Storylines – vs Notre Dame College
Notre Dame brings one of the Mountain East Conference's top players to the Prior Center Tuesday in senior forward Kelsey Miller. The 6-foot-2 native of Fresno, Ohio is the only player in the league to average a double-double. She ranks second in the league in scoring at 18 points per game while leading the league at 10 rebounds a contest. Most recently, Miller scored 23 points in just 18 minutes of action in an 85-69 win at Concord University. She is one of three Falcons to average double figure scoring this season. Seina Adachi nets 11.3 points per night while Kim Cook adds 10.8 points per game. Under the direction of fifth-year Head Coach Katie Hine, Notre Dame's downfall this season has been its defense. Opponents are shooting 46.1 percent from the field against the Falcons, a large part is due to Notre Dame's inability to hold onto the basketball. Through 12 games, the Falcons are averaging 20.5 turnovers per game. Led by Miller's strong presence inside, Notre Dame is one of the few teams in the league that can match up with UVa-Wise on the glass. The Falcons average winning the battle of the boards by two a game. UVa-Wise leads the league at +12.1.
About UVa-Wise
Seniors
Kayla Carey,
Makenzie Cluesman and
Taylor Sandidge continue to be a consistent force for UVa-Wise. The trio has combined to average 43.8 points per game in the Prior Center to aid UVa-Wise to a perfect 7-0 record at home. Most recently, its been the play of Sandidge that has spurred the offense. The senior guard 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists as part of a 3-0 week for UVa-Wise last week. The Waynesboro, Va. native scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a win over Shepherd on Jan. 5 before following the performance up with 19 points, six rebounds and three assists in a victory over Urbana Sunday. Cluesman has also been filling the stat sheet, the 5-foot-8 guard has at least six rebounds in seven consecutive games to go along with a 12 points per game averaging during the stretch. Meanwhile, Carey has been the most prolific shot maker in the MEC. The 6-foot-2 Knoxville, Tenn. product leads the conference in field goal percentage at 57 percent. For the season, Carey is averaging a team-high 14.3 points a contest. While the senior trio has carried the bulk of the load, other players have contributed to the recent string of success. In Sunday's win, junior
Allison Ball dished out a career-high five assists. The Newport, Tenn. native has multiple assists and rebounds in four consecutive games. A win by UVa-Wise would guarantee a two-way tie atop the league standings, currently UVa-Wise is tied with Glenville State and Wheeling Jesuit at 6-1 in league play. Glenville State and Wheeling Jesuit meet in Wheeling, W.Va. Tuesday.
