WISE, Va. – UVa-Wise men's basketball wraps up its three-game homestand Saturday afternoon in the David J. Prior Convocation Center with a 4 p.m. tilt against second-ranked West Liberty University.
 
Storylines – vs. West Liberty University
The Cavaliers take on the Hilltoppers for the second time this year as West Liberty visits Wise as the No. 2 team in the nation according to the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division II poll. It will be the second consecutive game UVa-Wise faces a nationally ranked team after hosting No. 18 Wheeling Jesuit University Thursday night. Saturday's contest will mark the seventh time this season the Cavs have played a game against a top-25 opponent. UVa-Wise is 1-5 in those contests with the Cavs' lone win coming Thursday night in an 83-81 home upset of Wheeling Jesuit.
 
In the Cavs and Hilltoppers' first meeting this season, West Liberty came away with a 98-71 victory in West Liberty, West Virginia. The Hilltoppers, who were ranked No. 4 at the time, knocked down 14 3-pointers and shot 53 percent from the field in the game, including 59.5 percent in the second half. UVa-Wise was -14 in the rebound margin and gave up 15 offensive boards that led to 27 second-chance points for West Liberty.
 
After a surprising loss at Concord University, West Liberty sits in second place in the Mountain East Conference regular season standings with a 15-2 league record and 21-2 overall mark. Thursday night the Hilltoppers were edged 107-104 by the Mountain Lions in Athens, West Virginia, after Concord built a 21-point second half lead and shot 61.2 percent from the floor in the game.
 
Led by head coach Jim Crutchfield in his 13th season, the Hilltoppers have four different players averaging double-figure scoring, including junior guard Dan Monteroso (19 PPG), senior guard Devin Hoehn (15.9 PPG), sophomore guard David Dennis (13.2 PPG) and senior forward Zac Grossenbacher (10.8 PPG).
 
About UVa-Wise
UVa-Wise won its third-straight game inside the Prior Center Thursday night with its upset win over 18th-ranked Wheeling Jesuit. The victory marked the second consecutive season the Cavs have defeated a nationally ranked team in Wise after taking down then No. 14 King University, 100-87, last season on Dec. 20, 2015.
 
Three different UVa-Wise players scored 20 or more points in the win over the Cardinals led by a game-high 23 from redshirt sophomore forward Dimitri Sousa (São Paulo, Brazil). Redshirt junior forward Taiwo Badmus (London, England) picked up his 11th double-double of the season and third in the last four contests with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, while freshman point guard Michal Seals (Lancaster, Pa.) earned 21 points and dished out five assists. The Cavs also got a career-high seven rebounds from freshman forward Tajh Eason (Newport News, Va.) and seven points from freshman forward Yesid Mosquera-Perea (Quibdó, Chocó, Colombia) off the bench.
 
Admission to both the men's and the women's games Saturday afternoon is FREE. The women's game will tip off at 2 p.m. followed by the men's game.
 
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