Storylines – vs West Virginia Wesleyan College
Like UVa-Wise, West Virginia Wesleyan is one of the surprise teams in the Mountain East Conference in the early going. The Bobcats are 2-0 in league play behind the strong play of senior Mari Stewart. Stewart ranks seventh in the league in scoring at 16.3 points per game while ranking 11th in rebounding at 6.8 a contest. Wednesday's game could be a defensive battle. Wesleyan ranks fourth in the league in scoring defense, having held opponents to 69.5 points per game. UVa-Wise is second in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 64.2 points a contest. In the most recent meeting in the series, the two teams went to double overtime before the Cavaliers prevailed 80-76. In the game, Stewart scored a team-high 24 points on 10-21 shooting while also collecting 11 rebounds in 46 minutes of action. The Bobcats will be looking for their first win over the Cavs since the formation of the MEC. UVa-Wise has won each of the first six meetings, including an 86-57 win in Wise last season.
About UVa-Wise
In the midst of its longest winning streak since the 2005-06 campaign, UVa-Wise will look to capture its sixth consecutive win of the season Wednesday against West Virginia Wesleyan. Head Coach
Kristin Kunzman has relied heavily on the senior trio of
Kayla Carey,
Makenzie Cluesman and
Taylor Sandidge. Through six games, the seniors are averaging 43.5 points, 20.7 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game. Maybe even more impressive is what they have accomplished at the free throw line. Cluesman leads the way having shot 94.7 percent from the line while Carey (87.5) and Sandidge (81.1) are also over 80 percent on the season. During the five-game winning streak, the Cavs have won in a variety of ways. Most recently, UVa-Wise used a 19-9 third quarter spurt to overcome a 32-27 halftime deficit in a 63-58 win at Tusculum. Cluesman recorded a game-high 20 points to score 20 or more for the second consecutive game while Carey (12) and
Allison Ball (10) also entered double figure scoring. The Cavs' defense has been the team's calling card in the early going. UVa-Wise leads the MEC in field goal percentage defense at .373 while ranking second in scoring defense at 64.2 points allowed per game. A big reason for the defensive success has been the team's ability to limit second chance opportunities. Through six games, Kunzman's team has dominated the opposition on the glass. The Cavs lead the MEC and rank top 30 nationally at +10.3 rebounds per game. Carey's 9.2 boards per game ranks fifth in the league and leads a group of five UVa-Wise players who have average at least 3.5 rebounds per game.
