WINGATE, NC – The UVA Wise men's basketball team fought back from a twelve point first half deficit to claim the lead over Wingate. They would then survive a late run by the Bulldogs to hold on for the 79-76 South Atlantic Conference victory Saturday afternoon.
It is the Cavs' second win ever over Wingate and their first since the 2021 season.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result: UVA Wise 79, Wingate 76
Records: UVA Wise (8-5, 5-4 South Atlantic Conference); Wingate (5-5, 4-5 SAC)
Location: Wingate, NC | Cuddy Arena
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Wingate took a quick lead, only to see the Cavs tie it up twice before going on an 8-0 run and eventually extending the lead to 23-11 with 11:38 remaining in the half. An
Evan Ramsey layup sparked a UVA Wise run that was capped by jumper from
Max Lidman that put the Cavs ahead 35-30 with 2:06 left. Wingate cut the lead back to 35-34, but a layup by
Bradley Dean and a three-pointer by
Lav Cvetkovic' pushed the lead out to 40-34 with less than a minute remaining. A pair of Bulldog free throws made the UVA Wise lead 40-36 at the half.
- Wingate opened the second half by cutting the lead to two points, only to see the Cavs score seven unanswered points. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes with Wingate never getting closer than four points. Cvetkovic' hit a jumper with 5:31 remaining to give the Cavs their largest lead of the half, 71-59. The Bulldogs put together a 10-1 run over the next four and a half minutes to cut the lead to one with 1:02 left, but the Cavs would score on their next possession and hold off the Bulldogs to claim their eighth win of the season.
- Corbin Pack led Wingate with 21 points, including four three-pointers. Jordan Miller added in 18 points, while Kendall Taylor and Aaron Hall had 15 points apiece. Taylor dished out six assists and, along with Mike Erbeck, led the team with six rebounds.
GETTING WISE
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Lav Cvetkovic' led all scorers with 24 points, one shy of his career high.
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Evan Ramsey had a double-double of 15 points and a game-high eleven rebounds, while
Anderson Cummins also added in 15 points.
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Bradley Dean chipped in 14 points and two steals.
- The win extends UVA Wise's winning streak to three games and five out of the last six.
UP NEXT-
The team will stay on the road, playing at Limestone Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. The Saints are riding a two-game winning streak after defeating Carson-Newman 88-72 on Dec. 18 and Tusculum 73-70 earlier today.
