INSTITUTE, W.Va. – UVa-Wise men's basketball takes on Virginia Union University Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Institute, West Virginia. It is the Cavaliers' final game in West Virginia State's Earl Lloyd Classic as UVa-Wise tries to improve to 2-0 on the early season.
 
Playing in just their second game of the season, the Cavs find themselves taking on an opponent receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) preseason poll. The Panthers are ranked No. 23 nationally according to the NCAA Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25 and were picked to finish second in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association after posting a 16-14 (8-8 CIAA) record in 2015-16. Last season, Virginia Union advanced to the semifinals of the CIAA Tournament for the first time in a decade but were defeated 75-70 by Livingstone College. Senior guard Ray Anderson and senior forward Tavon Mealy, both preseason All-CIAA picks, look to lead Virginia State this year after shining for the Vikings last season. Anderson, a 6-foot-3 native of Wilmington, Delaware, was a first-team All-American a year ago after averaging 20.8 points per game and shooting 51.1 percent from the field. Tabbed preseason honorable mention All-American on the Division II Bulletin All-America Team, Anderson scored his 1,300th point for the Vikings last year. A 6-foot-3 native of Richmond, Virginia, Mealy was third in scoring for Virginia Union in 2015-16 with 12.2 ppg and led the team in rebounding with 191 boards (6.4 rpg). Mealy's field-goal percentage of 69.9 was third-best nationally.
 
Virginia Union defeated West Virginia State 86-83 Friday night on a half-court buzzer-beater to open up its 2016-17 campaign. Junior forward James Paige drained a 35-foot shot in the midst of two defenders as time expired to give Virginia Union the last-second win. The Panthers shot the ball remarkably well in the game at 50 percent (32-of-64) and were 10-for-18 (55.6 percent) from beyond the arc. Anderson led the Panthers with a game-high 30 points on 11-of-21 shooting, going 4-for-8 from 3-point land. Virginia Union also got 14 points and nine rebounds from junior guard Kory Cooley, and another 14 points from Paige.
 
UVa-Wise defeated Elizabeth City State University 100-97 in overtime Friday evening in its season opener at the Earl Lloyd Classic in Institute, West Virginia. Redshirt junior forward Taiwo Badmus had a breakout game of sorts with a game-high 29 points and 21 rebounds and freshman guard Chance Sheffey collected 19 points off the bench in his first collegiate game. The Cavs shot 53 percent from the field in the game and went a perfect 6-for-6 in the overtime period, outscoring the Vikings 16-13 in the extra five minutes to earn the season-opening victory. Badmus and Sheffey combined to go 16-of-25 from the floor as Badmus hit 11 free throws. Fifty of UVa-Wise's 100 points came inside the paint. Sophomore forward Leandro Amador had a near double-double and collected career highs in both points (11) and rebounds (9).
 
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