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University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Saturday, November 17
Asheville, NC
1:00 PM
UNC Asheville
vs
Western Carolina
Bulldogs Hold Home Opener on Saturday Versus Western Carolina
11.16.2018 | Women's Basketball
Game Notes
2018-19 UNC Asheville Women's Basketball Media Guide
THE MATCHUP
Teams: UNC Asheville (0-2, 0-0 Big South)
Western Carolina (1-3, 0-0 Southern Conference)
Location: Asheville, N.C. (Kimmel Arena)
Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 17 / 1 p.m.
Live Stream: BSN on ESPN+
Radio: Can be heard on local radio (100.3 FM) or online HERE – Mike Gore (PBP)
Live Stats: uncabulldogs.com
Twitter: @UNCAvlWBB #ThePursuit
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – To open the 2018-19 home schedule, the UNC Asheville women's basketball team hosts non-conference rival Western Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 17 inside Kimmel Arena.
Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. and will be streamed on BSN on ESPN+.
BULLDOG BITES
About UNC Asheville
UNC Asheville opens its 2018-19 home schedule with a 0-2 mark, as it fell to both No. 12 Tennessee and Charlotte.
The Bulldog offense is led by senior guard Sonora Dengokl. She has been clicking to start the 2018-19 campaign, as she has scored 14 or more points in back-to-back contests. At No. 12 Tennessee, the Sumter, S.C. native tallied a game-high 14 points against the Lady Vols. On the year, she is averaging 16 points per game, and she has also played the third-most total minutes on the Bulldog squad (55).
Fellow senior Ali Trani has also been impressive early in her final season as a Bulldog. In her two starts this year, she has averaged 9.5 points. Highlighting the year for her is draining 12 points at the nationally-ranked Lady Vols. She went 4-for-9 beyond the three-point arc, which is a new single-game best for her. She also leads the team in total rebounds with nine. Of those, 33 percent have come on the offensive glass.
Preseason Big South First Team selection Jessica Wall started to find her groove at Tennessee, as she finished the contest with seven points. Six of those were beyond the three-point line. Overall, the senior has played 58 total minutes.
Scouting Western Carolina
Western Carolina enters Saturday's matchup with a 1-3 overall record. The Catamounts' lone win this season was against Young Harris (63-54) earlier this week.
The Catamount offense is led by Tess Harris, who hasn't started a game this year. She has averaged 10.3 points per game off the bench. She has played a total of 84 minutes and has accumulated two steals, five assists and two blocks.
Jewel Smalls is also another threat for WCU, as she has averaged 9.8 points per contest. She is tied for the team lead in steals with six.
On the glass, Tembre Moates paces the squad, as she has corralled a team-leading 21 boards. Of those 21, 10 have come on the offense glass.
Judith Martin Ruiz and Kayla Brown are two players to also keep an eye on, as they have three or more blocks to their name this year.
All-Time History Versus the Catamounts
The head-to-head matchup on Saturday will be the 37th all-time meeting between the two clubs. Asheville is 2-1 in the last three games against the Catamounts, while WCU took last year's game in Cullowhee, 62-52.
In last year's 10-point defeat, Khaila Webb (12) and Kelli Fisher (10) each posted double-digit performances to lead Asheville. The duo also combined for 10 rebounds and four made free throws. Juliet Esadah paced the Bulldogs with nine boards.
The last time the two teams faced off in Kimmel Arena was two seasons ago, when the Bulldogs claimed a 62-53 victory over the Catamounts. In that game, Chatori Major (15), Webb (14) and Ja'Da Brayboy (12) led the UNC Asheville offense, while Tianna Knuckles grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
BARKING ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
NATIONAL CHAMPS: The UNC Asheville men's tennis doubles duo of Oli Nolan and Henry Patten secured a national championship on Sunday, Nov. 11, with a 6-2, 6-1 win over nationally 42nd-ranked Bjorn Thomson and Parker Wynn of Texas Tech in the championship match of the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex. In addition to the national championship win, Patten was also voted by the ITA Officials at the event to receive the Sportsmanship Award for the 2018 Oracle ITA National Fall Championships. The championship match win for Nolan and Patten was part of a tremendous fall of 2018 for the pairing. Nolan and Patten went undefeated playing together during the fall and won three titles including the national championship.
