Storylines –Shepherd GameComing off a 104-93 victory over Glenville State College, Shepherd visits the Prior Center Thursday in search of a season series sweep of UVa-Wise. The Rams scored a 69-62 victory over the Cavaliers in Shepherdstown earlier this month. In that game, guard Morgan Arden scored a game-high 28 points on 11-20 shooting. The sophomore played 39 of the game's 40 minutes and committed just one turnover while adding three assists while on the floor. On the season, Arden is averaging a Mountain East Conference best 19.7 points per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the field. Two other Rams are averaging 10 or more points per game this season. Liz Flowers is posting 14.3 points per game while Kristen Nunn is registering 11.1 points per game. As a team, Shepherd ranks in the top half of the league in 3-point shooting percentage and 3-point field goal percentage defense. In its win over Glenville State, Shepherd shot 55.6 percent from beyond the arc (5-9) while limiting Glenville State to 23.3 percent shooting (10-43). The win halted a five-game losing streak for Head Coach Jenna Eckleberry's team who enters Thursday in search of their fourth consecutive victory over the Cavaliers. Following the game, Shepherd will visit Concord University Saturday before returning home for a pair of MEC games against Wheeling Jesuit University and West Liberty University.
About UVa-WiseComing off its seventh loss by single digits, UVa-Wise will look to get back on track Thursday. Coach
Kristin Kunzman's team was unable to hold a late one-point lead at Charleston Tuesday as the Golden Eagles claimed a 70-67 home victory. Junior guard
Makenzie Cluesman scored a career-high 23 points as she made a season-high five 3-pointers. It was Cluesman's second consecutive start after returning from injury. The Jonesville native has averaged 35.5 minutes per game in the two-game stretch while averaging 19 points per game. Newport, Tenn. native
Allison Ball has been on fire beyond the arc this season making 50 percent of her long range attempts. Since Dec. 20, Ball has made 59 percent of her 3-point attempts and has made three consecutive starts. Cluesman and Ball should provie a boost against the Rams, Cluesman missed the first meeting due to injury and Ball played just 11 minutes in Shepherdstown. After being one of the top rebounding teams in the league over the first half of the season, the Cavaliers have struggled on the glass as of late. At Charleston, UVa-Wise lost the battle of the boards 36-22. It marked the third time in the last four games the team has lost the rebounding battle. UVa-Wise should enjoy an advantage on the boards against Shepherd, in the first meeting this season the Cavs won the rebounding battle 47-32.
