Page?
The Blue Banner
November 29,2001
Sports
UNCA ofF to shaky 0-4 start to begin hoops season
Hollie Childers
Staff Reporter
The UNCA men’s basketball
team did not eat turkey last week
because they went on the road to
play.
Campbell University, the Uni
versity of Minnesota, UNC-
Greensboro and West Virginia
University all beat the Bulldogs,
but the team’s chemistry and new
players are still adjusting to the
new season
“Chemistr)' is what the team
strives for, and that is why these
early games are there, so we can get
that,” said Head Coach Eddie
Biedenbach.
UNCA fell in overtime to
Campbell University 77-72 Nov.
24 in Buies Creek, NC.
The Fighting Camels, (2-1) broke
an 18-point lead in the first half,
but had to rally to win in the over
time session.
The ‘Dogs trailed 27-9 at one
point in the first half due to missed
foul shots and turnovers.
The Fighting Camels made 19 of
22 foul shots and UNCA hit only
five of 12. The second half started
out better for the ‘Dogs, but the
intensity fell and the Camels took
over.
“We came out and played very
well in the second half, and with
less than two minutes to go, we
went up four points,” said
Biedenbach. “It went into over
time, and we had some bad breaks.
Had we done better in the free
throw situation, we would have
won in regulation.”
Junior center Ben McGonagil led
UNCA with 20 points and nine
rebounds. This was the second-
straight game the ‘Dogs have played
without junior guard and leading
scorer Andre Smith.
Smith is suffering from an arch
injury, and a bruised heel, said
Biedenbach.
“It is a nagging injury, and he
bruised the other foot favoring it
and trying to play with it,” said
Biedenbach. “He could have
played, but we felt it would hurt
him for the future.”
Junior forward Colin Shaw and
sophomore forward Billy Allen are
also injured, but that cannot be an
excuse for the team’s losses, said
Biedenbach.
“We have to learn to play with
out Andre Smith,” said
V
I’HOTO COURl'ESY OF MIKE GORE
Junior center Ben McGonagil goes up for a shot amidst heavy pressure from an opposing defender last
year. UNCA finished 15-13 in 2000-01, but has stumbled out to an 0-4 start in the 2001-02 season.
Biedenbach. “He is going to get in
foul trouble, he is going to have to be
sick and he is going to get hurt again.
It is hard on him
not being able to
play, but it is
harder on us
right now.”^
On Nov. 21,
UNCA played
the Golden Go
phers of Minne
sota for the first
time ever.
“It was a good
experience for us
from the stand
point that it is a
Big 10 team,”
said
Biedenbach.
“They have a
great tradition of
basketball.”
The ‘Dogs
traveled to Min
neapolis, Minn.,
wheretheylost92-65. UNCAcom-
mitted 22 turnovers in the game, 11
of which were in the first half, ac
cord ing to the. Asheville Citizen- Times
“Chemistry is
what the team
strives for, and
that is why these
early games are
there.”
Eddie
Biedenbach
Head Coach
Web site.
Minnesota made just five of its
first 20 shots in the first half, and
the Bulldogs
made half of
their shots to
take a 15-12
lead midway
through the
half. Junior
guard Bran
don Carter
scored 12
points for the
Bulldogs, ac
cording to the
Web site.
“We had the
lead for much
ofthe first half,
but when they
brought in
their three
substitutes,
those guys
played very
well against
us,” said Biedenbach. “We did not
attack their zone very well, and as a
result, they inched back into the
game.”
The Bulldogs played UNC-
GreensboroathomeNov. 19,where
they were defeated 75-49.
UNCG led midway through the
first halfin a 49-26 lead. The‘Dogs
shot poorly, hitting only 32 percent
from the field and 38 percent at the
free throw line, according to the
Web site.
Although the Bulldogs have played
the Spartans before, a lot of things
have changed, for both teams, said
Biedenbach.
“Last year, we played those guys,
and we had a 13-point lead at their
place, but we ended up giving it
away,” said Biedenbach. “They are
playing extremely hard and they
were picked 100 in the country,
which is better than anyone in our
league. They won the Southern
Conference last year, and they are
favored to win it again.”
The Spartans out-rebounded the
Bulldogs 46-33, and the ‘Dogs had
20 turnovers in the game.
