WISE – UVA Wise dropped its home opener inside the David J. Prior Convocation Center Sunday afternoon in a 101-82 loss to Tusculum University.

Four players scored in double figures for the Cavaliers (0-3, 0-3 SAC) led by junior Cameron Whiteside's 22-point effort on 7-of-16 shooting. The guard added eight boards and four assists on the night.

Fellow junior Tyler Lloyd chipped in 15 points off the bench, connecting on 5-of-9 shots from the floor. Redshirt junior Briggs Parris added a season-high 10 points.

Sophomore forward Izeah Parker finished with 12 points and eight boards while sophomore guard Drew Greene dished out a team-best and career-high eight assists. Freshman Isaiah McAmis tacked on a season-high nine points, four rebounds, and four assists in the loss.

Tusculum (3-0, 3-0 SAC) got the scoring going with an early three by James West as the Pioneers kept the momentum to open the game with a 9-0 advantage with under 18 minutes to play.

The Cavs managed to pull the margin within four points, but another Pioneer run gave Tusculum it's first double-digit lead of the night with 14:12 to play in the opening.

Midway through the first half Lloyd knocked down back-to-back three's to cut Tusculum's lead in half.

UVA Wise put together a run of its own with a 12-0 spurt knotting the game at 27 apiece with 9:18 to go in the frame.

The two teams went back-and-forth, tying the contest once more before the Pioneers extended their advantage back to double-digits with 3:22 to go, as UVA Wise trailed 46-35.

Tusculum stayed on top into the break with a 52-43 lead at intermission.

UVA Wise was aided by 13 points from the bench and outscored Tusculum in the paint 24-20 in the first half. The Pioneers were aided by 50 percent shooting in the frame as guard James West's 16 points led all scorers to start.

Whiteside had a team-high 15 points at the half as the Cavs shot 47.1 percent from the floor.

An 11-0 Cavalier run opened the second half as UVA Wise gained its first lead of the night with 14:17 to go, 54-53.

UVA Wise and Tusculum saw five lead changes and tied the contest twice more before the Pioneers managed to regain the lead at the free throw line, up 69-52 with less than 11 minutes to play.

The momentum quickly shifted in the Pioneers favor as Tusculum pulled ahead by 10 points with 7:17 on the clock.

Tusculum never relinquished the lead again as the Cavs fell 101-82 in the league contest.

UVA Wise struggled from the floor in the second frame, shooting 37.5 percent while going 2-for-10 from three and 13-for-19 at the charity stripe.

The Pioneers outrebounded the Cavs 52-33 on the night while Tusculum shot 47.4 percent from the floor in the game.

The Cavs finished the night shooting 42.4 percent from the field, 27.3 percent from three-point range, and 71.4 percent from the free throw line.

Head coach Blake Mellinger's team will return to the road for a SAC contest at Mars Hill University on Tuesday, Dec. 8. UVA Wise will return home to face Catawba College next Saturday, Dec. 12, with tip-off slated for 3 p.m. inside the David J. Prior Convocation Center.