WISE – In what was the longest and highest scoring game in the history of the David J. Prior Convocation Center, the Cavs found a way to outlast Limestone, 121-119 in triple overtime thriller.
UVA Wise (10-13, 6-8 SAC) had it's back against the wall at the end of regulation and the first two overtime periods but time and again was able to force extra play to beat the Limestone Saints (10-12, 6-8 SAC).
In the first half, freshman guard Carmelo Pacheco led the way with 11 points thanks in part to three triples in buried in the first 20 minutes.
Despite Pacheco's offense, Limestone led at the break, 38-34.
In the second half, the two leading scorers for Limestone, seniors Zeb Graham and Jacquez Yow, came to life.
Graham had 14 second-half points and made two threes while Yow led the way with 16 points by going 8-for-9 at the free throw line.
With 11 lead changes in the game, the two teams were neck-and-neck through the second stanza.
With 6:59 remaining, a pair of free throws from Yow gave Limestone its largest lead of the night at 72-65.
The Cavs scored nine of the game's next 11 points to tie it at 74-74 with 3:53 after redshirt junior guard Isaiah McAmis nailed a three pointer.
McAmis finished the night with 13 points and a season-high four assists as he went 3-for-6 from downtown.
On the following possession after the McAmis three, Graham drove at will to the basket and scored a contested layup to put Limestone back in front by two points.
McAmis, unfazed, came down and buried another triple, giving the Cavs a 77-76 lead with 3:18 to go.
After trading buckets, the Cavs were down 81-79 with under a minute to play when they went back to their work horse, junior guard Zy'Ever Wingfield.
Wingfield tied the game with a mid range jumper with 28 ticks left on the clock.
Limestone head coach Kyle Perry called timeout and drew up a play for Yow.
Yow, who had only gone 14-for-32 from deep entering Saturday's contest, drove on Wingfield out of the timeout.
Before getting into the lane, Yow snatched the ball back and took a contested three at the buzzer in an attempt to win the game. It bounced off the rim and as the horn sounded, overtime was due.
The first overtime started with a bang as Graham and Pacheco traded triples to keep the game knotted at 84-84.
Limestone held a firm grasp of the Cavs when Graham drew a foul and sank two free throws with only 1:02 left, giving the Saints a 91-86 lead.
Without panicking, Pacheco drove down for a quick layup.
The Cavs got a stop at the other end, then it was Wingfield's turn to take the ball to the hole as he scored to make it 91-90 with only 0:09 on the clock.
On the inbound, the Cavs fouled Yow. The Newport News, Va. native strode to the free throw line having already sunk 10-of-11 foul shots in the game. He missed the first.
Yow's second free throw was good and the Cavs had a chance to tie or win the game on the final shot.
Wingfield elected to send the Saints packing as he pulled up on the right wing from deep. The ball caromed off the back iron and fell just in front of Cavalier junior forward Lav Cvetkovic.
Cvetkovic rose above the Limestone defense, tipping the ball back in off the backboard to force a second overtime.
The second OT was a contested affair with the two teams trading buckets. Limestone held a two-point lead with 0:14 remaining after a layup from Yow.
This time, trying to tie the game, Wingfield drove to the lane and put up a shot. It missed, but senior guard Ben Bryson grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Limestone redshirt-freshman Josh Linder with 0.4 seconds on the clock.
Bryson calmly sank both free throws to force a third overtime.
In the final overtime period, the Cavs utilized an 11-3 run in the middle stages to control the momentum down the stretch.
With 1:12 left, Bryson knocked down another pair of free throws, this time giving UVA Wise a 116-108 advantage.
However, the Saints would not go quietly.
Redshirt freshman Trevon Payton quickly hit a three on the other end. Wingfield put the Cavs back up seven points with a subsequent free throw, but then redshirt sophomore Yaturi Bolton hit a three to make it just a four-point game.
A Cavalier turnover followed and Limestone had the ball, down by four points, with 0:36 left to play.
However, Yow missed a shot in the paint and Cvetkovic grabbed the rebound and was fouled.
Cvetkovic split the pair of free throws to make it 119-114 with 0:26 remaining.
The Saints would get five more points behind an and-one layup and last second bucket, but free throws from Bryson on the other end sealed the deal and the Cavs took home the 121-119 victory.
UVA Wise entered Saturday's game just 1-5 in games decided b y three points or less. The Cavs were handicapped as head coach Blake Mellinger stated six players were sick with the flu during the game, including Wingfield. Sophomore guard Patrick Shelley was also out with illness and did not play in the game.
Still, the Cavs found a way to win behind career highs in points from Wingfield (34) and Pacheco (28). Cvetkovic played a stellar night, racking up 12 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and only committing one turnover. His performance is his first double-double of the season.
121 points is the most the Cavs have scored in a game since joining NCAA Division II and the combined points of 240 from the Saints and Cavs sets a Prior Center record as the most points scored in the game.
The triple overtime thriller is the longest game in the South Atlantic Conference this season and fourth longest nationally.
The Cavalier win moves them into a tie for ninth place in the SAC standings with Lenoir-Rhyne, who holds the tiebreaker over the Cavs.
UVA Wise will welcome Lincoln Memorial to the Prior Center next Wednesday, Feb. 14 with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.
