University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Photo by: UNC Asheville
Bulldogs Close Regular-Season Saturday by Hosting Huge Big South Showdown With Liberty
02.24.2017 | Men's Basketball
UNC Asheville-Liberty Game Notes (PDF - Click Link to Access)
Big South Tournament Seeding Possibilities (Click Link to Access)
ASN TV Affiliates Across the Country Carrying Game (PDF - Click Link to Access)
THE MATCHUP
Teams: UNC Asheville (22-8, 14-3 Big South Conference)
Liberty (19-11, 14-3 Big South Conference)
Location: Asheville, N.C. / Kimmel Arena
When: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017 / 2 p.m.
TV: ASN - WLOS-3 (Antenna TV) in Asheville
Talent: Evan Lepler (PxP), Jeff Jackson (Analyst)
Radio: NEWS RADIO 570 WWNC
Talent: Brian Hall
Live Stats: uncabulldogs.com
Twitter: @ashevilledogs #ThePursuit
BULLDOG BITES
REGULAR-SEASON FINALE: UNC Asheville men's basketball is hoping to pack Kimmel Arena for their huge Big South Conference showdown with Liberty at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. The regular-season finale for the Bulldogs will serve as Senior Day with seniors David Robertson, Will Weeks and Giacomo Zilli to be honored before the start of the contest. In addition, UNC Asheville will also honor junior guard Ahmad Thomas for becoming the 31st Bulldog to score 1,000 points or more before the start of the contest. The special game that will be nationally-televised on the American Sports Network will be sponsored by Mission Health, who will be providing rally towels to the first 500 fans. As always, UNC Asheville fans are encouraged to wear Blue to support the Bulldogs against Liberty. Doors will open for the nationally-televised game at Kimmel Arena at 12:30 p.m. To make the day fun for the whole family, Ingles will also be sponsoring a special four-pack of tickets for just $20. In addition, there will be two big giveaways over the course of the day at Kimmel Arena. The first one will be sponsored by SuperFanU, but to win you must download the Bulldog Rewards App. Two lucky fans who have the App at halftime will get the chance to build a paper airplane and throw it from the baseline to the court. If the airplane lands touching the white triangle in the middle of the logo on the Kimmel Arena court they will each win $250. Each individual will get one throw. Thanks to Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway, one lucky fan will also win a very unique package to attend the 2017 Food City 500 Race April 23, 2017, in Bristol, Tenn. The Food City 500 package includes two grandstand seat tickets, two cold pit/garage passes and one VIP parking space for the day of the race. Winner must be at least 16 years old. The new Zaxby's "Fowl Shot" promotion that kicks in after the under-12 minute media timeout during Bulldog basketball games will also be part of the men's basketball regular-season finale. For the final 12 minutes of the game if a visiting player misses both free throws during a trip to the free throw line a voucher after the game will be handed out to all fans in attendance where they will receive a free Chicken Nibbler courtesy of Zaxby's. The vouchers from Zaxby's must be redeemed within 48 hours at any Zaxby's location. As part of their special promotion during February, the Campus Bookstore and Rocky's Doghouse will continue their promotion in the men's basketball regular-season finale. During the month of February if the Bulldogs win by 10 or more points, fans and students can show their ticket stub within two (2) business days following the game at the Campus Bookstore or Rocky's Doghouse in Kimmel Arena to receive 10% off any full priced clothing or gift item. This offer is valid in store only. Students can show their one card and mention the promotion to receive the discount. If the Bulldogs score 80 or more points in the game, Krispy Kreme will per usual also be giving away free doughnut vouchers.
A LOOK AT THE LEAGUE: UNC Asheville (22-8, 14-3 Big South Conference) is in a three-way tie with Winthrop (22-6, 14-3 Big South Conference) and Liberty (19-11, 14-3 Big South Conference) for first place in the Big South Conference with one regular-season game remaining.
HOME SWEET HOME: UNC Asheville is currently in the midst of an eight-game home winning streak. The Bulldogs are 12-1 on the year at home. UNC Asheville after the win over Presbyterian is now 67-16 all-time at Kimmel Arena, including 47-10 in Big South Conference contests.
