Storylines – vs. Wingate University
In his 12th season at the helm of the men's basketball program, head coach Brian Good's Bulldogs of Wingate University will host UVA Wise Saturday afternoon. Coach Good's squad was selected to finish fourth in the South Atlantic Conference preseason coaches' poll after posting a 17-13 overall mark, 12-8 in the league, at the conclusion of the 2018-19 campaign. Senior Frankie Johnson was selected to the preseason All-SAC first team, averaging 11.1 points per game and 5.3 assists per contest last season. The Bulldogs will look to gain their third-straight conference win this campaign after snapping a seven game losing streak last week with wins against Mars Hill and on the road at Anderson. Wingate now holds a 2-5 mark in conference and is 6-7 overall so far this season. Â As a team, the Bulldogs are averaging 79.5 points per game while opponents are averaging 80.8 ppg. The team is shooting 43.7 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from three-point range, and 74.1 percent from the foul line. Wingate is posting 35.6 boards per game compared to 36.8 rebounds per contest for opponents and are registering 7.8 steals per game and recording 13.9 turnovers per contest. Redshirt sophomore Jarren Cottingham leads his team in scoring with 18.2 points per game and shooting 48.8 percent from the field. Redshirt junior Rashaard Pringle is collecting a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game while Johnson's 3.2 assists and two steals per game place him atop the categories for the Bulldogs. Wingate will go on the road next week with their first matchup against Newberry College Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
About UVA Wise
UVA Wise put up a fight in a tough battle at No. 3 Lincoln Memorial University Wednesday night as the Cavaliers fell 76-64 inside the Tex Turner Arena. Three Cavaliers scored in double-figures in sophomores
Kaeleb Carter and
Cameron Whiteside and senior
Chance Sheffey. As a team, UVA Wise is averaging 81.5 points per game while holding opponents to 79.7 points per contest. Sophomore
Cameron Whiteside continues to lead the team in scoring with his 18 ppg (eighth in the SAC) while redshirt sophomore
Briggs Parris (15.9 ppg) and sophomore
Kaeleb Carter (11.9 ppg) are each averaging double-figure scoring as well. The team is shooting 45.4 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from behind the arc, and 76.6 percent from the charity stripe (third in the SAC), aided at the line by freshman
Drew Greene's 92.9 percent shooting (first in the SAC). The Cavalier men are dishing out 17.5 assists per game (second in the SAC) led by senior
Chance Sheffey who is posting 5.4 apg (first in the SAC) so far this season. Among league leaders, UVA Wise ranks fifth in defensive rebounds (27.7 per game) with the help of Whiteside and Sheffey who are both leading the team in the category with 4.2 defensive boards per game. Whiteside (5.6 per game) and senior
Eric Okenchi (5.8 per game) continue to sit atop the rebounding category for the Cavs while the team is posting 37.1 rebounds per contest. Head coach Blake Mellinger's team will return to Wise next week for a matchup against the Bears of Lenoir-Rhyne University with tip slated for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night inside the David J. Prior Convocation Center.
