University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Friday, November 30
Greenville, SC
7:00 PM
UNC Asheville
at
Furman
Women’s Basketball Carries Three-Game Win Streak to Furman
11.29.2018 | Women's Basketball
Game Notes
2018-19 UNC Asheville Women's Basketball Media Guide
THE MATCHUP
Teams: UNC Asheville (3-2, 0-0 Big South)
Furman (2-3, 0-0 SoCon)
Location: Greenville, S.C. (Timmons Arena)
Date/Time: Friday, Nov. 30 / 7 p.m.
Live Stream: ESPN+
Radio: Can be heard on local radio (100.3 FM) or online HERE – Mike Gore (PBP)
Live Stats: furmanpaladins.com
Twitter: @UNCAvlWBB #ThePursuit
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sporting a three-game win streak, the UNC Asheville women's basketball team will go head-to-head with Furman inside Timmons Arena on Friday, Nov. 30.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Greenville and will be streamed on ESPN+.
BULLDOG BITES
About UNC Asheville
UNC Asheville travels to Greenville with a 3-2 overall mark, as it has won three straight contests. During that three-game stretch, the Bulldogs defeated Western Carolina, Davidson and Wofford. Like Furman, two of those teams are in the Southern Conference (WCU and Wofford).
During its winning streak, Asheville has a +17.3 scoring average and is shooting .417 percent from the hardwood. The Bulldogs are also red hot from the three-point arc, as they have connected on 19 three-pointers for a .358 percent three-point percentage. UNC Asheville is also averaging 2.3 more assists than the opposition. Asheville is playing strong on defense, as the Bulldogs have a +9.7 rebound margin.
In that same three-game stretch, three Bulldogs are averaging double-figures (Sonora Dengokl, Jessica Wall and Nadiria Evans). Dengokl has a team-leading 16.7 points per game in the last three games. For her efforts, the senior guard was named the Big South Conference Player of the Week. Wall is averaging 14.3 points and four assists per contest, and Evans is averaging 10.7 points and 22 minutes per game.
In its five games this year, UNC Asheville has been unstoppable in the second half. In fact, the Bulldogs have totaled 38 more points in the second half over their opponents, which includes 30 more points in the third quarter alone. They are shooting at an outstanding .465 clip in the second half, as the Bulldogs have made 18 more field goals than their opponents. They are also averaging 19.2 rebounds per game and 1.4 fewer turnovers per game in the second half.
Scouting Furman
Furman sports a 2-3 overall record, which includes a 2-1 mark inside Timmons Arena.
One of the key players for the Paladins is Le'Jzae Davidson. The junior guard from Nashville, Tenn. is averaging 19 points per contest this year. She also leads the team in three-pointers made with 22, as she is shooting at a .361 clip beyond the arc. She has started all six games and has played a team-high 31.5 minutes per game.
Tierra Hodges and Kaitlyn Duncan are Furman's leaders in rebounds, as they average 6.2 and 5.7 rebounds per game, respectively. The Paladin duo each average 6.8 points per game.
All-Time History Versus the Paladins
Friday's contest will mark the 20th all-time meeting between the Bulldogs and Paladins. Since the 2005-06 season, Furman holds a narrow 6-5 advantage on Asheville.
The two teams met twice last year, which included a matchup in the Women's Basketball Invitational. The Paladins claimed the WBI victory, as they scored a last-second basket to upend the Bulldogs (65-64). Wall went off in the postseason game, as she broke the UNC Asheville single-game record for made three-pointers (nine). She finished the game with 27 points in 37 minutes of play. Bronaza Fitzgerald added a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
The last time the two clubs met in Timmons Arena was during the 2015-16 campaign. Furman claimed a 63-51 victory over UNC Asheville. Chatori Major led Asheville in points with 15, while KJ Weaver grabbed nine boards for the Bulldogs.
BARKING ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
NEW STRATEGIC PLAN: UNC Asheville athletics officially unveiled its newest strategic plan on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018. The strategic plan entitled "Believe. Achieve. Thrive." is the road map for UNC Asheville athletics over the course of the next five years. The strategic plan outlines key areas of focus and growth in developing lifetime leaders from the most valuable resource that UNC Asheville athletics has in its student-athletes. To learn more about the strategic plan, please visit HERE (PDF).
NATIONAL CHAMPS: The nationally second-ranked 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 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 at Furman will be streamed 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?
UNC Asheville will open the month of December with a home contest versus Warren Wilson on Monday, Dec. 3. The non-conference bout will serve as Education Day, as the game will tip off at 11:30 a.m. inside Kimmel Arena. Last year UNC Asheville downed the Owls, 100-53, in front of a record crowd of 2,878 fans.
