University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Gardner-Webb
GAME PREVIEW: Men’s Basketball Hosts Gardner-Webb on ESPNU
02.05.2025 | Men's Basketball
GAME DETAILS
- UNC Asheville (16-6, 7-1) vs. Gardner-Webb (9-13, 4-5)
- Thursday, February 6, 2025
- 9 p.m.
- Asheville, N.C. || Kimmel Arena
- ESPNU
- Listen: Bulldog Radio Network (570 WWNC) | (Brian Hall, play-by-play & Mike Gore, analyst)
- Live Stats
- Tickets
- Gameday Central
- Game Sponsor: TD Bank
- Promotions-
- Per the Ingles I-26 Rivalry between UNC Asheville and USC Upstate, the Bulldogs will collect canned food items for Eblen Charities. For Wednesday's game against Radford, fans can bring FIVE canned food items and get ONE free ticket to the game. One ticket per fan.
- THIRSTY THURSDAY! Fans will receive $2 off beer and wine.
- Kids get into the game for FREE! The first 50 kids to visit the Hop Ice Cream stand will receive free ice cream.
ESPNU HISTORY
Thursday's match-up marks the 17th ESPNU Wildcard game for Asheville since the beginning of the series 12 years ago. The Bulldogs did not host an ESPNU game last season but competed in one at Winthrop on Jan. 18, where the Bulldogs won 82-77. During the 2022-23 season, Asheville hosted two ESPNU contests in Kimmel Arena, the first against Longwood on Jan. 12, where the Bulldogs won 54-46, and the second against High Point, where the Bulldogs won 89-63 on Feb. 2.
The Feb. 6 will mark the third all-time "Wildcard" meeting between the squads on ESPNU. Gardner-Webb won the two previous nationally-televised meetings on Feb. 23, 2017 (81-76) and Jan. 17, 2022 (61-55). On Jan. 22, Asheville defeated Gardner-Webb, 61-53, on Jan. 22 in Boiling Springs.
LAST TIME OUT
The Bulldogs extended their win streak to six games following a 72-65 victory over Radford last Wednesday in Kimmel Arena. Asheville's victory last Wednesday moves the Bulldogs to 10-0 at home this season. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, Asheville is 35-2 when playing in Kimmel. Against conference foes, Asheville is 20-1.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK HONORS
The Big South Conference announced on Monday (Feb. 3) that Kameron Taylor was named Freshman of the Week for his efforts against Radford last week. Taylor scored 14 points and had a career and game-high eight rebounds. This is the first time since the 2018-19 season that a freshman has earned freshman of the week honors twice in a season for Asheville.
TEAM TAP-IN
For the fourth consecutive season and 24th time, while being in the Big South, the Bulldogs have won 15 games. After 40 Big South games, the home teams are 30-10 ( =75.0 winning percentage) and own a winning margin of 11.03 points. Three of those home team losses are Bulldog wins, as Asheville leads the league in road wins with a record of 3-1. Asheville is the only team in the league that is undefeated at home this season.
DOUBLE-DIGIT DOGS
Four Bulldogs are averaging double-digit points, with Jordan Marsh leading the way with 17.7 averaged a game. Marsh is averaging a league-best 23.1 points in Big South games this season (185 in 8), the highest points per game clip in conference action since 2019-20 when Hampton's Jermaine Marrow scored a league-best 24.1 per game against Big South foes. Meanwhile, Marsh went 13-of-13 from the free throw line against Winthrop on Jan. 18, the 15th time a Big South player made 100 percent from the charity stripe with at least 13 attempts.
Toyaz Solomon is averaging 15.2 points per game and has scored in double-figures in 21 of Asheville's 22 games played. Solomon is in a 3-way tie for third for most double-doubles in the league with four.
Josh Banks averages 15.1 points per game and is in a four-way tie in the league at six games for most games with 20-24 points.
Fletcher Abee is the final Bulldog in double-figures with 10.9 points per game. Abee leads the league with a 44.4% 3-point shooting percentage and is No. 13 in the nation. Abee's from-distance shooting percentage is the highest 3-point shooting percentage in the league since 2022-23, when former Bulldog Tajion Jones held the top spot at 44.8%. Abee has made 182 3-pointers, which puts him at No. 8 in the program records.
IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Asheville is No. 11 in the nation in scoring offense, as the Bulldogs average 84.0 points per game.
Asheville is in the top 50 in the nation in six other categories:
- No. 23 Turnover margin: 3.5 (No. 1 in BSC)
- No. 43 Fastbreak points: 13.73 (No. 1 in BSC)
- No. 44 Field goal percentage: 47.8 (No. 2 in BSC)
- No. 45 Assist/turnover ratio: 1.44 (No. 1 in BSC)
- No. 47 Turnovers per game: 10.5 (No. 1 in BSC)
- No. 48 Winning Percentage 72.7 (No. 2 in BSC)
Asheville has two players ranked in the top 50 in the nation in three separate categories:
- No. 13 Fletcher Abee | three-point percentage: 44.4%
- No. 14 Toyaz Solomon | field goal percentage: 60.2%
- No. 42 Toyaz Solomon | field goals: 148
SCOUTING GARDNER-WEBB
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The Runnin' Bulldogs enter Thursday's game following a 96-93 loss at Winthrop on Saturday.
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Darryl Simmons II scored a career-high 40 points against Winthrop, the highest scoring output in the Big South this season and the 20th 40-point effort in Division I this year. It was the league's first 40-point performance since Jan. 25, 2023, when former Bulldog Drew Pember netted 48 points against Presbyterian.
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Simmons leads GWU with 17.3 points per game, 65 3-pointers, and a .428 3-point shooting percentage. He is second on the team with 42 assists and 21 steals.
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Gardner-Webb's second-leading scorer is Anthony Seldon, who averages 14.5 points and leads the team with 51 assists. Jamaine Mann is the final Runnin' Bulldog, averaging double figures with 11.8 points per game.
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Isaiah Richards is Gardner-Webb's leading rebounder with 7.3 boards averaged a game and leads the team with 25 blocks.
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
|
2024-25 Season |
Asheville |
Gardner-Webb |
| Scoring Offense | 84.0 | 74.8 |
| Scoring Defense | 74.9 | 78.1 |
| Scoring Margin | 9.2 | -3.4 |
| FG Percentage | .478 | .470 |
| FG Pct. Defense | .438 | .451 |
| 3PT Percentage | .355 | .350 |
| FT Percentage | .696 | .687 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 36.5 | 37.1 |
| Assists Per Game | 15.1 | 11.6 |
| Steals Per Game | 7.6 | 5.3 |
| Blocks Per Game | 4.1 | 3.7 |
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