Storylines –West Liberty GameWest Liberty enters Saturday's game as the lone conference team ranked in the latest USA Today Poll. The Hilltoppers check in at No. 18 and are led by Liz Flowers. The guard is third in the league in scoring at 18.9 points per game while leading the conference in made 3-point field goals per game at 3.0. The senior is also shooting 34.7 percent from distance. Teammate Kailee Howe leads the nation in assists per game at 10.04 per contest to aid a 'Toppers offense that ranks second nationally at 20.7 team assists per contest. Recently, forward Kierra Simpson has been a force for Lynn Ullom's squad. The 5-foot-10 senior leads the nation in field goal percentage (.667) and was named USBWA National Player of the Week along with MEC Player of the Week last week after recording a league-record 25 rebounds against Shepherd University. Simpson leads the MEC in reboudning at 12.0 per game and collected 17 rebounds in a 59-53 victory over UVa-Wise earlier this season.
About UVa-WiseClose but no cigar has been the story for UVa-Wise in recent meetings against West Libery.
Kristin Kunzman's team suffered a six-point setback earlier this season after losing a pair of games in overtime to the 'Toppers a year ago. The Cavs struggled to put the ball in the hoop in the first meeting, making just 25 percent of their field goal attempts and 60.6 percent of their free throw attempts. While scoring was an issue, UVa-Wise turned in one of its finest defensive performances of the season by limiting West Liberty to 2-14 shooting from beyond the 3-point line and 35.5 percent shooting overall. The Cavs went to the line 33 times in the loss and the aggressive play at the rim put several 'Toppers in foul trouble. Howe fouled out of the contest while Simpson, Liz Flowers and Baylen Dyrlund finished the game with four fouls. Logic would dicate that UVa-Wise would have to improve its showing on the glass to have a shot at the upset Saturday. West Liberty out-rebounded UVa-Wise 54-37 in the first meeting. Ullom's team scored 15 second chance points and 40 points in the paint in the win. Saturday's game concludes a four-game road trip for the Cavs. The team finishes the season by playing three of its final four games at the Prior Center. UVa-Wise is just 2-8 on the road but boasts an 8-3 record in Wise.
