Storylines – vs Fairmont State University
Steve McDonald's squad is one of the more youthful teams the veteran coach has fielded in his 18 years at the helm of the program. The Fighting Falcons have just one senior and one junior on the roster while seven freshman make up this year's team. The youth has led to an up-and-down season for Fairmont State who enters 2018 with a 5-6 record. The team will also be trying to shake off the rust Thursday as the team has not played since Dec. 19 when the Falcons dropped an 86-50 decision to Edinboro University. McDonald's team has relied heavily on freshman Sierra Kotchman and sophomore Brooke Kurucz. Combined the the two guards are averaging 33.6 points per game while having made 67 of Fairmont State's 93 3-pointers this season. The two schools split a pair of meetings last season with each winning on its home floor, UVa-Wise has not won at Fairmont State since the inception of the Mountain East Conference. Â
About UVa-Wise
UVa-Wise last won on Dec. 6, when the team knocked off West Virginia Weselyan 54-47 in the Prior Center. Since then,
Elise Clyburn's squad has dropped a trio of regular season contests and an exhibition affair at Radford University. Sophomore forward Cynita Webb continues to be a force inside for the Cavaliers as the 5-foot-11 Virginia Beach, Va. product is averaging 10.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Turnovers have been an issue for UVa-Wise as the Cavs are averaging 22.6 turnovers per contest; on the season, UVa-Wise has turned it over 249 times compared to just 184 turnovers by their opponents. Still looking for its first road win of the year, Clyburn's team is being outscored by 16 points a game on the road. The turnover problem has been even more problematic away from Wise as the club is averaging 23.8 turnovers per game. Defense has also been an issue away from home as teams are shooting 41.8 percent from the field against UVa-Wise, including a 38.3 percent showing from beyond the arc. A positive for the Cavs is the amount of home games the team has remaining on the schedule. After Thursday's game, UVa-Wise will play five of its next seven games at the Prior Center and nine of its last 15.
