323.2011 I The Blue Banner I 7
Jess Peete - Staff Photographer
UNC Asheville fans support the men's basketball team Thurday afternoon in the Highsmith Union Grotto. The team lost 51-74.
Panthers tear off Bulldog dancing shoes
John McIntyre
jpmcinty@unca.edu - Staff Writer
It’s over, folks.
The 2010-11 men’s basket
ball season has finally come to
an end after UNC Asheville’s
loss against Pittsburgh in the
second round of the NCAA
tournament last Thursday.
After beating the University
of Arkansas at Little Rock, and
prolonging their winning streak
to -seven games, the Bulldogs
flew to Washington, D.C. for a
difficult match-up against Pitts
burgh, a No. 1 seed and the Big
East Conference champions.
“The NCAA tournament is
absolutely tremendous. The
whole experience is unbeliev
ably great for all of our athletes,
our coaches and all the teams
that are fortunate enough to get
in, ” UNCA head coach Eddie
Biedenhach said.
The Highsmith Student Union
was filled with blue shirts,
the smell of popcorn and the
screams of Bulldog fans as the
big game'started on Thursday
Chris Stephenson
after-
noon.
A min
ute into
the first
half, ju
nior J.P.
Primm,
assisted
by junior
Chris Ste
phenson, hit the first two points
for the Bulldogs. Two minutes
later, Stephenson knocked down
a three to tie the game at 5-5.
The Panthers developed a
■ seven-point lead after a layup
with nine and a half minutes re
maining in the first half.
Pittsburgh’s offense built mo
mentum as the Bulldogs found
themselves in an 11-point defi
cit with eight minutes to go un
til halftime. They controlled the
boards throughout the game,
contributing to UNCA’s loss.
“We knew they rebounded
well. We knew they shot the ball
well. We just had to play better
and get on the boards more, and
we could have stayed in closer,”
junior guard Matt Dickey
said. Dickey scored a team-high
21 points for the Bulldogs in
Thursday’s game.
Dickey opened the second
half by splitting open a hole in
Pittsburgh’s defense and go
ing in for an impressive layup,
making the score 30-25, with
UNCA still trailing behind.
Forty seconds later, Chris Ste
phenson stole the ball and ini
tiated a fast break that resulted
in a foul on Dickey and two
subsequent free throws, putting
the game at a close 32-29. The
Bulldogs made it clear to Pitts
burgh they were not going back
to Asheville without a fight.
Pittsburgh’s accuracy behind
the arc and a series of fouls by
UNCA put the Panthers ahead
by 11 points with fourteen-
and-a-half minutes to go in the
game.
Seven minutes later, the Pitts
burgh lead had grown to 16
points. The Panthers’ unyield
ing defense left UNCA exhaust
ed by completely shutting down
their long-range game.
The Bulldogs began applying
tight full-court pressure in an
effort to stump the Panthers for
at least a possession, but it was
to no avail.
Pittsburgh outscored UNCA
18-12 during the final 12 min
utes of the game, clinching the
victory and advancing to face
No. 8 seed Butler in the next
round of the tournament.
Emotions were funning high
back in the Highsmith as every
one watched the last few sec
onds of the game dwindle. The
Bulldogs lost 51-74, but they
played with a level of passion
and intensity to rival some of
the best basketball teams in the
country.
“It is great that we’re still go
ing to have Dickey and Primm
next season. Getting to the
second round will give us more
media attention and scouting
prospects too. I thought it was
really impressive that we could
keep up with a first seed, and it
shows that we have a promising
program, ” Eben Fenton, a Ju
nior at UNCA, said.
Men's Basketball
Thursday
vs. Pittsburgh
51 - 74 (L)
Men's Tennis
Saturday
vs. Radford,
2-5
y- Wf!
Women's Tennis
Sunday
vs. Radford
3-4(L)
Basebali
Fri/ Sat/Sunday
vs. Gardner-Webb
1 -2(L)
Track and Field
Milan Ristic
Sophomore Milan Ristic
ran two school records
in the 110-meter hurdles
(14.52 seconds) and the
200-meter dash (21.85)
last Saturday at the
Charlotte 49er Classic
held at UNC Charlotte.
Senior Simon Haake
also threw a school
record in the javelin
throw on Friday at the
Charlotte 49er Classic.
His toss of 47.90 meters
earned him first place at
the meet.