University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Men’s basketball visits Western Carolina Saturday
12.10.2021 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's basketball returns to the road Saturday, traveling to Cullowhee to face the Catamounts at 2:00 p.m.
The Matchup
Who: UNC Asheville (5-4) vs. Western Carolina (6-4)
When: Saturday (12/11) at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Cullowhee, North Carolina
How to Follow
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: 570 WWNC
Live tracking: Stats
Mr. 200
After winning three straight, the Bulldogs mounted a furious comeback against Chattanooga on Wednesday, but fell just short 78-73. The second-half rally was sparked by Tajion Jones, who knocked down five 3-pointers in a four-minute span, giving him 200 for his career. In the process, Jones became just the fourth player in program history to make 200 or more 3-pointers, and now sits 25th all-time in career scoring for UNC Asheville (1,172 points).
Scouting the Catamounts
Western Carolina likes to shoot the three, ranking fourth in the country in 3-pointers per game (12.3) and 3-point field goal attempts (333). Guard Nick Robinson – a graduate student from Valparaiso - leads the team with 27 treys on the season, ranking him in the top 50 nationwide in that category. Another strength of the Catamounts is their ability to rebound, ranking sixth in the NCAA in total rebounds with 429. UNC Asheville will look to capitalize defensively however, as Western Carolina is averaging 14.7 turnovers per game while the Bulldogs rank 14th in the country in 3-point field goal percentage defense (25.9).
Series History
The two rivals have met 45 times in their program histories, with the Catamounts leading the series 32-23. The two sides have played each other every season since 1999, with Western Carolina holding a 13-9 edge and entering Saturday on a four-game win streak. The recent matchups, however, have been down to the wire, with the last two wins for Western Carolina coming by a combined three points.
