Storylines – vs West Virginia State
Needing to win each of its last two games to earn a bye in the MEC Tournament, West Virginia State did just that with a pair of home wins over UVa-Wise and the University of Charleston. The Yellow Jackets upended the Cavaliers 77-75 before outlasting the Golden Eagles 58-53. Charles Marshall's club will get another crack at UVa-Wise Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the MEC Tournament. Guard Aurreshea Hines was named All-MEC First-Team after leading her team in scoring at 16.7 points per game and assists at 5.3 per game. The junior pulled the Yellow Jackets from the fire last Thursday when she drilled a step-back 3-pointer with less than 20 seconds to play to tie UVa-Wise at 75-75 helping propel her club to victory. This season, Hines is averaging 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in two meetings against the Cavs. A year ago, UVa-Wise and West Virginia State met in the opening round of the conference tournament as the Cavs claimed an 84-74 win in Institute. The Yellow Jackets last MEC Tournament win came in 2014 when the program knocked off Fairmont State 71-59 in the quarterfinals.    
About UVa-Wise
Trying to continue its best season in over a decade, UVa-Wise will try to advance to the semifinals of a conference tournament for the first time since advancing to the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals as a NAIA Division II member in 2010. The 20 wins this season mark the first for the program since claiming 24 victories during teh 2005-06 campaign and the winning season is the first since the 2009-10 season. Senior guards Makenzie Cluesman and Taylor Sandidge have been playing their basketball of the season down the stretch. Cluesman averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game in a pair of games last week while Sandidge has scored 20 or more points in three of the last four games. Both were players were recognized by the MEC earlier this week when Cluesman took home All-MEC First-Team honors and Sandidge claimed her second consecutive All-MEC Honorable Mention award. In two games against West Virginia State this season, Cluesman averaged 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists. The guard turned in a double-double in each game as she posted 23 points and 11 rebounds in Wise before scoring 14 points while dishing out 10 assists at West Virginia State last week. Keeping Sandidge on the floor will be important for UVa-Wise, the guard fouled out in the most recent game against West Virginia State with under a minute to play. The Yellow Jackets outscored the Cavs 5-0 after Sandidge's departure.