WISE, Va. – UVa-Wise men's basketball wraps up its four-game Mountain East Conference homestand to open up the new year Tuesday with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff against Notre Dame College.
 
Storylines – vs. Notre Dame College
The Cavaliers take on a Falcons squad that is on an eight-game win streak and holds an 11-2 record on the season. Notre Dame College's only losses so far this year have come in MEC play, a 94-72 road loss at then top-ranked West Liberty University back on Nov. 19 and a 83-74 home defeat against then No. 7 Wheeling Jesuit University on Nov. 21.
 
The Falcons have already earned wins against four teams UVa-Wise has suffered setbacks against, in West Virginia State (W, 81-79), University of Charleston (W, 75-70), Glenville State College (W, 97-93) and West Virginia Wesleyan (W, 79-65). Three of those victories came in South Euclid, Ohio, as Notre Dame College defeated the Yellow Jackets on the road. The Cavs were defeated 93-80 on the road at Charleston on Nov. 19, were edged 78-76 by West Virginia State inside the David J. Prior Convocation on Nov. 21, fell 77-70 at home to the Bobcats on Nov. 30, and dropped a 82-74 decision at Glenville State on Dec. 3.
 
Led by fourth-year head coach Tim Koenig, Notre Dame College features the top two scorers in the league, 6-foot-8 junior forward Will Vorhees and 6-foot-2 junior guard Kyauta Taylor. Vorhees, the reigning MEC Player of the Week, averaged 35 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in three contests last week and is averaging 28.2 points and 11.2 rebounds for the season. He has scored 30 points or more in the previous four games and has six games of 30 points or more this year. Taylor is second in the conference in scoring at 22.2 ppg and scored a MEC-best 45 points during a 97-87 win on Dec. 16 at Malone University. Ja'sean Lewis, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward, also averages a team-best 11.2 rpg and leads the Falcons in assists with 5.6 per game. Both Vorhees and Lewis are among the top rebounders in the league.
 
UVa-Wise is 1-6 all-time versus Notre Dame College since joining the MEC with the Cavs last win coming in Wise on Nov. 25, 2013 (74-70). The Cavs have lost six straight to the Falcons and were swept 3-0 in 2015-16, including a102-84 loss at Notre Dame College in the first round of the MEC Tournament.
 
About UVa-Wise
UVa-Wise looks to rebound after a heartbreaking 67-65 loss to Urbana University Sunday night in the Prior Center. A step back jumper from the left baseline by the Blue Knight's Carlas Jackson with 3.9 second remaining gave Urbana the victory after junior guard DeMarcus Edwards (Washington, D.C.) nailed a far, left-corner 3-pointer to tie up the score at 65-all with 17 seconds to go. The defeat came after the Cavs took down Shepherd University 78-69 last Thursday night for their first MEC win of the season.
 
Redshirt junior forward Taiwo Badmus (London, England) is the third leading scorer in the league (21.2 ppg) behind Notre Dame College's Vorhees and Taylor.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier men's basketball news, statistics, complete schedule and more.