For the first time since the SAC Tournament Semifinals a season ago, the Cavs and Railsplitters will face off in the regular season. Last year, UVA Wise upset No. 1-seeded LMU to advance to the SAC Championship for the first time in program history after joining the league in 2019.
UVA WISE NEWS AND NOTES
>> The Cavs will look to get back above .500 Wednesday with a win over the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters after falling on the road to Lenoir-Rhyne, 85-78, last Saturday.
The loss to LR was, statistically, a rare one for the Cavs. Despite shooting 47.5 percent (29-for-61) from the floor, 38.5 percent (10-for-26) from downtown and 100 percent (10-for-10) from the free throw line, the Cavs suffered a defeat. The loss marks just the second time this season UVA Wise has lost in a game in which they shot better than 35 percent from beyond the arc. It's also the only time this season the Cavs have lost a game in which they made 10+ three pointers and the first loss in which they had less then 10 turnovers, as they coughed the ball up just nine times against the Bears.
Sophomore guard Zion Fruster had another big performance in the loss for the UVA Wise. With 22 points on 4-of-7 shooting from downtown, Fruster recorded his first instance of back-to-back games with 20+ points in his career. Having dropped 34 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in the previous game against Mars Hill, Fruster completed the impressive week of play averaging 28 points, eight rebounds, 41.7 percent shooting from downtown while also going 17-for-17 at the free throw line.
Junior guard Zy'Ever Wingfield had 20 points for the third time in his collegiate career against the Bears. He went 8-for-14 from the floor while adding eight rebounds and three assists. Wingfield has quietly been one of the most productive Cavaliers this season, ranking second on the team with 13.5 points per game while knocking down 59.2 percent of his shots from the floor which ranks third in the South Atlantic Conference.
The Cavs travel to Harrogate, Tenn. Wednesday to take on LMU for the first time since upsetting the No. 1-seeded Railsplitters in the semifinals of the SAC Tournament last year. A win would mark UVA Wise's first win in Harrogate since 1996 and first ever in at Tex Turner Arena.
ABOUT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL RAILSPLITTERS
>> Lincoln Memorial is in the midst of what has been a roller coaster season after starting the year ranked No. 6 in the NABC Coaches Poll prior to the beginning of the season. LMU got as high as No. 3 in the country after two wins over top 25 opponents. However, the Railsplitters are currently 9-5 overall and 3-2 in SAC play.
LMU has already played six common opponents with UVA Wise this year and hold a 4-2 record against said opponents with losses at Wingate and against then ranked No. 14 North Georgia. The Railsplitters are most recently coming off a 118-109 loss on the road against Coker despite their highest scoring output of the season.
Lincoln Memorial boasts some of the best rebounding numbers in the country thanks to senior forward Martez Brown. The Railsplitters rank No. 5 in all of NCAA D2 in defensive rebounds per game (29.9) while Brown's individual rankings are startling. The Bessemer, Ala. native is averaging a double double (12.4 points, 13.9 rebounds) and leads the entire nation in total rebounds (195), rebounds per game (13.9) and defensive rebounds per game (10.0). Brown also ranks top 5 among all D-II hoopers in field goal percentage (70.9 percent), offensive rebounds per game (3.9) and double doubles (8).
LMU touts four double digit per game scorers led by redshirt junior Me'Kell Burries who is averaging 16.0 points per contest and shooting 43 percent (43-for-100) this season. Burries has scored in double figures in 11 of LMU's 14 games played this year, headlined by a 37-point outing against then ranked No. 24 Alabama Huntsville. Both Burries and Brown have already received accolades in the SAC this season. Burries was named the WePlayed Sports Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Nov. 20 while Brown earned the same honor on Dec. 4.
