MARS HILL, N.C. – The Cavs (9-12, 5-8 SAC) ended their four-game losing streak with a 77-69 win over Mars Hill (2-17, 1-11 SAC) Saturday afternoon. 

The Cavs blissfully welcomed back sophomore guard Patrick Shelley to the lineup after he missed the last 10 games with an injury. Shelley played in the first 10 games of the season and the Cavs went 6-4 with him on the floor. UVA Wise was 2-8 in the 10 games without him. 

Shelley did not start but played 16 minutes and recorded 10 points, two rebounds and two assists in his first action since Dec. 16. 

Mars Hill scored the game's first points with a layup from junior center Caleb Mauldin. UVA Wise would score the next 15 straight to open up a 15-2 advantage at the 14:35 mark in the first half. 

The Cavs rode that momentum to a 41-29 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Cavs maintained a double-digit lead for almost the entire duration of play. Mars Hill did not cut the lead to single digits until the 0:56 mark when the Lions knocked down their only three-pointer of the game to make it it a seven-point deficit. 

By then it was too late and UVA Wise ended the game with a 77-69 victory. 

The Cavs were helped to the win by four scorers reaching double figures, led by junior guard Zy'Ever Wingfield who had 17 points. 

Wingfield added five rebounds, two blocks and two steals to his scoring efforts. Even though Wingfield missed a few games with an injury, he's now dropped double digit points in six straight games and eight of his last nine. 

Wingfield was joined by redshirt sophomore Joe'l Pettiford with 14 points, freshman Carmelo Paceco with 15 points and Shelley with 10 points in the double digit scoring efforts.

Pettiford added six rebounds on the glass, which included three offensive rebounds for UVA Wise. 

The Cavalier offense was just too much for Mars Hill to handle as UVA Wise shot a blistering 27-for-52 (51.9 percent) from the floor and 10-for-32 (43.5 percent) from downtown.

Conversely, the Cavalier defense held Mars Hill to a measly 24-of-64 (37.5 percent) from the floor and a startling 1-for-13 (7.7 percent) mark from deep range. 

Since UVA Wise moved to NCAA Division II, no opponent has ever shot a mark as low as 7.7 percent from downtown in a single game against the Cavs. 

The Cavs will retrun home to square off with Tusculum on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m.