After an 89-76 win over Southern Wesleyan on Tuesday, UVA Wise now opens the conference season against Wingate Saturday. The Cavs will play the Bulldogs to open the SAC season, but still have three more non-conference games to complete before starting the full conference slate with Mars Hill at home on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024.
UVA WISE NEWS AND NOTES
>> The Cavs are 3-2 heading into the conference season Saturday after an 89-76 win over Southern Wesleyan Tuesday night. It was the best game of sophomore guard Patrick Shelley's career. He went off for a career-high 25 points coupled with a career-best 11 rebounds for the first double-double of his collegiate career. Shelley could barely miss in the game, going 8-for-11 (72.7 percent) from the floor and 5-for-6 (83.3 percent) from downtown. 8 made FG and 5 made 3FG are also new marks for the most in a single game in Shelley's career. He also added four assists, a block, and a steal.
After struggling against No. 16 North Georgia in the matchup prior, the Cavs got back to their identity Tuesday against the Warriors. They scored 20 points in transition and bucketed 19 points off of 13 Southern Wesleyan turnovers. UVA Wise also got 20 points off the bench in the game, contributing to their No. 9 rank nationally of 43.8 bench points per contest.
Sophomore guard Zion Fruster was exceptional again in the win. Fruster has been the straw that stirs the drink for the red and black this season, leading the team with 18.4 points per game, and scoring 17 or more points in all five contests. Beyond the scoring, Fruster added three rebounds, four assists and a steal. He's been one of the better passers this season for UVA Wise, ranking No. 2 in the SAC and No. 55 nationally with a 3.0 A:TO ratio. Junior guard Zy'Ever "Deuce" Wingfield had a quality outing as well, going 3-for-6 from the floor for 10 points. Wingfield is now shooting 23-for-37 (62.2 percent) on field goals this season, ranking him No. 2 in the conference and No. 46 across the country among all qualified D2 shooters.
The Cavs are 3-7 all-time in conference openers under head coach Blake Mellinger and Saturday could mark their first win in a conference opener since joining the SAC.
ABOUT THE WINGATE BULLDOGS
>> Wingate enters Saturday's matchup at 3-1 this season with its only loss coming at the hands of Converse University (5-0), a Conference Carolinas competitor. The Bulldogs have a very potent offense this season and their early-season numbers support that claim. They currently rank in the top 40 among NCAA D2 schools in Offensive rating (117.8, No. 33), A:TO ratio (1.38, No. 34) and 3-point percentage (40.5 percent, No. 39).
Wingate is coached by Brian Good, now in his 16th season with the program, and 29th overall as a head coach. Last year, Good led the Bulldogs to a 15-13 (10-8 SAC) record which included a win over UVA Wise, 89-77, in the team's lone showdown back on Feb. 11. The Bulldogs finished the season as the No. 3 seed in the SAC Tournament, eventually losing to Tusculum in the first round.
Good's squad saw 60 percent of its scoring disappear from last season, forcing them to lean on senior guard Donnell Nixon II for the largest offensive contribution this season. Last year, Nixon II averaged 12.6 points per game which ranked fourth on the team. This year he's already boosted those numbers substantially, averaging 20.5 points per game on 12-for-18 (66.7 percent) shooting from deep with 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists each contest. Nixon II was Wingate's lone preseason all-conference selection, being voted to the Preseason All-SAC 2nd Team prior to the beginning of this season.
The Bulldogs support Nixon II with three other double digit per game scorers in juniors Josh Massey (18.5 points) and Kendall Taylor (10.8 points) as well as senior forward Vontrez Roberts (10.5 points). Those three players are a combined 6-for-12 (50 percent) from deep this season. Wingate plays a similar style of offense to UVA Wise, typically trotting out four players who can operate on the perimeter with speed and efficiency, resulting in fast paced action up and down the floor.
Defensively, Wingate does well shutting down opponents when they get near the rim. The Bulldogs rank No. 5 in the country, allowing opposing teams to score just 19.8 percent of their points in the paint, at an average of 16.5 paint points per game, which ranks No. 8 nationally. Wingate can also shut down squads in transition, allowing a stark 4.8 fast break points per game so far this year, ranking No. 28 across the country.
