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The UNC Asheville men’s basketball program will temporarily pause all team activities, practices and games due to COVID-19 protocols.
In a statement released by the UNCA athletic department on Thursday, the team will refrain from group meetings and activities as the department and university follows local and NCAA COVID-19 guidelines to keep student-athletes, coaches and athletic officials safe.
As a result of the pause, UNCA postponed the two game home series set to take place on Thursday and Friday against Campbell. The two schools will look to reschedule the games for a later date.
The athletic department declined to comment to The Blue Banner on the pause.
The suspension comes just days after the Bulldogs’ 57-55 upset win over Winthrop on Jan. 29 to hand the Eagles their first loss of the season. Currently, the team sits third in the Big South conference rankings with the conference tournament coming up at the beginning of March.
Other collegiate men’s basketball programs across the country have faced similar challenges and activity pauses due to COVID-19. Most recently, Florida State announced a pause due to COVID-19 issues on Thursday.
The Bulldogs still plan to take on USC Upstate on Feb. 11 and 12 in Spartanburg, S.C.