WISE – The UVA Wise men's basketball team outplayed #6/8 Lincoln Memorial University in nearly every aspect of the game as they downed the Railsplitters 78-67 in arguably the biggest win in the program's NCAA era to date and is almost certainly one of the biggest home wins on the Quillen Court.
It was only the third time a top eight team has fallen to the Highland Cavaliers on the friendly confines of the Quillen Court in the David J. Prior Convocation Center, and the first since the school joined the NCAA in the summer of 2013. The other two were the 58-51 win over eighth ranked Lindsey Wilson on Jan. 26, 2012, and the 69-54 rout of the NAIA's top-ranked University of the Cumberlands on Jan. 12, 2013. It is also the fourth ranked opponent beaten by the Cavs this season.
The win keeps the Cavs at fifth place in the South Atlantic Conference standings, one game out of fourth and two out of third, as they head into the final week of the season.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result: UVA Wise 78, Lincoln Memorial 67
Records: UVA Wise (16-9, 13-6 SAC); Lincoln Memorial (20-4, 18-3 SAC)
Location: Wise, VA | The Quillen Court in the David J. Prior Convocation Center
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The game was a back and forth affair in the first half with four ties and six lead changes. A
Bradley Dean three-pointer with 12:14 left gave the Highland Cavaliers the 16-14 lead. They would never trail again despite LMU tying it up three times before a
Patrick Shelley trey and a layup by
Evan Ramsey put the Cavs up by five late. LMU would score with 25 seconds remaining to trim the lead to 33-30 at the half.
- LMU cut the lead to 35-34 with 18:41 remaining, but a Shelley three-pointer on the next Cavalier possession sparked a 11-2 run to put UVA Wise up by ten points. LMU again made a run and cut the lead to 47-43 with 13:10 remaining, but the Cavs answered back and had the lead back to double digits three minutes later. From that point, the Railsplitters never seriously threatened as they could never get closer than nine points down the stretch. UVA Wise would hit their free throws over the last couple of minutes and hold the Railsplitters to only four points as they went on for the historic 78-67 victory.
- Wes Enis led the Railsplitters with 19 points, Thomas Allard had eleven points and eleven rebounds, and Elyjah Freeman scored ten points.
GETTING WISE
-
Patrick Shelley led the team with 21 points and eight rebounds.
-
Evan Ramsey had his tenth career double-double with his 18 points and 12 rebounds.
-
Bradley Dean had 16 points and four assists in his penultimate home game.
- The team hit 51.9 percent of their shots and held the Railsplitters to 37.1 percent from the field. They also held one of the SAC's top three-point shooting teams to 19.2 percent while shooting 50.0 percent from behind the arc.
- UVA Wise also won the rebounding battle 43-35.
UP NEXT
The team closes out their final homestand of the season when they host Wingate Saturday at 4 p.m. on the Quillen Court. It will be Senior Day, and the team's five seniors will be honored before the game.
