Preview: Charleston Southern at UNC Asheville Women’s Basketball

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Interstat) — Two Big South Conference teams seeking momentum will meet Wednesday when the UNC Asheville Bulldogs host the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Kimmel Arena.

Both teams enter the midweek contest on losing streaks. The visiting Buccaneers (4-13, 1-3 Big South) have dropped two straight, including a 54-63 loss at Winthrop on Saturday. The Bulldogs (6-11, 1-3) have also lost two consecutive games, most recently a 58-67 home defeat to Longwood on Saturday.

The matchup features two of the conference’s top scorers, setting the stage for a compelling individual duel.

Charleston Southern will lean heavily on guard Tyonna Bailey, who is coming off a dominant 30-point, 12-rebound performance in the loss to Winthrop. Bailey has been on a scoring tear, averaging 22.1 points over her last eight games, including a 31-point outing at North Carolina. Her ability to score and rebound from the guard position will be central to the Buccaneers’ hopes.

UNC Asheville counters with its own offensive leader in guard Nia Green. She posted 22 points in the loss to Longwood and has averaged 19.3 points over her last three contests. Green provides consistent scoring punch for a Bulldogs team that has struggled offensively in conference play, failing to reach 60 points in three of its four Big South games.

While both teams have faced overall struggles this season, their conference records remain within reach in a crowded Big South standings. Charleston Southern’s lone conference win came on the road at Radford (63-59) on Jan. 3, while UNC Asheville’s sole Big South victory was a 62-51 win at Gardner-Webb on Jan. 7.

Defensive execution will be critical. Charleston Southern allows an average of 71.2 points per game, while UNC Asheville scores at a clip of just 62.2 points per game. Which team can impose its tempo will likely decide the outcome.

Wednesday’s game is the first of two regular-season meetings between the programs this season. They are scheduled to play again at Charleston Southern on Feb. 4.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST at Kimmel Arena.