SERIES: UNC Asheville and Liberty will be meeting for the 59th time. The Bulldogs own a 38-20 all-time series advantage with Asheville having won the last 11 meetings.
IMPRESSIVE FREE THROW STREAK COMES TO A CLOSE: MaCio Teague connected on his first three free throws in the Gardner-Webb game to extend his made free throw streak to 29. When he missed his fourth attempt on the night it snapped the impressive streak. Teague was 3-of-4 overall from the free throw line in the loss to Gardner-Webb.
NEARING 500 BOARDS: With his five rebounds in the game, UNC Asheville junior guard Ahmad Thomas is now just three rebounds away from joining teammate Will Weeks in the prestigious 500-rebound club. Weeks became the 83rd player in Big South Conference history with over 500 rebounds in Asheville's road win at Longwood on Feb. 11. Weeks now has 525 rebounds in his Bulldog career. Thomas with his three steals in the Gardner-Webb game now also has 182 steals in his Bulldog career. Already having scored over 1,000 points, Thomas is nearing becoming just the sixth player in league history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 steals.
INTO THE TOP 20: The Big South Conference-leading UNC Asheville men's basketball team is ranked 19th in the latest CollegeInsider.com Men's Basketball Mid-Major Top-25 that was released on Monday, Feb. 20, 2017. The Bulldogs moved up from 22nd to 19th in the latest poll. Asheville had received votes in the Mid-Major Top-25 on 12 different occasions prior to being officially ranked in the Feb. 13 edition of the poll. Asheville (22-7, 14-2 Big South Conference) is one of two Big South Conference teams in the latest poll as Winthrop is just behind the Bulldogs at No. 23. The Mid-Major Poll is made up of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast and Western Athletic. The Bulldogs have beaten numerous teams that were either ranked at the time or are currently ranked in the Mid-Major Top-25 for example in Siena, Elon, Furman and Winthrop. Based on the latest poll, one of the biggest wins of the season for the 19th-ranked Bulldogs is over Furman, who is currently ranked 16th in the Mid-Major Poll. The Bulldogs picked up a 64-58 road win over the Paladins in Greenville, S.C. on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016. UNC Asheville's 104-101 double overtime win over current 23rd-ranked and league foe Winthrop on Thursday, Feb. 9, at Kimmel Arena is also obviously a huge win for the Bulldogs in numerous ways. In addition to the top-20 ranking in the CollegeInsider.com Men's Basketball Mid-Major Top-25, UNC Asheville men's basketball is also 22nd in the Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings.
FIRST MEETING (1/03/17): Behind another lethal night from David Robertson beyond the arc the UNC Asheville men's basketball team picked up its 11th straight win over Liberty in a 70-57 win over the Flames at the Vines Center on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. Robertson led four Bulldogs in double figures in the game with a game-high 20 points. He was 6-of-9 (66.7 percent) from beyond the arc in the Bulldog win. The reigning Big South Conference Freshman of the Week, at the time, MaCio Teague closed out his efforts with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal. He was 6-of-9 from the field in the game. Alec Wnuk was very proficient off the bench for the Bulldogs in their win, obtaining 15 points, five rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes played. He was 7-of-10 from the field. The final Bulldog in double figures was Ahmad Thomas, who ended his night with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.
WIN NO. 75: UNC Asheville men's basketball head coach Nick McDevitt picked up his 75th win in charge of the Asheville men's basketball program in the win over Presbyterian on Feb. 15. McDevitt has led the Bulldogs to back-to-back 20-win seasons.
OVER THE HUMPS: UNC Asheville has won 10 straight in its series with Campbell with the Bulldogs the only team the Camels have not beaten since rejoining the Big South Conference in the 2011-12 season.
AMONG THE BEST: Already the single-season program record holder in the category, Ahmad Thomas is currently third in the country in total steals with 92. He is fifth in the country in steals per game with 3.07 steals per outing. Thomas with his five steals in the win over Charleston Southern on Feb. 1 became the first Big South player with back-to-back 70-steal campaigns since VMI's Chavis Holmes (2006-08). He is just the fourth overall in Big South Conference history to accomplish the impressive feat. 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).
