BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – UVa-Wise continues its four-game road trip Saturday afternoon with a visit to Buckhannon, West Virginia, for a 4 p.m. game at West Virginia Wesleyan.
 
Storylines – at West Virginia Wesleyan
The Cavaliers and Bobcats will battle it out for the second time this season after West Virginia Wesleyan got the better part of UVa-Wise back on Dec. 3 in an 84-62 affair inside the David J. Prior Convocation Center. UVa-Wise will be seeking its first victory over West Virginia Wesleyan since joining the Mountain East Conference in 2013, the Cavs are 0-5 during that time.
 
In the two teams' first meeting this season, West Virginia Wesleyan returning First-Team All-MEC senior forward Tanner McGrew dominated the post and freshman guard Fred Brondsted went 7-for-11 from beyond the arc, scoring 23 points in the game. McGrew scored a game-high 37 points and grabbed 19 rebounds for the visiting Bobcats as West Virginia Wesleyan shot over 50 percent for the game, including going 10-for18 (56 percent) from beyond the arc. Contrarily, the Cavs shot the ball at only 36 percent (17-for-47) in the contest and the Bobcats' McGrew, unbelievably, had just as many made field goals (17-for-31) by himself as the entire UVa-Wise team. Sophomore guard Philip Owens II led the Cavs with 14 points and two assists as senior forward Matt Day was limited to 12 points and eight rebounds.
 
Currently, West Virginia Wesleyan is in seventh place in the MEC standings with a 7-8 league mark, sitting one game ahead of Shepherd University and one game behind the University of Charleston. Most recently, the Bobcats were edged by one point (65-64) at home against visiting Concord University Thursday night.
 
West Virginia Wesleyan's McGrew (13.9 rpg) and UVa-Wise's Day (10.7 rpg) are two of the top rebounders in the MEC and nationally. McGrew leads the nation and the league in rebounds per game and defensive rebounds per contest, while Day is third nationally in defensive rebounds and ninth in rebounds per game. Day is second in the MEC in defensive boards per game and third in rebounds per contest. McGrew is third in the nation in double-doubles recorded this season with 14.
 
About UVa-Wise
UVa-Wise is on an eight-game losing streak after a 77-59 defeat at Glenville State Thursday night inside the Waco Center in Glenville, West Virginia. Day led the Cavs with his 11th double-double of the season, scoring 18 points and grabbing a game-high 17 rebounds while sophomore forward Dimitri Sousa finished with 18 points as well. After last night's performance, Day ranks eighth nationally in double-doubles earned this season.
 
Saturday, UVa-Wise will be looking for its first MEC win since defeating Urbana University (85-82) in a road game on Jan. 10.
 
Following tomorrow night's contest the Cavs will have a five-day break from competition before returning to road play next Thursday night for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off at fourth-ranked Wheeling Jesuit University.