WISE, Va. – UVa-Wise men's basketball continues its three-game homestand Thursday night with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff against 18th-ranked Wheeling Jesuit University inside the David J. Prior Convocation Center.
 
Storylines – vs. Wheeling Jesuit University
The Cavaliers face the Cardinals for the second time this year and for the sixth time this season the men's basketball team will play in a game against an opponent ranked nationally. Wheeling Jesuit enters Thursday night's matchup ranked No. 18 in the nation according to the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division II top-25 poll.
 
It will be the third time this season the Cavs have hosted a ranked opponent, after taking on then 12th-ranked Lincoln Memorial University (L, 105-62) and then second-ranked Fairmont State University (L, 103-79) inside the Prior Center. UVa-Wise is seeking its first win against a ranked opponent since Dec. 20, 2015, when the Cavs upset 14th-ranked Lincoln Memorial, 100-87, in Wise.
 
In the Cavs and the Cardinals' first meeting this year, UVa-Wise dropped a heartbreaker at Wheeling Jesuit, falling 88-81 in overtime. Up by three at 74-71, the Cavs witnessed freshman forward Yesid Mosquera-Perea's second free throw roll off the iron with 5.1 seconds remaining in regulation, before the Cardinals rebounded the ball and raced across the mid-court line. Wheeling Jesuit's Jarin Hilson then pulled up for a running 3-pointer at the top of the key, draining the trey as time expired to send the game into overtime. UVa-Wise was outscored 14-7 by the host Cardinals as the Cavs went 2-for-10 from the field in the final five minutes of the contest.
 
Since joining the Mountain East Conference, UVa-Wise is 1-7 against Wheeling Jesuit with the Cavs' lone victory in the series coming on Jan. 5, 2014, when UVa-Wise picked up an 84-72 road win.
 
Led by head coach Danny Sancomb in his 10th season, the Cardinals feature four players who are averaging double-figure scoring, including junior forwards Pat Moseh (15.6 PPG) and Haywood Highsmith (14.3 PPG), freshman guard Preston Boswell (14.1 PPG) and senior forward Kyle Ritz (12.5 PPG).
 
About UVa-Wise
UVa-Wise snapped a three-game losing streak this past Saturday in the Prior Center with a 90-85 win over Glenville State College. The Cavs used a balanced scoring attack and shot the ball well in both halves to earn the win over the visiting Pioneers, shooting 52 percent (37-of-71) for the game and hitting seven of their first nine 3-point attempts.
 
Highlighted by a game-high 22 points from redshirt sophomore forward Dimitri Sousa (São Paulo, Brazil), UVa-Wise won its second straight at home after defeating the University of Charleston 82-68 in Wise back on Jan. 21. Freshman point guard Michal Seals (Lancaster, Pa.) continued his fine play as of late and had another outstanding game in the win, scoring 21 points, dishing out eight assists, grabbing five rebounds and not committing a single turnover.
 
Admission to both the men's and the women's game Thursday night is FREE. The women's game will tip off at 5:30 p.m.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier men's basketball news, statistics, complete schedule and more.