MORE THAN MAKING THE GRADE: For the 2017-18 athletic year, the UNC Asheville student-athletes showed their commitment to the classroom by finishing the academic year with a combined grade-point average of 3.142. Impressively, 72 percent (161 of 223) UNC Asheville student-athletes during the 2017-18 athletic year received Athletic Director Honor Roll recognition with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
TWO-TIME SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: For the second time in his career, UNC Asheville senior Blanton Gillespie was selected as a Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Gillespie was chosen as the 2018 Big South Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the Big South Cross Country Championship presented by Musco Sports Lighting and UCS at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex on Friday, Oct. 26. The honor is just the latest for Gillespie, who was named the 2018 Big South Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year in May of 2018.
BIG SOUTH WOMAN OF THE YEAR: UNC Asheville graduate Kayli Nichols was selected as the 2017-18 Big South Conference's Woman of the Year. With degrees in German and Political Science and a minor in Spanish, Nichols graduated from UNC Asheville with a GPA of 3.974. During her senior campaign, she was named the Big South Outdoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Big South Indoor Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
BIG SOUTH MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: On the same day that he started his new full-time position in the Corporate Analyst Development Program at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in Columbus, Ohio on July 11, 2018, former UNC Asheville men's basketball standout Kevin Vannatta was chosen as the 2017-18 Big South Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In addition to winning the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for the conference, Vannatta was also chosen as the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's basketball and as the Big South Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The Upper Arlington, Ohio native was also selected to the 2017-18 Academic All-America® NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). An Accounting major at UNC Asheville, Vannatta graduated with a 3.94 grade-point average.
How To Follow The Game Live
The game versus Western Carolina will be streamed on BSN on ESPN+. The streaming link can be found by clicking HERE. The game can also be heard locally on the radio on REWIND 100.3 or online by clicking HERE. Live stats will also be available, and the link can be found by clicking HERE.
What's Next?
The Bulldogs will continue their three-game home slate on Wednesday, Nov. 21, as they square off with in-state rival Davidson. Tip is set for 4:30 p.m. inside Kimmel Arena. The head-to-head contest will be streamed on BSN on ESPN+.
2018-19 UNC Asheville Women's Basketball Media Guide
THE MATCHUP
Teams: UNC Asheville (0-2, 0-0 Big South)
Western Carolina (1-3, 0-0 Southern Conference)
Location: Asheville, N.C. (Kimmel Arena)
Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 17 / 1 p.m.
Live Stream: BSN on ESPN+
Radio: Can be heard on local radio (100.3 FM) or online HERE – Mike Gore (PBP)
Live Stats: uncabulldogs.com
Twitter: @UNCAvlWBB #ThePursuit
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – To open the 2018-19 home schedule, the UNC Asheville women's basketball team hosts non-conference rival Western Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 17 inside Kimmel Arena.
Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. and will be streamed on BSN on ESPN+.
BULLDOG BITES
About UNC Asheville
UNC Asheville opens its 2018-19 home schedule with a 0-2 mark, as it fell to both No. 12 Tennessee and Charlotte.
The Bulldog offense is led by senior guard Sonora Dengokl. She has been clicking to start the 2018-19 campaign, as she has scored 14 or more points in back-to-back contests. At No. 12 Tennessee, the Sumter, S.C. native tallied a game-high 14 points against the Lady Vols. On the year, she is averaging 16 points per game, and she has also played the third-most total minutes on the Bulldog squad (55).
Fellow senior Ali Trani has also been impressive early in her final season as a Bulldog. In her two starts this year, she has averaged 9.5 points. Highlighting the year for her is draining 12 points at the nationally-ranked Lady Vols. She went 4-for-9 beyond the three-point arc, which is a new single-game best for her. She also leads the team in total rebounds with nine. Of those, 33 percent have come on the offensive glass.
Preseason Big South First Team selection Jessica Wall started to find her groove at Tennessee, as she finished the contest with seven points. Six of those were beyond the three-point line. Overall, the senior has played 58 total minutes.
Scouting Western Carolina
Western Carolina enters Saturday's matchup with a 1-3 overall record. The Catamounts' lone win this season was against Young Harris (63-54) earlier this week.