They went 8-of-21 from the free
throw line for 38 percent, while
they shot only 28 percent from the
field in the second half.
McGonagil scored a career-high
15 points and grabbed seven re
bounds to lead the Bulldogs.
The ‘Dogs cut the deficit to 61-
44, but the Spartans were too strong.
“Our guys were surprised at the
high level of intensity that these
guys played. Their players are a
little better than ours, a little bigger
and they play harder,” said
Biedenbach. “I do not think there
are 30 teams in the country that
play as hard as Greensboro does.
That was a good lesson for us.”
The Bulldogs also traveled to
Morgantown, West Virginia to play
their 2001 season opener Nov. 16
against West Virginia. The ‘Dogs
were defeated 83-57.
WVU dominated the ‘Dogs by
leading 46-20 at halftime.
“It was opening game and we have
eight new players,” said Biedenbach.
“It was a good game for us in the
fact that we realized we have to play
harder.”
The score was tied 37-37 at one
point in the game. Shaw led the
‘Dogs in scoring with 13 points.
Senior forward Robby Joyner had
11 points and Smith had 10 points.
UNCA had 24 turnovers in the
game, and their rebounding was
also lacking. The WVU Mountain
eers had 17 rebounds to UNCA’s
three.
“We missed a lot of easy shots and
they out-rebounded us, and that
was probably the biggest problem
we had,” said Biedenbach. “We did
cut our turnovers down in the sec
ond half, and we rebounded better.
We really beat them in the second
half, and we executed better.”
New players and uncertain chem
istry could have caused the losses
for the ‘Dogs, said Biedenbach.
“We have eight new players and as
a result, each game you are trying to
get those guys implemented and
used to playing at this level,” said
Biedenbach. “You have to play ex
tremely hard to win at this level.”
UNCA was picked third in the
Big South Conference in the pre
season this year, but expectations
are greater for the Bulldogs.
“We expect that Winthrop is bet
ter than us, but we can beat them.
Radford is better than us, but we
can beat them,” said Biedenbach.
“They pick us in the league because
we had success over the past five
years coming in first twice, and
third three times.”
“They just expect us to be there.
Come conference time, we should
get better and win the BSC tourna
ment,” said Biedenbach.
Highlanders eliminate the Bulldogs in tournament
Jenna Lahmeyer
Staff Reporter
The UNCAvolleyball team fin
ished up their season in Lynchburg,
VA., as Liberty University held the
2001 Big South conference
women’s volleyball tournament
Nov 14 through 17. ‘
The Bulldogs went into the tour
nament in 5 place overall, and were
matched up with fourth seeded
Charleston Southern University.
The Bulldogs defeated the Buc
caneers in the first round on No
vember 22, and advanced to the
second round to face the Radford
University Highlanders.
The Highlanders defeated the
Bulldogs in three games, and then
went on to lose in the champion
ship game to the Liberty Univer
sity Flames.
“We knew it was going to be
tough playing Radford, but I’m
really happy with our perfor
mance,” said team captain and se
nior middle hitter Elizabeth
Rodriguez.
“Radford is a very strong team,
and we tried our hardest, but we
just couldn’t pull out the win,” said
freshman setter Bonny Sneed.
The Highlanders defeated the Bull
dogs 30-17, 30-22 and 30-26 Nov.
16 in the Vines Center.
BSC player of the year, Katie
Sherwood, and first team all-confer-
ence selection, Laura Marcuson, both
had 17 kills a piece to lead Radford.
Bliss Mulligam had a game-high of
51 assists for the Highlanders.
For the Bulldogs, junior middle
hitter Jessica Jones recorded 11 kills
and 2 block assists, and junior out
side hitter Adrienne Moore added
10 kills. Sneed, an all-rookie hon-
oree setter for UNCA, finished with
a team best of 28 assists.
Radford attempted to defend their
2000-championship title to the Lib
erty Flames but were defeated in the
championship match Nov. 17.
“We played better towards the end
ofthe match, so it felt good to end
our season putting up a fight,
Radford played really well,” said
sophmore middle hitter Suzanne
Aubel.
In first round action against CSU,
the Bulldogs quickly attacked the
Buccaneers and won 30-23, 30-22
and 30-26.
