Storylines – vs Lenoir-Rhyne University
The Bears of Lenoir-Rhyne University enter into Wednesday night's matchup with a 12-11 overall mark, 8-10, in South Atlantic Conference play as head coach Everick Sullivan's team ranks tied for seventh place in current league standings. The team is coming off of back-to-back losses this past week at Carson-Newman, 70-69, and Coker, 76-59. As a team, Lenoir-Rhyne ranks fourth in the SAC in field goal percentage (46.2 percent) and steals per game (7.3), while ranking second in the SAC with the Bears 15.7 assists per game. Coach Sullivan's team trails the league in rebounds per game, averaging 32.7 per contest while opponents are recording 39.5 per game. Lenoir-Rhyne is posting 81 points per game led by junior R.J. Gunn who is registering 19.1 ppg (fifth in the SAC). Redshirt junior Darius Simmons (17.7 ppg, 10th in the SAC) and junior Mason Hawks (11.4 ppg) are also averaging double-figures so far this season. Gunn also sits atop the rebounding category for the Bears with 6.3 per game while Hawks is posting a team-high 3.3 assists per game. Lenoir-Rhyne will head back on the road this weekend for a contest at Newberry beginning at 4 p.m.
About UVA Wise
UVA Wise fell in a 100-68 decision Saturday afternoon against the Royals of Queens University of Charlotte inside the Curry Arena. Sophomore
Cameron Whiteside posted his second-straight 30+ point game with a game-high 30 points as he set a career high six made three-pointers in the contest. Over the last two games, the 6-foot-4 guard has averaged 30.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 55 percent from behind the arc. Whiteside is now the South Atlantic Conference leading scorer with his 20.5 points per game and averaging 7.2 made field goals per game (third in the SAC) while his team-leading seven boards per game ranks him tied for sixth in the conference. Redshirt sophomore
Briggs Parris and senior
Chance Sheffey are also averaging double-figures for the Cavs with 13.4 and 10.2 points per game, respectively. Sheffey's five assists per game place him third in the league in the category as UVA Wise also ranks third in assists per game, averaging 15.1 per contest. In the Cavs last matchup with Lenoir-Rhyne, UVA Wise fell to the Bears 81-64. Head coach Blake Mellinger's team will return to Wise for a contest against Wingate University Saturday afternoon as the Cavs celebrate Senior Day. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. inside the David J. Prior Convocation Center with senior recognitions to be held between the men's and women's games.
