Carson-Newman comes to Wise atop the Mountain Division South Atlantic Conference Standings. A big reason why is junior guard Braelyn Wykle; Wykle has scored more points than any active player in the SAC with 1,879 points. This season, Wykle is averaging a conference-best 19.5 points per game and has scored at least 20 points in four consecutive contests. Wykle's offensive abilities have led the Eagles to the league's top-scoring offense at 74.1 points per game. In an earlier season victory over UVA Wise,  Wykle scored a game-high 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting while making all seven of her free throw attempts. The foul line could play another big role Wednesday, CN has a pair of players in Campbell Penaland and Wykle making over 90 percent of their free throws. Penland ranks second nationally at 93.9 percent with Wykle checking in seventh in NCAA Division II at 90.9 percent.

Although UVA Wise is receiving votes in the most recent D2SIDA Southeast Region Poll, as it currently stands Jamie Cluesman's team would miss the SAC Tournament. The Cavaliers are a game back of Limestone and Lincoln Memorial and must pass at least one of the schools prior to the end of the season to make the postseason event. A win over CN would go a long way in accomplishing that feat. UVA Wise plays five of its next seven games at home, all SAC contests, and the Cavs are 23-11 inside the Prior Center over the last three seasons. To make the league tournament, Cluesman's crew will have to do a better job on the glass. In an 85-68 loss at Limestone Saturday, the Saints grabbed 15 offensive rebounds while limiting the Cavs to only two offensive rebounds in the game. Limestone used the rebounding advantage to push the basketball as the Saints scored 24 fast break points compared to only eight for UVA Wise. In its first meeting against Carson-Newman, Josie Hester was the team's lone double-figure scorer as she drained a quartet of 3-pointers en route to 18 points. UVA Wise did play the game without leading scorer Nia Vanzant who enters Wednesday 14 points shy of the NCAA Division II program era record of 1,420 points currently held by Taylor Sandidge.