Off to a 2-4 start in league play, Fairmont State enters a 2019 with a pivotal two-game road trip to UVa-Wise and Concord. The Fighting Falcons currently sit in a four-way tie for seventh place in the league standings. A good showing on the road could propel veteran coach Steve McDonald's team into the middle of the pack while a poor showing could have his team in must-win mode when it returns home. FSU has been led by sophomore guard Sierra Kotchman. The MEC Freshman of the Year a year ago, Kotchman leads the Falcons and 10th in the league in scoring at 16.6 points per game. The guard tallied 28 points while playing all 40 minutes in FSU's 98-77 upset win over Glenville State earlier this season. Depth could play an issue, McDonald plays just six players regularly with four players averaging at least 28 minutes per game. Kotchman (36.9 mpg) and Kamrin Weimer (34.2 mpg) rank first and fourth in the MEC in minutes played. UVa-Wise would be well served to keep the Falcons off the free throw line; FSU leads the MEC in free throw percentage (.752) and has three players among the league's top 10 in free throw percentage.

UVa-Wise begins a stretch of 16 conference games to close the regular season Thursday. UVa-Wise wrapped up 2018 an even 3-3 in Mountain East Conference play and sit in the middle of the league standings. This week's game preclude a four-game road trip for Jamie Cluesman's team who has an opportunity to solidify a spot in the league tournament after missing the tournament, a year ago. Junior forward Cynita Webb is coming off the best offensive game of her career. The forward scored a career-high 25 points, including 23 in the second half, while making a career-high 10 field goals in Monday's loss at Lincoln Memorial University. The 5-foot-11 Webb has scored in double figures in four consecutive games and enters Thursday as one of four players in the league to average a double-double for the season (14.1 ppg/10.3 rpg). What had been a strength for the Cavaliers became a hindrance at LMU, UVa-Wise lost the battle of the boards 59-to-31 despite holding a positive rebounding advantage for the season. On the year, Fairmont State is -12.1 rebounds per game and is surrendering 17.1 offensive rebounds a contest.