The UNC Asheville Bulldogs (18-9) bring the regular season to a close on the road at Winthrop Coliseum when they face off with the Winthrop Eagles (19-7). The game starts at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 20.
The Eagles beat Coastal Carolina 79-67 on Thursday. Xavier Cooks fueled the Eagles, recording 26 points and 10 rebounds to notch his sixth double-double this season. The Bulldogs are coming off a 70-61 win over Presbyterian on Thursday. Dwayne Sutton led the game in scoring with 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting.
Over the last five games, Cooks has really been playing well for the Eagles. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.2 blocks, and 2.0 three-pointers. Sutton has also been on fire in the same span, averaging 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers while leading the Bulldogs.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength, as the high-octane offense of Winthrop (29th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 114.0) takes on the stingy defense of UNC Asheville (21st in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 95.3).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Bulldogs won the first game 85-84. Kevin Vannatta was a standout player in the game, producing 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals, one block, and two three-pointers.
Notes
Ranked 21st, the UNC Asheville Bulldogs have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 95.3 points per 100 possessions. The Winthrop Eagles rank 29th in offense, scoring 114.0 points in the same number of possessions.
Winthrop has an average field goal percentage of 48.2% (ranked 21st). UNC Asheville is a poor 2-5 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Winthrop Eagles rank lower for their field goal percentage (21st) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (14th), but the UNC Asheville Bulldogs have a better FG% ranking (104th) than eFG% ranking (169th).
The Winthrop Eagles average 5.3 blocks per game, the 25th-ranked team in the country. The UNC Asheville Bulldogs rank a lowly 188th in blocking with just 3.3 per game.
UNC Asheville ranks 119th in offensive rebounds, while Winthrop ranks at 91st in defensive rebounds.
Though UNC Asheville is one of the best in the country in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TO% of 22.2% (ranked 21st), Winthrop has a winning 2-1 record SU when it has a TO% of 22.2% or greater.
