Storylines – Charleston GameThe loss of Monet Saunders has derailed Charleston's season. The 6-foot-1 forward was averaging 14.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game before an injury put her on the sidelines. With Saunders, the Golden Eagles were 2-1, without her the team is just 2-10 and has lost four of its past six games. Charleston does enter the game with some momentum, Coach Adam Collins' team scored a 77-74 road victory over rival West Virginia State last time out. The Golden Eagles overcame a seven-point fourth quarter deficit in the win as Chyress Lockhart and Kiara Johnson combined for 44 points. Collins has went to a more deliberate style of play as the season has progressed, against West Virginia State the two teams combined for just two fast break points as Charleston worked the shot clock throughout the contest. Ranking fourth in the Mountain East Conference in scoring defense at 64.8 points per game and 11th out of 12 teams in scoring offense at 62.5 points per game, Charleston has been in several close contests. Entering Tuesday, the Golden Eagles have played four games decided by eight points or less, including each of their last two games. Charleston's game against UVa-Wise is the only home contest for the Golden Eagles over a four-game stretch. Thus far, Charleston is 3-4 in home contests.
About UVa-WiseMost recently, UVa-Wise put a stop to a six-game losing streak in a big way. The Cavaliers shot 48.4 percent from the floor in the first half en route to a 52-25 halftime lead against Concord University before cruising to an 87-58 win. Coach
Kristin Kunzman's club led by as many as 44 points in the fourth quarter as four players registered double figure scoring.
Blair Harding came off the bench for the first time this season to score a game-high 22 points while
Makenzie Cluesman recorded a season-high 15 points. Freshman
Alle Moore turned in the first double-double of her collegiate career with 14 points and 12 rebounds while
Natalia Saar was a perfect 5-5 from the field as she netted 12 points. In its first meeting against Charleston, Harding,
Taylor Sandidge,
Kayla Carey and
Kehana Grayer combined to score 63 of the team's 68 points in a 68-60 win at the Prior Center. Golden Eagles' leading scorer Lockhart was limited to 21 minutes due to foul trouble but still posted a team-high 13 points. The Cavs free throw shooting proved pivotal in the victory, as a team UVa-Wise made 14-15 foul shots while Charleston made just six of 13 attempts. The game is the only road contest out of a stretch of five games for UVa-Wise. Since joining the MEC, Charleston leads the all-time series 4-1 and is 2-0 in Charleston. Tuesday's game is slated for Charleston Catholic High School due to scheduling conflicts with the Charleston Civic Center and the renovation of Charleston's on-campus facility.
