Picked eighth in the Preseason MEC Coaches' Poll, Urbana faces an unusual proposition of playing a conference game in its second game of the season. The Blue Knights dropped their season opener 77-75 at home to Tiffin on a last second layup Wednesday. Sylvia Hudson paced the way with 16 points in the opener, a year after averaging 16.6 points per game. Hudson has shown to be one of the more accurate shooters in NCAA history. The junior is Urbana's all-time leader in field goal percentage at 61.5 percent and ranks second among all active players at the NCAA Division II level. Last year she averaged 18 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games against the Cavaliers. Megan Beachy is also back for the Blue Knights after posting 9.1 points per game last winter. She is third all-time in Urbana history with 150 made 3-pointers and began this year by making a pair of long range shots. Coach Andrea McCloskey is in her second year at Urbana after a lengthy stay at NAIA Georgetown College, the coach boasts a career record of 128-110. 

Through three games, shooting has told the story for UVa-Wise. In two losses, the Cavaliers are shooting just 32 percent from the field, 28.1 percent from the 3-point line and 57.7 percent from the foul line in two losses. In the team's win, UVa-Wise shot 43.5 percent from the field while making 41.7 percent of its 3-point attempts and 81.3 percent of its free throw attempts. Junior Cynita Webb has scored in double figures in all three games and is averaging a double-double at 16 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore Hanna Oliver has made a team-high 11 3-pointers to net 14.3 points per game while leading the team with 4.3 assists a contest. Rebounding has been the team's overall strength; Jamie Cluesman's squad has won the battle of the boards in each contest and is averaging 17 offensive rebounds per game.  UVa-Wise has also limited teams from beyond the arc. Entering Saturday, opponents are making just 29.1 percent of their 3-point attempts against the Cavs.