NEARING 1,000: Junior guard Kevin Vannatta is nearing 1,000 points. Currently, Vannatta has scored 886 points in his Bulldog career. Asheville senior guard David Robertson is also closing in on 1,000 points in his career as he currently has 897 points in his four-year career.
IT'S A STEAL: The UNC Asheville men's basketball team boasts one of the top defenses in the entire country with the Bulldogs second in the country in total steals (290). The Bulldogs are also fifth in the country in steals per game (9.67).
FASTEST TO 20: UNC Asheville's win over Longwood on Feb. 11 allowed this year's Bulldog men's basketball team to reach 20 wins in the fewest number of games (27) in the Bulldogs' time in the Big South Conference.
FEATURED BY ESPN: UNC Asheville was featured twice by ESPN over a four-day stretch from Feb. 9-12. Asheville was featured on ESPN's official Instagram page on Sunday, Feb. 12, for a tremendous shot from the bleachers inside Kimmel Arena made by Bulldog junior guard Raekwon Miller. The video on ESPN's Instagram page had over 100,000 views in less than an hour. The UNC Asheville men's basketball team was originally featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day after the thrilling 104-101 double overtime win over Winthrop at Kimmel Arena on Thursday, Feb. 9. MaCio Teague's buzzer-beating and game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime was ranked the ninth-best play of the day by ESPN's flagship program. Teague, a freshman guard, would continue his heroics into the second overtime period that eventually ended with the thrilling three-point Bulldog victory. Miller's shot from the bleachers was made while Teague was being interviewed by WLOS News 13 on Sunday, Feb. 12.
QUOTABLES
"Liberty is a very good basketball team that has had a terrific season and we'll have to play well Saturday afternoon to win. They're hard to guard because of all five guys on the floor having the ability to shoot the ball. They do a good job of spreading you out defensively so they can drive the basketball and get easy drives to the basket and kickouts for threes. Because of that when you've got five guys that can shoot it because of what they do, it makes them difficult to defend. That's the challenge that this Liberty team presents." - Head Coach Nick McDevitt
Big South Tournament Seeding Possibilities (Click Link to Access)
ASN TV Affiliates Across the Country Carrying Game (PDF - Click Link to Access)
THE MATCHUP
Teams: UNC Asheville (22-8, 14-3 Big South Conference)
Liberty (19-11, 14-3 Big South Conference)
Location: Asheville, N.C. / Kimmel Arena
When: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017 / 2 p.m.
TV: ASN - WLOS-3 (Antenna TV) in Asheville
Talent: Evan Lepler (PxP), Jeff Jackson (Analyst)
Radio: NEWS RADIO 570 WWNC
Talent: Brian Hall
Live Stats: uncabulldogs.com
Twitter: @ashevilledogs #ThePursuit
BULLDOG BITES
REGULAR-SEASON FINALE: UNC Asheville men's basketball is hoping to pack Kimmel Arena for their huge Big South Conference showdown with Liberty at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. The regular-season finale for the Bulldogs will serve as Senior Day with seniors David Robertson, Will Weeks and Giacomo Zilli to be honored before the start of the contest. In addition, UNC Asheville will also honor junior guard Ahmad Thomas for becoming the 31st Bulldog to score 1,000 points or more before the start of the contest. The special game that will be nationally-televised on the American Sports Network will be sponsored by Mission Health, who will be providing rally towels to the first 500 fans. As always, UNC Asheville fans are encouraged to wear Blue to support the Bulldogs against Liberty. Doors will open for the nationally-televised game at Kimmel Arena at 12:30 p.m. To make the day fun for the whole family, Ingles will also be sponsoring a special four-pack of tickets for just $20. In addition, there will be two big giveaways over the course of the day at Kimmel Arena. The first one will be sponsored by SuperFanU, but to win you must download the Bulldog Rewards App. Two lucky fans who have the App at halftime will get the chance to build a paper airplane and throw it from the baseline to the court. If the airplane lands touching the white triangle in the middle of the logo on the Kimmel Arena court they will each win $250. Each individual will get one throw. Thanks to Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway, one lucky fan will also win a very unique package to attend the 2017 Food City 500 Race April 23, 2017, in Bristol, Tenn. The Food City 500 package includes