WISE – It was the Zion Fruster show in UVA Wise's (7-6, 3-2 SAC) 99-86 win over Mars Hill (1-10, 0-4 SAC) Wednesday night.
The sophomore guard torched the Lions' defense to the tune of 34 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. All three marks were new career highs for Fruster as he finished three assists shy of what would've been the first triple-double from a Cavalier since 2011. Fruster added four steals on defense for good measure.
A typically lethal three-point shooter, Fruster scored almost all of his points in aggressive fashion near the basket against Mars Hill. He went 10-for-18 from the floor with only one made three-pointer. His drives to the basket forced many fouls from the Lions which Fruster took advantage of. He went 13-for-13 at the free throw line, another career high, and the first time a Cavalier made 10 or more free throws in a game since Bradley Dean converted on 11 free throws on Dec. 15, 2022.
Fruster's 34 points also marked the first time a Cavalier scored 30 or more since Dean scored 40 in the same December game against Limestone last season.
Fruster wasn't the only Cavalier who had fun Wednesday night.
Junior forward Lav Cvetkovic' tied his career high with 22 points. Cvetkovic' set that career mark just three games ago in a 79-76 loss against Chowan. That performance has earned him a spot in the starting lineup and in his third consecutive start against Mars Hill he went 8-for-13 from the floor including 4-for-6 from downtown to tie his career best.
Redshirt junior Isaiah McAmis provided an explosive spark off the bench all night long for the Cavs. In his first minute of action, he launched a 35-foot three pointer that hit nothing but the net on its trip through the rim. McAmis continued his hot shooting with a season high 14 points which came on 4-for-5 shooting from downtown and a pair of free throws.
The Wise, Va. native missed all of last season with an ACL injury after starting in 21 games as a sophomore for the Cavs in the 2021-22 season. His 14 points against the Lions are the most in a game for him since Feb. 26, 2022 when he dropped 16 points against Catawba.
Despite a season-high 21 turnovers as a team, the Cavs countered that fact with their best shooting night of the season. Shooting 34-for-57 (59.6 percent) from the floor marked the second best in a single game for UVA Wise this season while 13-for-24 (54.2 percent) from downtown and 18-for-19 (94.7 percent) from the free throw line are both the best in a game this year for the Cavs.
Redshirt sophomore Joe'l Pettiford also had an impact in the win down low for the red and black. He had 12 points, five rebounds and a block to mark his sixth double-figure scoring output in the last seven games. Pettiford also shot 100 percent (6-for-6) from the floor for the third time this season.
The 6-foot-7 big man is also on an impressive defensive streak. With his lone block against the Lions, he continued an eight-game streak of one or more blocks. His 13 total blocks on the season slots him at No. 4 in the SAC.
The 13-point win is the largest margin of victory for UVA Wise against a SAC opponent this season and pushes the Cavs one game above .500 (3-2) in conference play to ring in the new year.
Now UVA Wise hits the road to Hickory, N.C. to face Lenoir-Rhyne (8-5, 3-2 SAC) on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 4 p.m.
