Women’s basketball defeats Campbell Camels
SAMUEL ROBINSON
Sports Staff Writer
srobins8@unca.edu
UNC Asheville women’s basket
ball defeated a talented Campbell
University team 38-33 thanks to an
inspired defensive performance. It
was the first time since 2005, when
the Bulldogs held Radford to 32
points in the Big South Conference
Tournament, that UNCA held an
opponent to under 35 points.
“That was a defensive battle.
Campbell came into this game third
in the nation in field goal percent
age defense, and last year they fin
ished first” said Brenda Mock Kirk
patrick, head coach. “This is one
of the best defensive performances
that I’ve seen since I’ve coached
here.”
Campbell arrived at Kammel Are
na last Tuesday averaging 58 points
per game. Summer Price, a junior
guard for the Fighting Camels,
leads the Big South in points per
game, averaging 15.3.
“You have to key on Summer
Price. I think she scored six of her
14 in the fourth quarter,” Mock
said. “We tried to keep the ball out
of her hands as best we could.”
Mock’s physical gameplan
worked as Price was held below her
season average and no other Camp
bell player scored more than seven
points.
Due to the physical nature of
the game, early fouls against se
nior center Bronaza Fitzgerald
and junior guard Ali Trani forced
the Bulldogs to their bench early.
Freshman guards Nadiria Evans
and Amaryah Corpening proved
adequate replacements, scoring six
of the Bulldog’s seven points in the
first quarter.
With Fitzgerald on the bench,
UNCA conceded a significant size
advantage to Campbell. In addition
to providing points off the bench,
the personnel change allowed the
Bulldogs to run a more aggressive
defensive scheme, perhaps to coun
teract Campbell’s size advantage.
“I thought they were a little bit
rattled when we ran our press,”
Forward Tiffany Wilson assists her
the Bulldog’s conference record to
Mock said. “We had to go to that
because we couldn’t generate any
half court-offense. We didn’t cap
italize on every one of their turn
overs, but we did get them a little
off balance.”
The Bulldogs entered halftime
trailing 18-15 after struggling to es
tablish much offensive rhythm.
“We missed some good early
chances that may have translated to
some missed chances later on. We
didn’t find the bigs inside as much
and struggled from the free throw
line, usually we do a better job
of that,” said Joe Lacasto, junior
health and wellness student.
Despite struggling to find the ball
and not registering a single point in
the first, Fitzgerald came alive in
the second half. She finished with
12 points.
Senior guard Khaila Webb hit
a big 3-pointer with four minutes
remaining in the third quarter to
UNC Asheville Bulldogs to win against
11-4.
bring the Bulldogs within three. On
the following possession, the Bull
dog’s smothering defense forced an
errant resulting in a Fitzgerald in
terception. The senior center drove
the ball the length of the court and
converted a layup to make the score
23-24.
UNCA began the fourth quarter
trailing the Fighting Camels 27-25.
“The teams competed well on of
fense and defense. It was a battle,
a real grind-it-out game tonight,”
said MaCio Teague, a sophomore
guard on the UNCA men’s basket
ball team. “We missed some free
throws late. But other than that, the
women competed very well and
came out with the win late in the
season — that’s what is important.”
Despite struggling from the free
throw line all night, the Bulldogs hit
six of their 17 free throw attempts
in the fourth quarter and outscored
Campbell 13-6 in the final period of
PHOTO BY SAMU
the Campbell Camels, Improving
play.
“We left a lot of points at the
free throw line, going nine for 28,”
Mock said. “Getting the 28 at
tempts is great. That means we’re
aggressive, we’re attacking the bas
ket and playing physical basketball.
But we’ve got to be able to convert
there.”
The win improves the Bulldogs
conference record to 11-4.
The Bulldogs remain in conten
tion for a conference champion
ship, though it would require them
winning their remaining games
and Liberty losing their final three
games.
UNCA will be looking to win
their third Big South Conference
Championship in a row this post
season, and if the past conference
tournaments serve as any indica
tion, it will take determined, gritty
performances such as this in order
to do so.