two grandstand seat tickets, two cold pit/garage passes and one VIP parking space for the day of the race. Winner must be at least 16 years old. The new Zaxby's "Fowl Shot" promotion that kicks in after the under-12 minute media timeout during Bulldog basketball games will also be part of the men's basketball regular-season finale. For the final 12 minutes of the game if a visiting player misses both free throws during a trip to the free throw line a voucher after the game will be handed out to all fans in attendance where they will receive a free Chicken Nibbler courtesy of Zaxby's. The vouchers from Zaxby's must be redeemed within 48 hours at any Zaxby's location. As part of their special promotion during February, the Campus Bookstore and Rocky's Doghouse will continue their promotion in the men's basketball regular-season finale. During the month of February if the Bulldogs win by 10 or more points, fans and students can show their ticket stub within two (2) business days following the game at the Campus Bookstore or Rocky's Doghouse in Kimmel Arena to receive 10% off any full priced clothing or gift item. This offer is valid in store only. Students can show their one card and mention the promotion to receive the discount. If the Bulldogs score 80 or more points in the game, Krispy Kreme will per usual also be giving away free doughnut vouchers.
A LOOK AT THE LEAGUE: UNC Asheville (22-8, 14-3 Big South Conference) is in a three-way tie with Winthrop (22-6, 14-3 Big South Conference) and Liberty (19-11, 14-3 Big South Conference) for first place in the Big South Conference with one regular-season game remaining.
HOME SWEET HOME: UNC Asheville is currently in the midst of an eight-game home winning streak. The Bulldogs are 12-1 on the year at home. UNC Asheville after the win over Presbyterian is now 67-16 all-time at Kimmel Arena, including 47-10 in Big South Conference contests.
SERIES: UNC Asheville and Liberty will be meeting for the 59th time. The Bulldogs own a 38-20 all-time series advantage with Asheville having won the last 11 meetings.
IMPRESSIVE FREE THROW STREAK COMES TO A CLOSE: MaCio Teague connected on his first three free throws in the Gardner-Webb game to extend his made free throw streak to 29. When he missed his fourth attempt on the night it snapped the impressive streak. Teague was 3-of-4 overall from the free throw line in the loss to Gardner-Webb.
NEARING 500 BOARDS: With his five rebounds in the game, UNC Asheville junior guard Ahmad Thomas is now just three rebounds away from joining teammate Will Weeks in the prestigious 500-rebound club. Weeks became the 83rd player in Big South Conference history with over 500 rebounds in Asheville's road win at Longwood on Feb. 11. Weeks now has 525 rebounds in his Bulldog career. Thomas with his three steals in the Gardner-Webb game now also has 182 steals in his Bulldog career. Already having scored over 1,000 points, Thomas is nearing becoming just the sixth player in league history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 steals.
INTO THE TOP 20: The Big South Conference-leading UNC Asheville men's basketball team is ranked 19th in the latest CollegeInsider.com Men's Basketball Mid-Major Top-25 that was released on Monday, Feb. 20, 2017. The Bulldogs moved up from 22nd to 19th in the latest poll. Asheville had received votes in the Mid-Major Top-25 on 12 different occasions prior to being officially ranked in the Feb. 13 edition of the poll. Asheville (22-7, 14-2 Big South Conference) is one of two Big South Conference teams in the latest poll as Winthrop is just behind the Bulldogs at No. 23. The Mid-Major Poll is made up of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast and Western Athletic. The Bulldogs have beaten numerous teams that were either ranked at the time or are currently ranked in the Mid-Major Top-25 for example in Siena, Elon, Furman and Winthrop. Based on the latest poll, one of the biggest wins of the season for the 19th-ranked Bulldogs is over Furman, who is currently ranked 16th in the Mid-Major Poll. The Bulldogs picked up a 64-58 road win over the Paladins in Greenville, S.C. on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016. UNC Asheville's 104-101 double overtime win over current 23rd-ranked and league foe Winthrop on Thursday, Feb. 9, at Kimmel Arena is also obviously a huge win for the Bulldogs in numerous ways. In addition to the top-20 ranking in the CollegeInsider.com Men's Basketball Mid-Major Top-25, UNC Asheville men's basketball is also 22nd in the Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings.
