University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Longwood
GAME PREVIEW: Bulldogs Host Longwood in Kimmel Arena
01.06.2026 | Men's Basketball
GAME DETAILS
- Game 17
- UNC Asheville (6-10, 0-2) vs Longwood (9-8, 1-1)
- Wednesday, January 7, 2026
- 6:30 p.m.
- Asheville, N.C. || Kimmel Arena
- ESPN+
- Radio
- Live Stats
- Tickets
- Gameday Central
- Game Sponsor: Dave Steel Co.
GAME PROMOTION
Wednesday is YMCA Night at Kimmel Arena. All YMCA staff and members will receive a free ticket to Wednesday's game by presenting their membership card at the box office.
BULLDOG BITES
The UNC Asheville men's basketball team returns to Kimmel Arena on Wednesday night for its third Big South Conference game of the season. The Bulldogs enter the matchup 0-2 in league play following a hard-fought 86-83 loss at Charleston Southern this past Saturday.
In Saturday's contest, Toyaz Solomon set a new career high with 34 points, marking the third time this season he has reset his career-best scoring mark. Despite the loss, Asheville scored 27 points at the free-throw line, while Charleston Southern finished 15-of-29 from the charity stripe. Both teams recorded 38 rebounds, with the Bulldogs pulling down 19 offensive boards and limiting the Buccaneers to 24 defensive rebounds.
Charleston Southern entered the game averaging 31.69 defensive rebounds and 44.50 total rebounds per game—both top-10 marks nationally—but Asheville held the Buccaneers below their season averages in both categories.
Justin Wright leads the Bulldogs, averaging 17.4 points per game, and has tallied 20 steals on the season.
Solomon is averaging 17.2 points per game and leads the team in field-goal percentage (.505), rebounds (6.8), and blocks (14). He is 24 points shy of 1,000 career points, four blocks away from 100, and 63 rebounds from reaching 500 boards as a Bulldog. Solomon ranks No. 18 nationally in field goals made with 104.
Kameron Taylor is the third Bulldog averaging double figures, scoring 16.2 points per game, and leads the team with 52 assists and 72 free throws made.
DJ Patrick leads the Big South in minutes per game, averaging 33:21, and has played all 40 minutes in three contests this season. Taylor ranks second in the league at 33:12 per game, while Wright is fourth at 31:22.
A LOOK AT LONGWOOD
The Lancers are 1-1 in Big South play after a conference loss on Saturday. Four Longwood players average double figures in scoring: Jacoi Hutchinson (12.6), Elijah Tucker (11.5), Johan Nziemi (11.2), and Redd Thompson Jr. (10.5).
Tucker joined Solomon on the Big South Preseason First Team.
Nziemi leads the Lancers on the glass with 6.5 rebounds per game, while Thompson paces the team from beyond the arc with 26 three-pointers and a .361 shooting percentage from long range.
Longwood leads the league in free-throw percentage, shooting 75.9 percent from the line.
The Lancers are led by first-year head coach Ronnie Thomas, who has been a member of the Longwood coaching staff since 2020.
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
| 2025-26 Season | Asheville | Longwood |
| Scoring Offense | 74.0 | 77.3 |
| Scoring Defense | 74.5 | 73.3 |
| Scoring Margin | -0.5 | 4.0 |
| FG Percentage | .465 | .465 |
| FG Pct. Defense | .454 | .440 |
| 3PT Percentage | .352 | .287 |
| FT Percentage | .696 | .759 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 34.6 | 37.4 |
| Assists Per Game | 11.4 | 13.2 |
| Turnovers Per Game | 13.6 | 14.5 |
| Steals Per Game | 5.8 | 8.6 |
| Blocks Per Game | 2.8 | 2.7 |
SERIES HISTORY
Asheville holds an 18-8 advantage in the all-time series against Longwood, which dates back to the 1985–86 season when the Bulldogs earned a 65-62 victory. Asheville won nine consecutive meetings from 2014–18 and is 4-6 over the last 10 matchups.
The Bulldogs defeated Longwood 87-82 last season, snapping a three-game losing streak against their 2024 Conference Championship rivals. Asheville and Longwood have combined to appear in the Big South Conference Championship game in three of the past four seasons.
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