Storylines –Glenville State Game
Locked in a tie for fourth place in the most up-to-date Mountain East Conference standings, Glenville State welcomes UVa-Wise to the Waco Center Thursday. Coach Charles Marshall's club has won consecutive games and brings a 4-2 home record into Thursday's contest. The Pioneers will be playing just their second game inside the Waco Center since Jan. 13 but will play five of their next six games at home. Earlier this season, Glenville State claimed a 90-80 win at UVa-Wise. In the victory, the Pioneers depth proved to be the difference as Marshall's squad overcame a four-point halftime deficit. Thirteen Pioneers played at least five minutes in Wise while the Cavaliers played a total of eight players. Glenville State forced 24 UVa-Wise turnovers in the win as Brittany Jackson came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points to lead a quartet of Pioneers in double figure scoring. Nine different Glenville State players made a 3-pointer in the win as the Pioneers connected on 12 long range shots. Since the formation of the MEC, Glenville State has won each of the first five meetings between the two schools.
About UVa-Wise
Having won three of its last four games and two in a row, UVa-Wise enters the game playing its best ball of the season. Junior guard Makenzie Cluesman is the reigning MEC Player of the Week after she averaged a double-double in a pair of victories over Shepherd and Fairmont State. While UVa-Wise has been one of the better home teams in the MEC, life on the road has not been kind to coach Kristin Kunzman's team. Entering Thursday, the Cavaliers are 1-6 away from the Prior Center and have lost six consecutive contests. In addition to Cluesman's strong play, sophomore AllisonBall has increased her production as well. The Newport, Tenn. native scored a career-high 20 points in the win over Fairmont State and leads the team in 3-point field goal percentage at 48.6 percent.  She tied a career-high in made 3-pointers in a game with four in the win against Fairmont State while finishing 6-10 from the field overall. In its recent string of good play, the Cavs have shot the ball well at the free throw line and out-rebounded their opponents. In its two most recent wins, UVa-Wise has shot 84.9 percent (45-53) from the free throw line and out rebounded their opponents by 18 rebounds per game. With eight games to play, the Cavs are tied for eighth place in the league standings. The top four teams will receive a first round bye while team's seeded 5-8 will play a home game in the opening round of the conference tournament. A player to watch in Thursday's game is Kayla Carey. In her last three games against the Pioneers, the junior is averaging 19.3 points and 15.3 rebounds per game. Thursday's game begins a four-game road trip for UVa-Wise; overall, the Cavs will play five of their final eight games away from the Prior Center.