WISE – Five Cavalier scorers finished in double figures in UVA Wise's (4-3) 94-67 win over Carolina University (1-8) Wednesday night.
It was a complete performance from UVA Wise in nearly every facet of the game that led to the dominant 27-point win.
The five double-figure scorers were led by freshman guard Carmelo Pacheco who finished with a career-high 20 points. Pacheco, who had primarily scored beyond the three-point line through the first six games this season, expanded his range to all areas Wednesday night.
Pacheco exploded at the end of the first half for 10 points in the final 2:44 to give UVA Wise a seven point lead at the break, 38-31. He coasted to the rim for a pair of fast break layups followed by a pair of three-pointers to cap off the run.
The Harrisonburg, Va. native went 8-for-11 from the floor and 4-for-6 from downtown, Pacheco added three rebounds and two assists without committing any turnovers. The freshman has not committed a turnover yet in his collegiate career in seven games played.
While redshirt sophomore Joe'l Pettiford recorded his fifth career double-double with 10 points and a season-high 11 rebounds, his impact was felt most on the glass. He nearly had his double-double at halftime with nine rebounds and eight points in the first 20 minutes. The performance is his first double-double since recording 19 points and 13 rebounds against Lenoir-Rhyne on Jan. 12, 2022 as a freshman.
Sophomore Zion Fruster continued his offensive scoring streak against the Bruins. The Douglasville, Ga. native has scored 15 or more points in every outing this year. He currently leads the Cavs in scoring at 17.4 points per game after having another 15 points against Carolina. His game was highlighted by a ferocious tomahawk slam in the second half.
Junior transfer Lav Cvetkovic' also added 15 points for the Cavs, the most for him in a Cavalier uniform since transferring from Collin College last season. The 6-foot-7 forward went 6-for-11 from the floor with a pair of three pointers.
Sophomore guard Calen Lightford reached double figures for the second time this season with 12 points against the Bruins. It's the most points he's had in an outing since scoring 15 points in the season-opening win against King University.
As head coach Blake Mellinger mentioned after the game, the Cavs put an emphasis on keeping turnovers low and rebounding on the defensive glass. They were successful in both areas.
UVA Wise limited the Bruins to just seven offensive rebounds and won the rebounding battle 40 to 32 overall.
Perhaps even more impressive was the Cavaliers' six turnovers in the win. Six turnovers is the lowest in a game for UVA Wise since a 78-65 win over Carson-Newman last season on Jan. 25, 2023.
To boot, Carolina entered the game forcing 19.3 turnovers per game, ranking them No. 6 in NCCAA Division I.
UVA Wise entered Wednesday's contest as one of the best shooting teams in the country. The Cavs ranked No. 12 in NCAA Division II in effective field goal percentage and No. 22 in overall field goal percentage.
They shot 54.4 percent (37-for-68) from the floor and 48.4 percent (15-for-31) from downtown for an effective field goal percentage of 65.4 percent.
Of the 37 Cavalier makes, 26 were complimented with an assist, a season-high mark for UVA Wise.
Sophomore guard Patrick Shelley had a career-high 12 assists. The Cavalier guard had a near triple-double with eight points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. His all around performance comes just two games after Shelley recorded his first career double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds against Southern Wesleyan on Nov. 21.
UVA Wise earns a much needed win before its first road game of the season coming up on Saturday. The Cavs will travel to Gaffney, S.C. to take on the Limestone Saints on Dec. 2 at 4 p.m.
