SHELBY, N.C. (Interstat) — A pair of Big South rivals trending in opposite directions will meet Thursday when the UNC Asheville Bulldogs visit the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs at Paul Porter Arena.

UNC Asheville (13-15) arrives with momentum from a thrilling 74-73 overtime victory over Radford on Saturday. Gardner-Webb (3-26) seeks to halt a seven-game losing streak and find a bright spot in a difficult season.

The visiting Bulldogs have dominated the recent series, including a 69-50 win over Gardner-Webb just four weeks ago on Jan. 29. In that game, UNC Asheville held the Runnin’ Bulldogs to 32.7% shooting from the field.

A key to watch will be the play of UNC Asheville’s Toyaz Solomon. The standout is coming off a 44-minute, 23-point performance in the overtime win against Radford and has scored 15 or more points in four of his last seven contests. He tallied nine points and five assists in the January win over Gardner-Webb.

Gardner-Webb will counter with guard Jacob Hudson, its most consistent offensive threat during the skid. Hudson has averaged 16.3 points over his last four games, including a 20-point effort against High Point on Feb. 14. He was limited to just two points in 14 minutes in the prior meeting with UNC Asheville.

The matchup pits UNC Asheville’s recent resilience—with three wins in its last five games—against a Gardner-Webb squad that has struggled defensively, allowing an average of 89.4 points during its seven-game slide.

For Gardner-Webb, the game represents one of its final chances to secure a conference victory at home. For UNC Asheville, it is an opportunity to build winning momentum ahead of the Big South tournament.

Tip-off is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Shelby.