Host Catawba led wire-to-wire against the UVA Wise Highland Cavaliers, pulling off a 101-78 win in Goodman Gym on Saturday, Dec. 18.

The UVA Wise Cavaliers (1-11, 0-9 SAC) couldn't get a three-point shot to go down in the first half, connecting on zero of the team's six attempts from the arc. Despite a tough outing from downtown, the Cavaliers were not more than seven behind the Indians — but a swift three-pointer from Michael Hueitt Jr. and a dunk from Bernard Pelote put the Cavs at odds at the 2:37 mark of the first half. The Catawba Indians (5-6, 4-5 SAC) were able to sink eight three-point buckets en route to their 12-point lead going into the break. 

At the start of the second half, the Trevion Lamar and Caleb Robinson duo struck in the first two minutes with a layup and a jumper. Catawba held the Cavs scoreless for almost three minutes until Makai Vassell went up for a dunk to get the Cavs back in the scoring column. Within the next minute, Catawba had found themselves at the helm of a 20-point lead after Kris Robinson had sank a three-pointer — his third of the night. 

Grayson Honaker and Cameron McCravy found their groove from the field, each hitting two three-pointers each in an attempt to cut into Catawba's run. Joel Pettiford was a force under the net, snagging 13 rebounds and leading the Cavs with 13 points with under 10 minutes left to go in the contest. It wasn't until a three-pointer by Ray Kowalski of the Indians at the 8:58 mark that solidified a 28-point Catawba lead — the largest margin of the day. 

At the two-minute warning, the Indians had taken advantage of the Cavaliers' shaky defense and allowed for Pelote to drive in for his leading-26th and 27th point of the night. Catawba's lead was too grand for the Cavaliers to overcome and fell by a 23-point margin at the final buzzer.

Multiple Cavaliers snagged season-highs, including McCravy with a season-high amount of points (9) and field goals (3). Pettiford snagged a career-high in rebounds with 13, and Kervens Yacinthe grabbed a steal for a high in his statbook.

Five players from Catawba scored in double-digits on the day, and Lamar put up a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists. 

The Cavaliers will start off 2022 with a matchup against SAC foe Wingate on Sunday, Jan. 2 at 4:00 p.m.

For all streaming and other information, visit www.uvawisecavs.com.