University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Saturday, January 15
Asheville, N.C.
2:00 PM
UNC Asheville
vs
USC Upstate
Men’s basketball hosts USC Upstate Saturday afternoon
01.14.2022 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's basketball team returns home to Kimmel Arena on Saturday afternoon, welcoming USC Upstate for a 2:00 p.m. tip.
Attendance Update
As a reminder, attendance at all home UNC Asheville basketball games is limited to only family and friends on the participating teams' pass list through January 16. For more information, click here.
The Matchup
Who: UNC Asheville (10-6, 2-1 Big South) vs. USC Upstate (5-10, 2-1 Big South)
When: Saturday (1/15) at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Asheville, N.C. – Kimmel Arena
How to Follow
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: ESPN Asheville
Stats: Live
Second-Half Surge
LJ Thorpe and Drew Pember did their best to lift Asheville to victory on Thursday night, combining for 47 points and 15 rebounds in the narrow 86-80 overtime loss at Winthrop. Thorpe played a huge role down the stretch, scoring 22 of his season-high 24 points in the last 25 minutes of play. The redshirt senior also dished out a team-high five assists and grabbed six rebounds as the Bulldogs came up just short against the Eagles. Looking to join teammate Tajion Jones in the 1,000-point club, Thorpe is approaching a pair of milestones with 993 points and 394 rebounds in his career entering the weekend.
Where they Stand
Despite suffering its first conference loss on Thursday night at Winthrop (86-80 OT), the Bulldogs are one of just five teams in the league to collect two wins to this point (2-1) – four of which are in the South Division. Asheville sports a 7-1 record at Kimmel Arena this season, with its only loss coming to Chattanooga (78-73), who currently sits at 36 in the NET rankings.
Scouting the Spartans
Despite being just 5-10 on the season, USC Upstate has scored back-to-back victories over Presbyterian and High Point to start 2-1 in conference play. The Spartans enter Saturday after a Wednesday-night thriller, as a Dalvin White (7.9 ppg) 3-pointer lifted USC Upstate to a 66-65 win over High Point. Bryson Mozone leads the Spartans with 13.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on the season, while Jordan Gainey has wasted no time making an impact, averaging 11.0 points and 4.0 boards and earning Big South Freshman of the Week honors twice this season. Upstate is efficient from downtown, shooting 36.6 percent with an average of 8.4 three-pointers per game – ranking fourth in the Big South in those categories. Asheville will look to capitalize on its aggressive style and 3-point defense, as the Spartans average 19.6 fouls per contest.
Attendance Update
As a reminder, attendance at all home UNC Asheville basketball games is limited to only family and friends on the participating teams' pass list through January 16. For more information, click here.
The Matchup
Who: UNC Asheville (10-6, 2-1 Big South) vs. USC Upstate (5-10, 2-1 Big South)
When: Saturday (1/15) at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Asheville, N.C. – Kimmel Arena
How to Follow
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: ESPN Asheville
Stats: Live
Second-Half Surge
LJ Thorpe and Drew Pember did their best to lift Asheville to victory on Thursday night, combining for 47 points and 15 rebounds in the narrow 86-80 overtime loss at Winthrop. Thorpe played a huge role down the stretch, scoring 22 of his season-high 24 points in the last 25 minutes of play. The redshirt senior also dished out a team-high five assists and grabbed six rebounds as the Bulldogs came up just short against the Eagles. Looking to join teammate Tajion Jones in the 1,000-point club, Thorpe is approaching a pair of milestones with 993 points and 394 rebounds in his career entering the weekend.
Where they Stand
Despite suffering its first conference loss on Thursday night at Winthrop (86-80 OT), the Bulldogs are one of just five teams in the league to collect two wins to this point (2-1) – four of which are in the South Division. Asheville sports a 7-1 record at Kimmel Arena this season, with its only loss coming to Chattanooga (78-73), who currently sits at 36 in the NET rankings.
Scouting the Spartans
Despite being just 5-10 on the season, USC Upstate has scored back-to-back victories over Presbyterian and High Point to start 2-1 in conference play. The Spartans enter Saturday after a Wednesday-night thriller, as a Dalvin White (7.9 ppg) 3-pointer lifted USC Upstate to a 66-65 win over High Point. Bryson Mozone leads the Spartans with 13.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on the season, while Jordan Gainey has wasted no time making an impact, averaging 11.0 points and 4.0 boards and earning Big South Freshman of the Week honors twice this season. Upstate is efficient from downtown, shooting 36.6 percent with an average of 8.4 three-pointers per game – ranking fourth in the Big South in those categories. Asheville will look to capitalize on its aggressive style and 3-point defense, as the Spartans average 19.6 fouls per contest.
Players Mentioned
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