Storylines – vs. Fairmont State
Fairmont State University will look to improve to 5-2 in conference play and extend their home win streak to 29 games inside the Joe Retton Arena on Thursday night. The Falcons (8-4) earned their 28th-straight home win against Le Moyne College to close out the 2017 year, 92-68. Against the Dolphins, Fairmont State went 34-for-62 (54.8 percent) from the field and netted a season-high 17 shots from downtown. The Falcons will resume conference play after a strong performance against then-ranked No. 9 Wheeling Jesuit, edging the Cardinals 78-74. Fairmont State followed that performance with an impressive effort against No. 6 West Liberty, falling to the Hilltoppers 106-100. Head Coach Joe Mazzulla enters into his first season with the Falcons after being named to the position in March of 2017. Prior to his position with Fairmont State, Mazzulla spent last season as an assistant coach for the Maine Red Claws. The West Virginia University alum also spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Fairmont State under former head coach Jerrod Calhoun. This season, Mazzulla's team has shot 374-for-780 (47.9 percent) from the field and averaged 37.1 rebounds per contest. The Falcons are averaging 87.3 points per game while opponents are recording 83.5 points per contest. Junior guard Jason Jolly leads Fairmont State in scoring and assists posting 19.7 points and 4.1 assists per game. The Falcons are led in rebounding by redshirt freshman forward Kenzie Melko who is averaging 5.6 per game. Next up, Fairmont State will host Concord University on Jan. 6 followed by back-to-back road matches against Urbana on Jan. 11 and Notre Dame on Jan. 13.
About UVa-Wise
Ending the year undefeated in conference road matchups, the Cavalier men will attempt to go 5-0 in league road games as they take on Fairmont State. The Cavs wrapped up 2017 with a 79-73 non-conference win against Milligan College. UVa-Wise struggled from the floor, shooting just 27-for-70 (38.6 percent) from the field and 8-for-27 (29.6 percent) from three-point range. Five players saw double-figures for the Cavs, led by redshirt senior forward Taiwo Badmus who netted 19 points and added 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Sophomore Michal Seals narrowly edged a triple-double with the point guard recording 17 points, a career-high 10 rebounds, and nine assists in the win. The Cavs provided a strong defensive effort as they outrebounded the Buffs 48-34 to help boost UVa-Wise to 6-6 on the season. Badmus continues to lead the Cavaliers in scoring and rebounding, averaging 20.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Seals leads the team in steals and assists with 2.2 steals and 7.3 assists per game. UVa-Wise will continue its road trip taking the court against Shepherd University on Saturday, Jan. 6 with game time scheduled for 4 p.m.
