WISE – A 12-2 run late in the first half gave UVA Wise some breathing room and they held Tusculum at bay in the second half as they went on to the 79-66 win over the Pioneers Wednesday evening on the Quillen Court.
The win was the third in a row over Tusculum for the Highland Cavaliers. It also keeps them amongst the leaders in the South Atlantic Conference standings as the team heads into the meat of the conference schedule.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result: UVA Wise 79. Tusculum 66
Records: UVA Wise (13-4, 6-3 SAC); Tusculum (7-8, 3-6 SAC)
Location: Wise, VA | The Quillen Court in The David J. Prior Convocation Center
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The game commenced with
Patrick Shelley hitting a 3-pointer for UVA Wise, assisted by
Evan Ramsey, to open the scoring. The Cavaliers capitalized on their defensive efforts, notably with
Yoro Diallo's block and defensive rebound at the 19:11 mark, which led to a
Kam Roberts layup. The Pioneers countered with Wesley Johnson's pair of 3-pointers that momentarily shifted momentum. However, UVA Wise's Diallo was pivotal, contributing a fast-break layup and a 3-pointer, to help spark a 12-2 run with 4:35 remaining. They extended the score to 12, ending the half with a 40-28 lead as
Cy Hardy sealed the half on two successful free throws.
- The Cavs kept up their pressure on the Pioneers in the second half, allowing Tusculum to cut the lead to 48-45 before surging ahead to a 13 point lead in the final six minutes. Ramsey played a crucial role for the home team, contributing a series of key plays, including a defensive rebound at the 1:29 mark and scoring a jumper with 2:20 remaining to keep the Pioneers at bay. Tusculum's Bryce Jackson attempted to keep his team in contention with a layup at 1:11, but the Highland Cavaliers' superior rebounding and free-throw shooting down the stretch helped seal their 79-66 win.
GETTING WISE
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Kam Roberts led all scorers with 23 points as he went 10-18 from the field and 3-4 from the charity stripe. He also had five rebounds and two steals.
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Yoro Diallo had his sixth double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The junior, who was named earlier this week to the Players to Watch list for the Bevo Francis Award, also had three assists and three blocks.
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Patrick Shelley scored twelve points and pulled down four rebounds.
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Evan Ramsey also notched twelve points and had six rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
- The Cavs held a 44-40 advantage in rebounding and held the Pioneers to 31.3 percent shooting from the field. They also had tied their season high for blocks with eight.
UP NEXT
In their next matchup, UVA Wise will host fourth-ranked and undefeated Anderson on The Quillen Court this Saturday 4 p.m. The Trojans are 15-0 overall and 9-0 in SAC play following a 97-74 win over Catawba earlier today.