The Bulldogs faced the Buccaneers
twice before and split with them,
so this was a deciding match be
tween the two teams, according to
several players.
“That was our best game of the
season,” said Moore. “I’ve never
seen our team play that well. We
were very prepared for the match.”
The first two games, UNCA took
off with big leads over CSU, but in
the third game the Bucs battled the
‘Dogs for every point until five
points in a row by the Bulldogs
clinched their victory.
Leading scorers for UNCA were
senior middle hitter HeatherTerrell
with 17 kills and 10 digs, and
sophomore outside hitter Kelly
Budnik with 13 kills and nine digs.
Sneed recorded 45 assists.
For CSU, Tricia Wilson led with
17 kills and nine digs, and Jennifer
Monson added 15 kills and seven
digs.
“We had one win and one loss (vs.
CSU), so we were really excited to
have the chance and play them
again,” said Rodriguez. “We just
played together and everything
clicked. We definitely had the up
per-hand and didn’t let down.”
“We were really prepared and ex
cited to play CSU,” said Sneed.
'We played better towards the end of
the matchy so it felt good to end our
season putting up a fight”
Suzanne Aubel
Sophomore, Outside Hitter
“We had changed up our defense
and were ready to play.”
Sneed, a Marietta, Ga. native, re
ceived all-rookie honors Nov. 21 at
the conference awards banquet.
Since preseason, Sneed has been
the starting setter for the Bulldogs.
She is one of the top setters in the
BSC with an average of 10.96 as
sists per game.
Also receiving honors was Budnik
from New Berlin, Wi., who re
ceived All-Conference second team
honors, and was awarded to the All-
Academic team.
Budnik has a current grade point
average of 3.35
These awards are voted on by the
conference coaches and Sports In
formation Directors.
Budnik is second on the team in
kills, and leads the team in service
aces and digs.
Earlier in the season, she recorded
30 kills, which is the most of any
UNCA player in five seasons. Her
play has been a major contribution
to this young Bulldog squad this
season.
Budnik was also awarded at the
conclusion of the BSC tournament
to the All-Tournament team.
Budnik was named Big South
Rookie of the year last season.
“Our season was disappointing,”
said Budnik. “It felt good to play
hard at the tournament and to know
we have a lot to work for.”
The Bulldogs finish their season
with a record of 7-21.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE GORE
Senior midfielder Colin Barnes
is shown controlling the ball.
Panthers
claw ‘Dogs
in upset
shutout
Ben Martin
Staff Reporter
The UNCA men’s soccer team
ended their season by losing 2-0 to
High Point University in the first
round of the Big South Conference
Tournament Nov. 8.
“We’re very disappointed,” said
Head Coach Steve Cornish, accord
ing to the UNCA athletics Web
site. “We didn’t play badly, but
their goalkeeper came up with some
big saves when we had some oppor
tunities. We weren’t as sharp as we
needed to be today, and that early
goal was a real killer.”
“If we could have; ever tied the
game, we would have been in good
shape,” said Cornish.
The Bulldogs went 9-8-0 this sea
son, their best record since their
start in Division I play in 1986,
according to the Web site.
It is also the second year in a row
that the number 8 seed has upset
the number 1 seed in the first round
of the BSC tournament.
High Point scored early in the
first half with an unassisted goal by
John Sitaridis at the 12:18 mark.
The ‘Dogs turned things around
for a while after the goal with six
cornerkicks.
Panther goalie Eric Lona made
some big saves and finished the
match with a total of five.
High Point added another goal
with less than five minutes left in
the game to seal the victory for the
Panthers.
“It hurts right now, but two weeks
from now, we’ll realize what a good
season we had,” said Cornish on
the Web site. “We graduate some
good lads, but we have a lot return
ing for next year. I’m already look
ing forward to next year with this
team. We made some significant
progress this year,and that will con
tinue next season.”
In other soccer news, Cornish was
named Big South Coach of the
Year for the second time in his
career. Freshman defender Kyle
Britton received Rookie ofthe Year
honors and senior midfielder Mike
Roach was named Big South Scholar
Athlete of the Year.
The Bulldogs also had four play
ers named to the all-conference first
team and two players named to the
all-conference second team.
Midfielders Greg Garrison and
Colin Barnes, defender Kyle Britton
See SHUTOUT Page 8