FIRST MEETING (1/03/17): Behind another lethal night from David Robertson beyond the arc the UNC Asheville men's basketball team picked up its 11th straight win over Liberty in a 70-57 win over the Flames at the Vines Center on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. Robertson led four Bulldogs in double figures in the game with a game-high 20 points. He was 6-of-9 (66.7 percent) from beyond the arc in the Bulldog win. The reigning Big South Conference Freshman of the Week, at the time, MaCio Teague closed out his efforts with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal. He was 6-of-9 from the field in the game. Alec Wnuk was very proficient off the bench for the Bulldogs in their win, obtaining 15 points, five rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes played. He was 7-of-10 from the field. The final Bulldog in double figures was Ahmad Thomas, who ended his night with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.
WIN NO. 75: UNC Asheville men's basketball head coach Nick McDevitt picked up his 75th win in charge of the Asheville men's basketball program in the win over Presbyterian on Feb. 15. McDevitt has led the Bulldogs to back-to-back 20-win seasons.
OVER THE HUMPS: UNC Asheville has won 10 straight in its series with Campbell with the Bulldogs the only team the Camels have not beaten since rejoining the Big South Conference in the 2011-12 season.
AMONG THE BEST: Already the single-season program record holder in the category, Ahmad Thomas is currently third in the country in total steals with 92. He is fifth in the country in steals per game with 3.07 steals per outing. Thomas with his five steals in the win over Charleston Southern on Feb. 1 became the first Big South player with back-to-back 70-steal campaigns since VMI's Chavis Holmes (2006-08). He is just the fourth overall in Big South Conference history to accomplish the impressive feat. 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).
NEARING 1,000: Junior guard Kevin Vannatta is nearing 1,000 points. Currently, Vannatta has scored 886 points in his Bulldog career. Asheville senior guard David Robertson is also closing in on 1,000 points in his career as he currently has 897 points in his four-year career.
IT'S A STEAL: The UNC Asheville men's basketball team boasts one of the top defenses in the entire country with the Bulldogs second in the country in total steals (290). The Bulldogs are also fifth in the country in steals per game (9.67).
FASTEST TO 20: UNC Asheville's win over Longwood on Feb. 11 allowed this year's Bulldog men's basketball team to reach 20 wins in the fewest number of games (27) in the Bulldogs' time in the Big South Conference.
FEATURED BY ESPN: UNC Asheville was featured twice by ESPN over a four-day stretch from Feb. 9-12. Asheville was featured on ESPN's official Instagram page on Sunday, Feb. 12, for a tremendous shot from the bleachers inside Kimmel Arena made by Bulldog junior guard Raekwon Miller. The video on ESPN's Instagram page had over 100,000 views in less than an hour. The UNC Asheville men's basketball team was originally featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Day after the thrilling 104-101 double overtime win over Winthrop at Kimmel Arena on Thursday, Feb. 9. MaCio Teague's buzzer-beating and game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime was ranked the ninth-best play of the day by ESPN's flagship program. Teague, a freshman guard, would continue his heroics into the second overtime period that eventually ended with the thrilling three-point Bulldog victory. Miller's shot from the bleachers was made while Teague was being interviewed by WLOS News 13 on Sunday, Feb. 12.
QUOTABLES
"Liberty is a very good basketball team that has had a terrific season and we'll have to play well Saturday afternoon to win. They're hard to guard because of all five guys on the floor having the ability to shoot the ball. They do a good job of spreading you out defensively so they can drive the basketball and get easy drives to the basket and kickouts for threes. Because of that when you've got five guys that can shoot it because of what they do, it makes them difficult to defend. That's the challenge that this Liberty team presents." - Head Coach Nick McDevitt
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/ Men's BasketballMonday, March 18
Monday, March 18
Thursday, March 14
Monday, March 04