University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Blackout Game Set for Saturday Matchup Against Chattanooga
12.19.2019 | Men's Basketball
GAME NOTES | vs CHATTANOOGA
ASHEVILLE – UNC Asheville's men's basketball will don a new set of black uniforms for the first time, Saturday, when it takes on Chattanooga to close out its nonconference schedule in a 2 p.m. contest inside Kimmel Arena.
The first 300 fans to purchase a single-game ticket will receive a FREE limited edition Blackout t-shirt. To purchase tickets or for more information, click HERE or call (828) 258-7900.
The Bulldogs (6-4) defeated Stetson, 78-76, Tuesday, to begin the season 4-0 at home. Tajion Jones led the way with 21 points as all five starters scored in double figures. The Dogs used a huge advantage in turnovers, 22-8, to defeat a hot-shooting Hatters team.
The Mocs (7-5, 0-1 SoCon) are coming off a high-scoring 84-80 victory against Troy at home, Sunday. The Mocs have played a pair of common opponents, falling to Tennessee, 58-46, and to Western Carolina, 87-77.
It is the first time in more than 20 years the two teams will square off, as Chattanooga owns a 6-0 advantage in the all-time series. In the last meeting, December 30, 1997, the Mocs narrowly edged out the Dogs, 70-68. It's been almost 30 years since the teams met in Asheville, as Chattanooga won that game, 82-77, in the Justice Center, January 4, 1989.
Saturday's game will be live streamed on ESPN+ HERE, while Brian Hall and Mike Gore will have the radio call on News Radio 570 AM, which can also be found streaming HERE. Live stats will also be available HERE.
NOTABLY
ASHEVILLE – UNC Asheville's men's basketball will don a new set of black uniforms for the first time, Saturday, when it takes on Chattanooga to close out its nonconference schedule in a 2 p.m. contest inside Kimmel Arena.
The first 300 fans to purchase a single-game ticket will receive a FREE limited edition Blackout t-shirt. To purchase tickets or for more information, click HERE or call (828) 258-7900.
The Bulldogs (6-4) defeated Stetson, 78-76, Tuesday, to begin the season 4-0 at home. Tajion Jones led the way with 21 points as all five starters scored in double figures. The Dogs used a huge advantage in turnovers, 22-8, to defeat a hot-shooting Hatters team.
The Mocs (7-5, 0-1 SoCon) are coming off a high-scoring 84-80 victory against Troy at home, Sunday. The Mocs have played a pair of common opponents, falling to Tennessee, 58-46, and to Western Carolina, 87-77.
It is the first time in more than 20 years the two teams will square off, as Chattanooga owns a 6-0 advantage in the all-time series. In the last meeting, December 30, 1997, the Mocs narrowly edged out the Dogs, 70-68. It's been almost 30 years since the teams met in Asheville, as Chattanooga won that game, 82-77, in the Justice Center, January 4, 1989.
Saturday's game will be live streamed on ESPN+ HERE, while Brian Hall and Mike Gore will have the radio call on News Radio 570 AM, which can also be found streaming HERE. Live stats will also be available HERE.
NOTABLY
- The Bulldogs have not turned the ball over more than their opponent in any game so far this season and rank second in the country in turnover margin at plus-7.9 per game. They rank 54th in the country in fewest total turnovers.
- The Bulldogs force their opponents into 20.3 turnovers per game, which ranks fifth in the country. They also average 9.7 steals per game, ranking 16th in the nation. Lavar Batts, Jr. is averaging 2.0 steals per game, leading the Big South and ranking 66th nationally. Four Bulldogs rank in the top seven in steals per game in the Big South.
- Four Bulldogs rank inside the Top 15 in scoring in the Big South Conference (DeVon Baker – 4th, 17.1; Tajion Jones – 5th, 16.5; Lavar Batts, Jr. – 12th, 12.7; LJ Thorpe – 15th, 12.1). No other team has more than two players in the Top 15.
- After leading the Bulldogs with 21 points against UT Martin, redshirt sophomore Tajion Jones followed that up with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting against Stetson. It was his fifth 20-plus-point scoring effort of the season and the second time this season he has gone back-to-back games with 20 or more points (The Citadel, Wake Forest). He is the only player on the roster to have multiple back-to-back 20-point efforts in his career.
- The Bulldogs are 4-0 so far this season at Kimmel Arena, and have defeated their opponents by an average score of 88.3 - 66.5.
- The Bulldogs are averaging 23.2 more points per game this season than last season. Their 83.1 points per game rank 13th in the country and first in the Big South. The Dogs rank 73rd nationally and first in the Big South, hitting 46.6 percent of their shots from the field.
- All five starters scored in double figures against Stetson, marking the third time this season they have done so. The Bulldogs are 3-0 in those games.
- Despite returning 83.6 percent of its minutes from a season ago, UNC Asheville still possesses one of the 15 youngest rosters in the country, ranking as the 13th-youngest team, according to KenPom.
- The Dogs rank second in the Big South and 42nd in the country in offensive rebounds, averaging 12.6 on the offensive glass per game. Tajion Jones is ninth in the Big South, averaging 2.1 offensive boards per game.
- The Bulldogs rank 15th in turnover percentage defense, forcing opponents into turnovers on 25.1 percent of their possessions, according to KenPom.
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