WISE, Va. – UVa-Wise men's basketball begins its final road trip of the season with a 7:30 p.m. game Thursday night in South Euclid, Ohio, against Notre Dame College.
 
Storylines – at Notre Dame College
The Cavaliers take on the Falcons for the second time this year in the first contest of a three-game road trip. Back on Jan. 10 in Wise, Notre Dame College handed UVa-Wise a 98-89 loss inside the David J. Prior Convocation Center. Despite scoring 67 second-half points, the most points scored by UVa-Wise men's basketball in a half in program history, the Cavs were unable to complete the comeback after trailing by as much as 28. UVa-Wise outscored the Falcons 67-53 in the second half as the Cavs went to an aggressive, full-court press and forced 13 Notre Dame College turnovers that led to 22 points for UVa-Wise.
 
Currently, the Falcons are tied for fifth in the Mountain East Conference regular season standings with West Virginia Wesleyan, owning a 9-9 league record and a 15-9 overall mark. Notre Dame College has lost three consecutive games starting with a road loss at the University of Charleston (71-61), a defeat at Shepherd University (67-60) and a 93-80 setback at then fifth-ranked Fairmont State University this past Saturday.
 
For the first time in three games, UVa-Wise will not face a nationally ranked opponent after taking on then 18th-ranked Wheeling Jesuit University last Thursday night and then No. 2 West Liberty University this past Saturday.
 
In his fourth season at the helm of the Falcons basketball program, head coach Tim Koenig's team features two of the top scorers and rebounders in the conference. Junior forward Will Vorhees' 26.2 points per game is tops in the MEC, while junior guard Kyauta Taylor's 21 PPG is second in the league. Vorhees also averages the third-most rebounds in the conference at 10.3 per contest as sophomore forward Ja'Sean Lewis' 10 RPG ranks fifth in the MEC.
 
The Cavs are 1-7 all-time versus Notre Dame College since joining the MEC with UVa-Wise's last win happening on Nov. 25, 2013. The Falcons have won seven straight in the series and swept the Cavs 3-0 in 2015-16, including a102-84 MEC Tournament first-round win in South Euclid.
 
About UVa-Wise
Last time out, UVa-Wise dropped an 88-66 decision in the Prior Center to then second-ranked West Liberty. The loss snapped a two-game Cavalier win streak and handed UVa-Wise its first home loss since Jan. 10. The Cavs held a 34-31 lead at the break but were outscored 57-32 in the second half behind the Hilltoppers' 64 percent second-half shooting performance.
 
Averaging 19 points and 10.5 rebounds for the week, redshirt junior forward Taiwo Badmus (London, England). was named MEC Co-Player of the Week this past Monday after helping UVa-Wise upset then No. 18 Wheeling Jesuit (83-81) last Thursday with his 11th double-double of the season.
 
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