The Catamount offense is led by Tess Harris, who hasn't started a game this year. She has averaged 10.3 points per game off the bench. She has played a total of 84 minutes and has accumulated two steals, five assists and two blocks.
Jewel Smalls is also another threat for WCU, as she has averaged 9.8 points per contest. She is tied for the team lead in steals with six.
On the glass, Tembre Moates paces the squad, as she has corralled a team-leading 21 boards. Of those 21, 10 have come on the offense glass.
Judith Martin Ruiz and Kayla Brown are two players to also keep an eye on, as they have three or more blocks to their name this year.
All-Time History Versus the Catamounts
The head-to-head matchup on Saturday will be the 37th all-time meeting between the two clubs. Asheville is 2-1 in the last three games against the Catamounts, while WCU took last year's game in Cullowhee, 62-52.
In last year's 10-point defeat, Khaila Webb (12) and Kelli Fisher (10) each posted double-digit performances to lead Asheville. The duo also combined for 10 rebounds and four made free throws. Juliet Esadah paced the Bulldogs with nine boards.
The last time the two teams faced off in Kimmel Arena was two seasons ago, when the Bulldogs claimed a 62-53 victory over the Catamounts. In that game, Chatori Major (15), Webb (14) and Ja'Da Brayboy (12) led the UNC Asheville offense, while Tianna Knuckles grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
BARKING ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
NATIONAL CHAMPS: The UNC Asheville men's tennis doubles duo of Oli Nolan and Henry Patten secured a national championship on Sunday, Nov. 11, with a 6-2, 6-1 win over nationally 42nd-ranked Bjorn Thomson and Parker Wynn of Texas Tech in the championship match of the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex. In addition to the national championship win, Patten was also voted by the ITA Officials at the event to receive the Sportsmanship Award for the 2018 Oracle ITA National Fall Championships. The championship match win for Nolan and Patten was part of a tremendous fall of 2018 for the pairing. Nolan and Patten went undefeated playing together during the fall and won three titles including the national championship.
MORE THAN MAKING THE GRADE: For the 2017-18 athletic year, the UNC Asheville student-athletes showed their commitment to the classroom by finishing the academic year with a combined grade-point average of 3.142. Impressively, 72 percent (161 of 223) UNC Asheville student-athletes during the 2017-18 athletic year received Athletic Director Honor Roll recognition with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
TWO-TIME SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: For the second time in his career, UNC Asheville senior Blanton Gillespie was selected as a Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Gillespie was chosen as the 2018 Big South Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the Big South Cross Country Championship presented by Musco Sports Lighting and UCS at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex on Friday, Oct. 26. The honor is just the latest for Gillespie, who was named the 2018 Big South Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year in May of 2018.
BIG SOUTH WOMAN OF THE YEAR: UNC Asheville graduate Kayli Nichols was selected as the 2017-18 Big South Conference's Woman of the Year. With degrees in German and Political Science and a minor in Spanish, Nichols graduated from UNC Asheville with a GPA of 3.974. During her senior campaign, she was named the Big South Outdoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Big South Indoor Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
BIG SOUTH MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: On the same day that he started his new full-time position in the Corporate Analyst Development Program at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in Columbus, Ohio on July 11, 2018, former UNC Asheville men's basketball standout Kevin Vannatta was chosen as the 2017-18 Big South Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In addition to winning the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for the conference, Vannatta was also chosen as the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (DI-AAA ADA) Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's basketball and as the Big South Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The Upper Arlington, Ohio native was also selected to the 2017-18 Academic All-America® NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). An Accounting major at UNC Asheville, Vannatta graduated with a 3.94 grade-point average.
How To Follow The Game Live
The game versus Western Carolina will be streamed on BSN on ESPN+. The streaming link can be found by clicking HERE. The game can also be heard locally on the radio on REWIND 100.3 or online by clicking HERE. Live stats will also be available, and the link can be found by clicking HERE.
What's Next?
The Bulldogs will continue their three-game home slate on Wednesday, Nov. 21, as they square off with in-state rival Davidson. Tip is set for 4:30 p.m. inside Kimmel Arena. The head-to-head contest will be streamed on BSN on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
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Distance
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Sprints
/ Track and Field
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