HARTSVILLE, S.C. – UVA Wise picked up its first road win of the campaign in a 77-63 decision at Coker University Saturday afternoon in the Cavs regular season finale.
Redshirt sophomore Briggs Parris netted a game-high 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 4-for-6 from downtown, while fellow sophomore Cameron Whiteside finished with 20 on 6-of-10 shooting in the 14-point win. The Cavs (6-22, 2-20 SAC) held the Cobras (7-19, 6-16 SAC) to just 27 points in the second half en route to the double-digit victory.
Parris caught fire early with a quick 5-0 run to put the Cavs ahead less than 40 seconds into the game. UVA Wise stayed in control, posting its first double-digit advantage of the afternoon with 13:17 to play. The Cavs pushed their lead to 12 points with less than 12 minutes to play on a pair of shots from behind the arc by redshirt junior Yesid Mosquera-Perea and Parris' third three-pointer of the afternoon.
A 6-1 run for the Cobras cut the team's deficit to seven points as UVA Wise continued to lead 29-22 midway through the frame. Coker managed to pull within four points, 36-32, with 3:14 to go in the half as UVA Wise took a 38-36 lead into the break.
The Cavs shot 38.5 percent (10-for-26) from the field, 37.5 percent (6-of-16) from three, and 70.6 percent (12-for-17) from the charity stripe to close out the first half.
Parris led UVA Wise with 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting, 3-for-4 from three-point range. Senior Chance Sheffey added nine points to start.
Nearly three minutes passed before either team scored their first points of the second frame with Whiteside giving the Cavs a four-point lead with 17:35 to play. Coker halted a 7-0 run for UVA Wise with a shot from behind the arc as UVA Wise stayed in front, 46-39, with 13:24 to go.
The Cobras pulled within six, but seven straight points for Whiteside extended the Cavs lead to 13 points, 57-44, midway through the final frame. Parris gave the Cavs their largest lead of the afternoon with 6:36 left to go in the contest as UVA Wise pushed its margin to 17 points, 65-48.
The Cavs did not let up, maintaining a double-digit lead to pull out their first road win of the season, 77-63.
UVA Wise shot 56 percent (14-for-25) from the floor, 36.4 percent (4-for-11) from three, and just 46.7 percent (7-for-15) from the charity stripe in the closing half.
On the day, the Cavs shot 47.1 percent (24-for-51) from the field, 37 percent (10-for-27) from three-point range, and were just 19-of-32 from the free throw line (59.4 percent).
The Cavs totaled 18 points off of 13 Coker turnovers. The Cobras won the rebounding battle 40-32 as UVA Wise tallied 10 steals to just three for Coker.
Sheffey also scored in double-figures with 13 points while redshirt freshman Joseph Keenan added seven points and senior Eric Okenchi and Mosquera-Perea posted six points each.
Whiteside finished with a team-high seven rebounds followed by Okenchi who had six while Sheffey registered five boards in the win.
Head coach Blake Mellinger's team will return to action next year for the 2020-21 campaign.
