University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Bluefield (Va.)
GAME PREVIEW: Men’s Basketball Takes on Bluefield in a Midweek Matchup
12.10.2024 | Men's Basketball
GAME DETAILS
- UNC Asheville (4-4) vs. Bluefield (2-6)
- Wednesday, December 11, 2024
- 4:30 p.m.
- Asheville, N.C. || Kimmel Arena
- Watch: ESPN+ (Matt Stradley, play-by-play; John Williams, color analyst)
- Listen: Bulldog Radio Network (570 WWNC AM) | (Brian Hall, play-by-play; Mike Gore, color analyst)
- Live Stats
- Tickets
- Gameday Central
- Promotions: All K-12 students in the WNC Area receive free admission to tomorrow's game. The UNC Asheville Health & Wellness Department will give out 100 blue stress relief basketballs. The UNC Asheville Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is collecting winter clothing during all December and January basketball games.
LAST TIME OUT
All 13 Bulldogs that played on Saturday made their way into the scoring column as the UNC Asheville men's basketball team defeated St. Andrews 120-64.
Saturday's win marks the sixth time Asheville has scored over 100 points against St. Andrews in the two teams' 10-game history. Saturday's win also marks the fourth year in a row the Bulldogs have scored over 100 points in at least one game during the season.
In the first half alone, Fletcher Abee scored 25 points, going 8-12 from the field and 6-10 from 3-point range. Connor Dubsky scored 20 points, going 6-12 from the field and 5-11 from the 3-point range. Jordan Marsh followed with 14 points, going 6-10 from the field, and Kameron Taylor was the final Bulldog in double figures with 11 points, going 5-8 and 1-3 from distance.
Toyaz Solomon recorded eight points and eight boards, Jemal Davis had four points, Sage Tolentino had nine points, Javoy Thompson had seven points and seven boards, Greg Gantt Jr. had six points, eight rebounds, and five assists, Julian Clarke had five points, Aidan Rubio had four, Rasheed Baldwin had four and Corey Jones had three. Taylor and Rubio led Asheville with three steals each.
The Bulldogs shot 61% from the field (44-72), 45.5% from 3-point range (15-33), and 68% from the free thrown line (17-25).
Asheville had 56 points in the paint, 38 off turnovers, 30 from fast breaks, and 49 off the bench.
TEAM LEADERS
Abee leads the team with a .475 3-point shooting percentage and 28 3-pointers. Abee is No. 1 in the Big South in 3-point shooting percentage and 3-pointers per game with 3.5. Abee is averaging 14 points per game.
Solomon and Marsh are both averaging 14.5 points per game. Solomon leads the team with 51 field goals, eight blocks, and 7.4 rebounds per game. Marsh leads the team with 26 assists and a .923 free throw percentage. Marsh is No. 1 in the Big South in free throw percentage.
Josh Banks is averaging 14.6 points per game. He is second on the team with 21 3-pointers and a .412 3-point shooting percentage.
Gantt is second on the team with 22 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.
As a team, the Bulldogs are No. 1 in the league in 3-point field goals made, averaging 8.8 per game, and in assists, averaging 13.63 per game.
Asheville is the only team in the league with teammates who scored 20 points or more in two separate games. Banks and Abee scored 20 points each on Nov. 9, Abee scored 25, and Dubsky scored 20 on Saturday (Dec. 7).
Solomon is in an 8-way tie for first in the league for double-doubles with two.
A LOOK AT THE RAMS
Bluefield is 2-6 overall and 2-3 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Elijah White leads Bluefield with 17.7 points per game and is followed by Quantavis Mckinney with 12.9. White is the team's leading 3-point shooter with a .357 shooting percentage and leads the team with 25 assists. Justin Wiggins follows, leading the team with 11 3-pointers and has a .355 shooting percentage. Mckinney leads the team with 44 rebounds.
SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday will be the fourth time the two teams have faced each other. The first time was during the 2009-10 season, and the last time was during the 2013-14 season. Asheville is 3-0 against the Rams.
COACH'S CORNER
Following this past Saturday's win, Head Coach Mike Morrell became the second-winningest coach in program history, surpassing Nick McDevitt, who held the No. 2 spot with 98 wins. Morrell is one win away from becoming the 18th coach in Big South history with 100 career victories.
DECEMBER SCHEDULE
Wednesday's 4:30 p.m. game is the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader, with the women's team following at 6:30 p.m. against Furman.
Asheville will continue its home stretch on Saturday, Dec. 14, as the Bulldogs host Western Carolina University at 2 p.m.
Next week, the Bulldogs will host North Florida on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 6:30 p.m. and Virginia University of Lynchburg on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m.
STAY UPDATED
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