2018-19 UNC Asheville Women's Basketball Media Guide
THE MATCHUP
Teams: UNC Asheville (3-2, 0-0 Big South)
Furman (2-3, 0-0 SoCon)
Location: Greenville, S.C. (Timmons Arena)
Date/Time: Friday, Nov. 30 / 7 p.m.
Live Stream: ESPN+
Radio: Can be heard on local radio (100.3 FM) or online HERE – Mike Gore (PBP)
Live Stats: furmanpaladins.com
Twitter: @UNCAvlWBB #ThePursuit
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sporting a three-game win streak, the UNC Asheville women's basketball team will go head-to-head with Furman inside Timmons Arena on Friday, Nov. 30.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Greenville and will be streamed on ESPN+.
BULLDOG BITES
About UNC Asheville
UNC Asheville travels to Greenville with a 3-2 overall mark, as it has won three straight contests. During that three-game stretch, the Bulldogs defeated Western Carolina, Davidson and Wofford. Like Furman, two of those teams are in the Southern Conference (WCU and Wofford).
During its winning streak, Asheville has a +17.3 scoring average and is shooting .417 percent from the hardwood. The Bulldogs are also red hot from the three-point arc, as they have connected on 19 three-pointers for a .358 percent three-point percentage. UNC Asheville is also averaging 2.3 more assists than the opposition. Asheville is playing strong on defense, as the Bulldogs have a +9.7 rebound margin.
In that same three-game stretch, three Bulldogs are averaging double-figures (Sonora Dengokl, Jessica Wall and Nadiria Evans). Dengokl has a team-leading 16.7 points per game in the last three games. For her efforts, the senior guard was named the Big South Conference Player of the Week. Wall is averaging 14.3 points and four assists per contest, and Evans is averaging 10.7 points and 22 minutes per game.
In its five games this year, UNC Asheville has been unstoppable in the second half. In fact, the Bulldogs have totaled 38 more points in the second half over their opponents, which includes 30 more points in the third quarter alone. They are shooting at an outstanding .465 clip in the second half, as the Bulldogs have made 18 more field goals than their opponents. They are also averaging 19.2 rebounds per game and 1.4 fewer turnovers per game in the second half.
Scouting Furman
Furman sports a 2-3 overall record, which includes a 2-1 mark inside Timmons Arena.
One of the key players for the Paladins is Le'Jzae Davidson. The junior guard from Nashville, Tenn. is averaging 19 points per contest this year. She also leads the team in three-pointers made with 22, as she is shooting at a .361 clip beyond the arc. She has started all six games and has played a team-high 31.5 minutes per game.
Tierra Hodges and Kaitlyn Duncan are Furman's leaders in rebounds, as they average 6.2 and 5.7 rebounds per game, respectively. The Paladin duo each average 6.8 points per game.
All-Time History Versus the Paladins
Friday's contest will mark the 20th all-time meeting between the Bulldogs and Paladins. Since the 2005-06 season, Furman holds a narrow 6-5 advantage on Asheville.
The two teams met twice last year, which included a matchup in the Women's Basketball Invitational. The Paladins claimed the WBI victory, as they scored a last-second basket to upend the Bulldogs (65-64). Wall went off in the postseason game, as she broke the UNC Asheville single-game record for made three-pointers (nine). She finished the game with 27 points in 37 minutes of play. Bronaza Fitzgerald added a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
The last time the two clubs met in Timmons Arena was during the 2015-16 campaign. Furman claimed a 63-51 victory over UNC Asheville. Chatori Major led Asheville in points with 15, while KJ Weaver grabbed nine boards for the Bulldogs.
BARKING ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
NEW STRATEGIC PLAN: UNC Asheville athletics officially unveiled its newest strategic plan on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018. The strategic plan entitled "Believe. Achieve. Thrive." is the road map for UNC Asheville athletics over the course of the next five years. The strategic plan outlines key areas of focus and growth in developing lifetime leaders from the most valuable resource that UNC Asheville athletics has in its student-athletes. To learn more about the strategic plan, please visit HERE (PDF).
NATIONAL CHAMPS: The nationally second-ranked 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 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 at Furman will be streamed 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?
UNC Asheville will open the month of December with a home contest versus Warren Wilson on Monday, Dec. 3. The non-conference bout will serve as Education Day, as the game will tip off at 11:30 a.m. inside Kimmel Arena. Last year UNC Asheville downed the Owls, 100-53, in front of a record crowd of 2,878 fans.
Players Mentioned
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Sprints
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