No. 4 UConn heads to Bahamas to battle UNC-Asheville

The fourth-ranked Connecticut Asheville Bulldogs in the Battle 4 Atlantis, a tournament held in the Bahamas.

The defending national champion, UConn enters this event having won its last 15 games dating back to last season. This season, all of the Huskies' games have been played at home, and all four have resulted in double-digit victories. The most recent was an 87-70 decision over Coppin State last Sunday.

UNC-Asheville opened the season with back-to-back losses, but a step down in level of competition has enabled the team to even its record at 2-2. On Monday, the Bulldogs beat up on Brevard College by an 89-48 final, but knocking off the Huskies today will be a tall ask.

UConn has easily won both of its previous meetings with UNC-Asheville.

The Huskies played well at both ends of the floor in their most recent victory over Coppin State. They shot 55.9 percent from the field and posted 21 assists against only eight turnovers while limiting the opposition to 39.1 percent shooting. A 14-4 edge in points from the foul line certainly helped the cause for UConn, which got 25 points from explosive guard Jeremy Lamb. However, that effort was overshadowed by the performance of fellow guard Shabazz Napier, as he recorded the ninth triple-double in UConn history with 22 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds. Lamb leads the team with 22.8 ppg this season, while the versatile Napier checks in with 18.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 6.3 apg. The Huskies are generating 78.8 ppg while limiting opponents to 63.2 ppg on 35.5 percent field goal efficiency.

UNC-Ashville has no trouble generating offense, as the squad is scoring 91.2 ppg on 48.5 percent shooting from the field while limiting opponents to 74.5 ppg. Matt Dickey is the top offensive performer for the Bulldogs with his 15.8 ppg, and J.P. Primm adds 14.8 ppg and 5.5 apg. Jaron Lane contributes 12.0 ppg, and Chris Stephenson brings 10.5 ppg to the mix. In the 41-point romp over Brevard College on Monday, Dickey hit all six of his shots from the field, including three from behind the arc, en route to a team-high 19 points. Keith Hornsby pitched in 12 points and Jon Nwannunu added 10 points. UNCA shot 62.3 percent from the field in that clash and held Brevard to 37 percent efficiency.