HARROGATE, Tenn. – Men's basketball dropped a tough road test at No. 3 Lincoln Memorial University Wednesday night inside the B. Frank "Tex" Turner Arena.
The Cavaliers (5-8, 1-6 SAC) claimed a one-point advantage over the Railsplitters (14-1, 7-0 SAC), 56-55, with 8:13 left in the game, but LMU scored 11 straight points for their first double-digit lead of the night with 4:44 to play. The Railsplitters led by as many as 15 points in LMU's 14th-straight win to remain undefeated in the South Atlantic Conference.
UVA Wise built up a quick four-point lead over the Railsplitters less than two minutes into the contest on a three-pointer by redshirt sophomore Briggs Parris. LMU managed to tie the contest twice before gaining a two-point advantage with just under 15 minutes to play, 13-11. After trailing briefly, freshman Drew Greene knocked down the Cavs fourth three-pointer of the game to regain the lead with less than 12 minutes on the clock to put UVA Wise on top, 17-15.
The Railsplitters were able to hold the Cavs scoreless for nearly four minutes as they claimed their largest lead of the half to go ahead by six points, 23-17 with 8:26 left in the first frame. UVA Wise cut LMU's lead to two at the foul line but the Railsplitters pushed their advantage back to five points. Sophomores Cameron Whiteside and Kaeleb Carter combined to go 4-for-4 at the charity stripe as the Cavs trailed by one point, 26-25. The two teams traded baskets to end the half as the Railsplitters held on to a two-point lead, 31-29, into the break.
Carter and senior Chance Sheffey each posted a team-high seven points to start the contest as the pair combined for a perfect 5-for-5 at the foul line. Carter led the Cavs with five rebounds while Whiteside added a team-high four steals, three assists, and two blocks alongside six points.
UVA Wise shot 30.8 percent (8-for-26) from the field, 28.6 percent (4-for-14) from three-point range, and went 9-for-13 (69.2 percent) at the free throw line.
LMU started the scoring in the second frame with a 6-0 run for an eight-point, 37-29, advantage with a little over 18 minutes to go. UVA Wise regained the lead on an 11-2 run as Mosquera-Perea connected on another three-pointer to put the Cavs in front, 40-39.
The Railsplitters took back the advantage less than a minute later, but a trio of free throws for Parris knotted the contest at 46-46 with under 13 minutes left in the game. The two teams went back and forth, tying the contest for the eighth time at the 8:48 mark.
The momentum shifted in favor of the Railsplitters with a little over seven minutes left as LMU reclaimed the lead and did not give it up. Freshman Izeah Parker's late bucket cut LMU's margin to single-digits with the Cavs down by eight points, 69-61, but LMU stayed on top to take the game, 76-64.
UVA Wise shot 33.3 percent (9-for-27) from the floor, 33.3 percent (4-for-12) from downtown, and went 13-for-16 (81.3 percent) at the line in the closing half. On the night, the Cavs were 17-for-53 (32.1 percent) from the field, 8-for-26 (30.8 percent) from three, and connected on 22-of-29 (75.9 percent) at the charity stripe. Carter, Whiteside, and Sheffey each scored in double figures for the Cavaliers. Whiteside finished with a team-high nine rebounds as redshirt junior Yesid Mosquera-Perea and Carter each grabbed seven boards in the loss.
Head coach Blake Mellinger's team returns to action on the road Saturday afternoon as the Cavs face the Bulldogs of Wingate University for a 4 p.m. tip-off.
