Things have not gone as played for Tusculum in the early going. Second-year coach Meagan Price's team was picked fourth in the Preseason SAC Coaches' Poll after winning the league crown last season and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The Pioneers enter the contest 1-4 and winless in league play at 0-3. Rebounding and fouling have hampered the club in the early going. Tusculum is losing the battle of the boards by more than 10 per contest while the Pioneers are committing 20 fouls a game. The fouling has led to opponents attempting 96 free throws in just five games. The slow to the start could easily be the level of competition Tusculum has played, three of their first five opponents have been ranked nationally while a third (Limestone) is undefeated.  Senior Mya Belton is the team's leading scorer and rebounder. The guard averages 11 points and 8.2 rebounds a game.

Coming off its first win of the season, UVA Wise will look to keep the momentum rolling Saturday when Tusculum visits the Prior Center. Last time out, junior Nia Vanzant recorded a season-high 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting. Redshirt senior Meg Crawford also had a big game on the defensive end. The 6-foot-3 center tied a career-high with 15 rebounds while adding a season-best six blocks. Crawford's strong free throw shooting continued as she connected on 7-of-8 free throws; thus far, the center is connecting on 92.3 percent of her charity shots. Behind the play of Vanzant and Crawford, the Cavaliers reached several season-highs as a team. The nine blocked shots, eight made 3-pointers, 19 assists, 15 made free throws and 77 points all marked new high-water marks on the season. The assist number was aided by the play of guard Peyton Sams who tallied a season-high six assists against just one turnover in 17 minutes of play. Freshman Sable Burnside was able to secure the first collegiate points of her career in the victory as well. With the win, the Cavs continued their stretch of playing well at home. Dating back to the 2019-2020 season, Jamie Cluesman's team has posted an 18-8 record inside the Prior Center. A win Saturday would allow UVA Wise to win back-to-back games over Tusculum for the first time since sweeping the season series during the 2015-2016 campaign.