulldogs ended their efforts in double figures with Teague leading the way with 18 points, four rebounds and three assists. Ahmad Thomas added 14 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists, while David Robertson had 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. The final Bulldog in double figures, Vannatta ended his day with 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.
SHARING THE WEALTH: In the win over Presbyterian, Asheville had 12 players see action with 10 different Bulldogs scoring. In addition, out of Asheville's 27 made field goals in the contest there were 19 assists with eight different Bulldogs collecting an assist.
PERFECT: The Bulldogs were a perfect 7-of-7 as a team from the free throw line in the win over Presbyterian.
MCDEVITT THE SANDWICH ARTIST FOR A GREAT CAUSE: UNC Asheville head coach Nick McDevitt is one of the Western North Carolina head men's basketball coaches teaming up with local SUBWAY® restaurants to launch a special Coaches vs. Cancer fundraising campaign that runs through February. The coaches will join local cancer survivors to become SUBWAY® Sandwich Artists in an effort to raise awareness and support for the fight against cancer. Donations in any amount can be made at the checkout of participating SUBWAY® restaurants from Jan. 15 through Feb. 28 with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the local Coaches vs. Cancer. For more information on Coaches vs. Cancer, visit www.cancer.org. McDevitt will be featured as a Subway Sandwich Artist from 12-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 (740 Merrimon Ave., Merrimon Square, Asheville, NC 28804).
ESPNU TO TELEVISE UNC ASHEVILLE-WINTHROP ON FEB. 9 AT KIMMEL ARENA: ESPNU has selected the Winthrop at UNC Asheville men's basketball contest scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 9 as its Big South Wildcard Selection broadcast. Game time will be 7 p.m. inside Kimmel Arena in Asheville, N.C. Robert Lee (play-by-play) and Nate Ross (analyst) will handle the call from courtside. "We're looking forward to showcasing our program and our University to a national television audience," UNC Asheville head men's basketball coach Nick McDevitt said. "The Asheville-Winthrop series is one of the best rivalries in college basketball. Our game in Rock Hill was a close and exciting contest and I'm sure the game here on Feb. 9 will be very similar."
HOME SWEET HOME: The Bulldogs are now 9-1 on the year at home. UNC Asheville is 64-16 at Kimmel Arena all-time. Asheville is 44-10 all-time in Big South Conference contests played at Kimmel Arena.
AMONG THE BEST: Ahmad Thomas is currently fifth in the country in total steals with 66. He is seventh in the country in steals per game with 2.87 steals per outing. Thomas is just four steals away from becoming the first Big South player with back-to-back 70-steal campaigns since VMI's Chavis Holmes (2006-08). Currently second in the league in steals, Thomas is trying to become the first player to lead the league in steals in consecutive years since Radford's Javonte Green (2013-15).
FANTASTIC FRESHMAN START: UNC Asheville freshman guard MaCio Teague is currently in the top-10 in the Big South Conference in scoring (seventh, 15.3 points per game), field goal percentage (fifth, .470), assists (10th, 2.6 per game) and free throw percentage (second, .861). With 351 points already this season he is just 49 points away from 400 in his freshman year, which would allow him to join a group of 25 in league history that posted 400 or more points in their freshmen campaigns.
NEARING 1,000: Junior guards Ahmad Thomas and Kevin Vannatta are both nearing 1,000 points. Currently, Thomas has 896 career points, while Vannatta has scored 810 in his Bulldog career. Asheville senior guard David Robertson is also closing in on 1,000 points in his career as he currently has 828 points in his four-year career.
STREAKING: UNC Asheville has put together two five-game winning streaks over the course of the 2016-17 season.
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will next travel to High Point to face off against the Panthers in a game that will be featured on ESPN3.
QUOTABLES
"Certainly any time that you play Charleston Southern you have to be ready to guard the three-point line and keep them from playing in the lane. They thrive off of dribble penetration and in getting easy layups at the rim or kick out threes. We know that they're going to try and push the ball in transition and we have to be ready to defend those things on Wednesday night." - Head Coach Nick McDevitt
Players Mentioned
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