WISE, Va. – UVa-Wise men's basketball welcomes Urbana University to the David J. Prior Convocation Center for a Sunday afternoon Mountain East Conference matchup at 4 p.m.
 
Storylines – vs. Urbana University
The Cavaliers host a Blue Knights squad that is coming off of a recent home loss to Glenville State College. The Pioneers snapped Urbana's four-game win streak Thursday night with an 87-78 win over the Blue Knights.
 
Urbana sits in 10th place in the current MEC standings with a 1-5 league mark and a 6-6 overall record. The lone conference win for the Blue Knights this season was an 86-61 rout of West Virginia Wesleyan in Urbana earlier this week on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Urbana has also suffered league losses at home versus then No. 7 Wheeling Jesuit University (97-87), on the road at then No. 1 West Liberty University (132-97), versus the University of Charleston (116-96) and at West Virginia State (87-76).
 
UVa-Wise has played four common opponents in Charleston, West Virginia State, West Virginia Wesleyan and Glenville State. The Cavs were defeated in each of those matchups.
 
Sunday afternoon's contest will be the seventh meeting between the Cavs and the Blue Knights since UVa-Wise joined the MEC in 2013. The series is tied at 3-3 with the two teams splitting both of last season's games. The Cavs defeated Urbana 85-82 on the road almost exactly one year ago on Jan. 10, 2016, before falling 91-87 in an overtime affair last February in Wise.
 
Both Urbana and UVa-Wise were picked to finish at the bottom of league according to the coaches' preseason poll after finishing 12th and 11th, respectively, a year ago.
 
Led by third-year head coach Rob Summers, the Blue Knights feature sophomore forward Jahmere Howze who is averaging a team-best 17.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Freshman guard DeQuan Abrom (15.8 ppg), junior guard Carlas Jackson (15.2 ppg) and junior forward Charles Sweatt-Washington (11.8 ppg) are also averaging double-figure scoring for Urbana.
 
About UVa-Wise
UVa-Wise is seeking back-to-back wins for the first time since November of 2013 after claiming a 78-69 win over Shepherd University Thursday evening in the Prior Center.
 
Behind a career-high 30 points from redshirt junior forward Taiwo Badmus (London, England), the Cavaliers shot the ball at 52.8 percent (28-of-53) for the game and went 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) from the floor in the second half. UVa-Wise got 20 points from redshirt sophomore forward Dimitri Sousa (São Paulo, Brazil) and made 42.9 percent (9-of-21) of its 3-point attempts, including going 5-of-7 from beyond the arc in the second half. Freshman point guard Michal Seals (Lancaster, Pa.) scored nine points and collected a career-high seven rebounds, while dishing out a game-high seven assists.
 
The win snapped a four-game skid and was the first for the Cavs since earning a 86-63 home win over Berea College (Ky.) back on Dec. 8.
 
With UVa-Wise classes out until Tuesday, Dec. 10, admission is FREE to Sunday's women's and men's basketball doubleheader. The women's game is slated for a 2 p.m. tipoff.
 
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