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After trailing for more than 36 minutes in their opening round of the Big South Tournament victory, the Charleston Southern Buccaneers prepare to play the conference’s regular-season champion, the UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Bojangles Coliseum on Friday.
Charleston Southern Buccaneers vs. UNC Asheville Bulldogs (-8, 144.5)
Charleston Southern will have its hands full trying to defend 6-foot-10 forward Drew Pember, who led the conference with 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game all while shooting 38.8% from 3-point range.
Pember’s unique skill set is a big reason UNC Asheville ranks fourth out of the 363 Division I teams in 3-point shooting percentage (39.5%) and 30th in overall field goal shooting percentage.
The best way to slow down the Bulldogs is by forcing turnovers. As a squad, they rank 330th in the nation in turnovers committed per offensive play but Charleston Southern will need to step it up, ranking just 281st in turnovers forced per offensive play on defense.
Overall, Charleston Southern ranks 354th in the nation in points allowed on a per-possession basis while allowing its opponents to grab rebounds on 32.9% of their missed shots in games on the road, good for 334th in the nation.
UNC Asheville has won both meetings this season by double-digits with Pember leading the way and averaging 21.5 points and nine rebounds per game. The Bulldogs will look to increase the season series record to 3-0 on Friday.
The Play: UNC Asheville -8
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