University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Presbyterian
GAME PREVIEW: Asheville Welcomes Presbyterian to Kimmel Arena for Valentine’s Day Matinee
02.13.2026 | Men's Basketball
GAME DETAILS
- Game 26
- UNC Asheville (12-13, 6-5) vs Presbyterian (12-14, 5-6)
- Saturday, February 14, 2026
- 2 p.m.
- Asheville, N.C. || Kimmel Arena
- ESPN+
- Live Stats
- Radio
- Tickets
- Game Sponsor: Bear's Smokehouse BBQ
GAME PROMOTIONS
Giveaway: UNC Asheville chapstick
Food Drive: Saturday's contest is the final day to donate canned goods in support of Eblen Charities. Fans who donate will be entered for a chance to win a TV, with the winner announced at the Feb. 21 game.
Halftime Performance: K9s in Flight Frisbee Dogs
In-Game Recognition: Mental Health Awareness
LAST TIME OUT
UNC Asheville earned a 79-74 road victory over Longwood in a nationally televised ESPNU matchup in Farmville on Feb. 12. The Bulldogs were powered by three 20-point scorers — Toyaz Solomon (24 points, 13 rebounds), Justin Wright (24), and Kameron Taylor (22). Wright's old-fashioned three-point play in the final minutes gave Asheville the lead for good.
Solomon recorded his 500th career rebound, becoming just the 20th player in Big South history to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 100 blocks.
Asheville carried a 37-36 lead into halftime and opened the second half with a 21-5 run to build a 58-41 advantage with 16:10 remaining. Longwood responded with a 19-1 run to briefly take the lead, but the Bulldogs answered down the stretch to secure the win and move up in the Big South standings.
STANDINGS UPDATE
With five games remaining in the regular season, Asheville is currently tied for third in the Big South with Radford, as both teams sit at 6-5 in conference play. Presbyterian follows in fifth at 5-6, while Longwood is sixth at 5-7. High Point and Winthrop lead the league standings at 11-1.
Asheville's remaining schedule includes Presbyterian at home (Feb. 14), at High Point (Feb. 19), Radford at home (Feb. 21), at Gardner-Webb (Feb. 26), and Charleston Southern at home (Feb. 28) to close the regular season.
2025-26 Men's Basketball Standings
SOLOMON SEEING DOUBLE
En route to joining the Big South's 1,000-500-100 club, Solomon recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 24 points and a season-high 13 rebounds against Longwood. He ranks third in the Big South and No. 50 nationally in double-doubles. In conference play, Solomon is averaging 15.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
WRIGHT ON TARGET
Justin Wright has started and appeared in all 25 games this season, scoring in double figures in 23 contests. He is currently on a 21-game streak of double-digit scoring performances and is averaging 18.3 points per game in conference play. He leads the team with 39 assists and an .803 free throw percentage in league play.
KT'S CONSISTENCY
Kameron Taylor leads the Big South with 14 games of 20 or more points (10 in conference play). He ranks second in the league in conference scoring at 22.5 points per game and sits No. 49 nationally in total points (465) this season.
3J PATRICK
The Bulldogs are 8-2 this season when DJ Patrick makes at least three three-pointers in a game. Patrick ranks second in the league in overall three-point percentage (.400) and third in conference games (.403).
MORRELL ON THE CLIMB
Head Coach Mike Morrell ranks 14th all-time in Big South history with 128 career victories. Two more wins would move him into a tie for 13th.
PUTTING IN THE MINUTES
Asheville accounts for four of the conference's top six players in minutes played per game, led by Patrick with 34:49, followed by Taylor in second with 33:57, Wright in fifth with 32:04, and Solomon in sixth with 32:02.
TEAMMATE TWENTY
Asheville leads the league with 10 games of two-or-more teammates scoring at least 20 points.
- Nov. 8: Wright (33), Taylor (29)
- Nov. 25: Taylor (23), Solomon (21), Wright (20)
- Dec. 10: Solomon (31), Wright (26)
- Jan. 3: Solomon (34), Wright (22), Taylor (21)
- Jan. 10: Taylor (27), Patrick (24)
- Jan. 14: Wright (26), Taylor (22)
- Jan. 17: Taylor (26), Solomon (20)
- Jan. 21: Taylor (27), Wright (20)
- Jan. 31: Taylor (25), Wright (21)
- Feb. 12: Wright (24), Solomon (24), Taylor (22)
A LOOK AT PRESBYTERIAN
The Blue Hose dropped an 84-67 decision at Charleston Southern on Thursday and have now lost four of their last five contests. During that stretch, Presbyterian suffered a three-point loss to High Point (Jan. 29) and fell to Radford in double overtime (Jan. 31).
Jonah Pierce leads Presbyterian with 19.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. His 13 double-doubles lead the Big South and rank No. 9 nationally.
As a team, the Blue Hose rank second in the Big South in blocks per game (4.4), field goal percentage (.474), and scoring defense (72.0 points allowed per game). In conference play alone, Presbyterian ranks fifth in scoring defense, while Asheville sits second, holding league opponents to 71.8 points per game.
The two teams are among the league's best from three-point range, with Asheville leading the Big South at .367 and Presbyterian close behind at .352.
OVERALL STATISTICAL COMPARISON
| 2025-26 Season | Asheville | Presbyterian |
| Scoring Offense | 74.5 | 72.3 |
| Scoring Defense | 72.4 | 72.0 |
| Scoring Margin | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| FG Percentage | .461 | .474 |
| FG Pct. Defense | .442 | .444 |
| 3PT Percentage | .363 | .318 |
| FT Percentage | .702 | .676 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 34.8 | 35.6 |
| Assists Per Game | 11.3 | 13.2 |
| Turnovers Per Game | 12.3 | 13.2 |
| Steals Per Game | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| Blocks Per Game | 3.3 | 4.4 |
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