University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Longwood
Asheville travels to Longwood for Big South series starting Wednesday
12.29.2020 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – After a seven-day layoff, the UNC Asheville men's basketball team returns to the court on Wednesday when it travels to Longwood University for a pair of Big South games to be played at 3 p.m. on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Asheville sits at 3-4 overall on the season, posting a mark of 2-0 in conference play with a pair of wins over High Point. Longwood is 1-7 on the young season, with two Big South losses at Radford. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Steadying Presence
Tajion Jones has continued his solid play, leading the Bulldogs in scoring (17.9) and 3-point field goals, connecting on 41.0 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Among Big South players, Jones ranks third in scoring, fifth in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage, while pacing the league in made 3-pointers (25). Meanwhile, sophomore point guard Trent Stephney has settled into his starting role this season, pacing the team in assists (33) while scoring 10.4 points per game. Stephney's 4.7 assists per game rank fourth in the Big South, while his 12 steals tied for third overall. While Asheville's looks to improve its turnover margin of -2.7, Lavar Batts, Jr., Stephney and LJ Thorpe rank 7-8-9, respectively, in the Big South in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Behind the Line
After reeling off three wins in a row with and averaging 82. 3 points per game, Asheville scored just 66 and 67 points, respectively in its last two games at Chattanooga and Marshall. Both the Mocs and Thundering Herd capitalized from behind the arc and at the free throw line, shooting 44.7 percent from 3-point range and averaging 11.0 made free throws per game, while the Bulldogs were just 6-for-19 from the charity stripe in the two losses. On the season, Asheville is averaging just 9.6 attempts from the free throw line per game, but its 8.3 threes per game rank fourth among Big South squads and is in the top 90 among Division I teams.
Scouting Longwood
Like Asheville, Longwood had a break between games around the holidays, last playing on December 21 when it traveled to Virginia Tech (L, 58-84). Juan Munoz leads the Lancers in scoring, averaging 14.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Justin Hill ranks second on the team in scoring (11.9), grabbing a team-high 39 rebounds. The Lancers are a young team with seven freshmen, including Hill, on their 2020-21 squad. Longwood has been competitive in the majority of its games, with three losses coming by three points or less. Opponents have shot 45.4 percent from the floor against the Lancers, but have taken advantage at the free throw line, knocking down 16.9 free throws per game, while Longwood is averaging just 10.3 free throws per contest.
Series HistoryÂ
Asheville has dominated the series with Longwood over the years, winning 14 of 16 matchups between the two programs. The Bulldogs have won 11 of the last 12 games in the series, including two down-to-the-wire games last season. Balance was key for Asheville in those wins, with four Bulldogs scoring in double figures in each game, edging out the Lancers 71-66 and 73-71. The last four matchups have been decided by five points or less, with Longwood snapping a 10-game losing streak on January 10, 2019 in Farmville.
How to Follow
Both Wednesday and Thursday's games will be streamed on ESPN+. Brian Rushing and Katie Pate will have the call on WVHL 92.9, and you can follow live stats here.
Game Notes
