Bulldogs Return Home with Sights Set on Longwood

GAME NOTES | vs LONGWOOD

ASHEVILLE – UNC Asheville's men's basketball will look to build on its home victory last week when it faces off against Longwood in 6 p.m., Thursday, contest inside Kimmel Arena.

Thursday's game will serve as YMCA Day and will also be Student Appreciation Night. The first 300 students will receive a free t-shirt and will be entered into a drawing to win an Apple Watch. A winner will be drawn at a timeout in the second half, and the student must be present to claim the prize.

The Bulldogs (10-13, 4-8 Big South) faced off against Hampton on the road Monday night, falling 80-70, despite the first triple-double of LJ Thorpe's career. The last time the Bulldogs played at home, they took down USC Upstate, 84-71, last Thursday behind 30 points from DeVon Baker.

The Lancers (10-16, 5-8 Big South) emerged victorious Monday night, narrowly edging out Campbell, 57-56, at home. The Lancers have won three of their past four games and have won two straight on the road in conference play.

UNC Asheville holds a 12-2 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to the 1985-86 season, but has been played annually since the 2012-13 season. The two teams met last month in Farmville, as the Bulldogs took down the Lancers, 71-66, during a Monday-night showdown, January 20. Baker led the team with 19 points, coming on strong in the second half with 14 points to help the team overcome a halftime deficit.

Thursday's game will be live streamed on ESPN+ HERE. 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

LJ Thorpe became the second player in program history and first since Kenny George in 2007 to record a triple double, as he scored 17 points and recorded career-highs with 13 rebounds and 10 assists at Hampton. He is one of just 20 players in Division I with a triple-double this season.
With six victories more than their total last season, the Bulldogs are among the top teams in the country in improving their win total from last year, tied for fourth in the country with five other teams, including two they've beaten – Charlotte and Stetson.
The Bulldogs rank third in the country in turnover margin at plus-5.7 per game, and they rank Top 50 in the country in fewest total turnovers. The Bulldogs have turned the ball over more than their opponent in only two games this season.
The Bulldogs force their opponents into 17.6 turnovers per game, which ranks 13th in the country. They also average 8.6 steals per game, ranking 21st in the nation. Lavar Batts, Jr. leads the Big South, averaging 1.9 steals per game, while LJ Thorpe (1.5 spg), DeVon Baker (1.4 spg) and Trent Stephney (1.4 spg) all rank in the Top 15.
With 30 Points against USC Upstate at home, DeVon Baker recorded his second 30-point output of the season after scoring 37 against UT Martin. He became the first Bulldog since Andrew Rowsey in 2014-15 with multiple 30-point performances in a season. He is among a trio of Bulldogs with a 30-point game this season (Lavar Batts, Jr - 40, at SC State; LJ Thorpe - 31, Hampton).
Four Bulldogs rank inside the Top 15 in scoring in the Big South Conference (DeVon Baker – 5th, 16.4; Tajion Jones – 8th, 14.5; LJ Thorpe – 10th, 13.9; Lavar Batts, Jr. – 14th, 12.7). No other team has more than two in the Top 15.
The Bulldogs are averaging 76.2 points per game, ranking 58th in the country and third in the Big South. The Bulldogs finished the 2018-19 campaign ranked 349th nationally in scoring, averaging 59.9 points per game. The team is averaging 16.3 more points per game than it did last season.

BY THE NUMBERS

1 – The Bulldogs have used just one starting lineup all season. Asheville is the only team in Division I to use one starting lineup all season.
10 – LJ Thorpe dished out a career-high 10 assists at Hampton, becoming the first Bulldog to record double-digit assists in a game since J.P. Primm against High Point, March 2, 2010.
10 – Despite returning 83.6 percent of its minutes from a season ago, UNC Asheville still possesses one of the 10 youngest rosters in the country, ranking as the 10th-youngest team, according to KenPom.
50 – The Bulldogs hit 50 percent from the field against USC Upstate at home, marking the fourth time this season they shot 50 percent or better in a game. They hit 56.9 percent against The Citadel, 50 percent against Charlotte and 52 percent against Radford. They are 4-0 in those games
97.2 – The Bulldogs underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores) have scored 97.2 percent of the team's points this season, representing the highest percentage of underclassmen scoring in Division I.

Bulldogs Return Home with Sights Set on Longwood

Next Event

Players Mentioned

DeVon Baker

Lavar Batts, Jr.

Tajion Jones

Trent Stephney

LJ Thorpe

University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics

Bulldogs Return Home with Sights Set on Longwood

Next Event

Players Mentioned

DeVon Baker

Lavar Batts, Jr.

Tajion Jones

Trent Stephney

LJ Thorpe

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