MARS HILL, NC -- The UVA Wise women's basketball team dominated on both ends of the floor as they led Mars Hill from wire-to-wire in an 85-48 South Atlantic Conference win at Stanford Arena Wednesday evening.
The Highland Cavaliers owned the boards with a commanding 57-37 rebounding advantage and scored 54 points in the paint and forced 19 turnovers while securing the victory.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result: UVA Wise 85, Mars Hill 48
Records: UVA Wise (8-5, 5-2 SAC); Mars Hill (4-10, 1-6 SAC)
Location: Mars Hill, NC | Stanford Arena
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The game began with the Cavs taking an early lead as
Madison Looney scored a layup just 48 seconds into the match, assisted by
Caroline Mullins. The Highland Cavaliers maintained momentum with a 16-3 run over the next seven minutes. They had strong performance in the paint, scoring 18 points there in the quarter, while the Lions struggled with turnovers, committing eight in the period. Looney, Mullins and
Mia Nienaber all had six points in the opening stanza to lead all scorers. The Lions' Shyann McCummings narrowed the score with a layup in the final seconds, but the Cavs closed the first quarter ahead, 22-13.
- UVA Wise took control in the second quarter with strong defense and effective scoring.
Kyndra West opened with a fast-break jumper at 9:41, extending their lead.
Jalie Ruehling's defensive efforts included multiple steals, leading to an assist for
Izzy Proffitt's layup at 9:13.
Emilea Preece contributed from the free-throw line and added a three-pointer with 40 seconds remaining, pushing the visitors' lead to eighteen. Mars Hill struggled offensively, with Kindan Dawson's layup at 7 seconds marking one of their few successful attempts in the quarter. The Cavs would outscore the Lions 16-9 in the quarter, capitalizing on turnovers and rebounds.
- The Cavaliers kept their foot on the pedal in the third quarter, scoring 27 points to the Lions' 10.
Caroline Mullins played a pivotal role, scoring multiple times, including a layup at 4:21 and a jumper at 3:48. Looney contributed with a series of successful plays, highlighted by a layup assisted by Ruehling at 5:42. Mars Hill struggled to find rhythm offensively, with Makayla Street managing a layup at 5:31 and a pair of free throws at the end of the quarter. The quarter concluded with a layup from West, cementing UVA Wise's commanding lead at 65-32.
- Preece sparked the Cavs' offense early in the fourth quarter with a three-pointer at 8:23, assisted by West, pushing their lead to 68-36. Proffitt also contributed significantly with a jumper and a defensive rebound, while
Shelby Higgins added to the scoring with a three-pointer at 6:21 to extend the margin even further. Mars Hill responded with a three-pointer from Makayla Street at 6:02, but the Highland Cavaliers continued their dominance, capped off by
Grace Vyborny's layup in the final seconds that made the score 85-48 and sealed the Cavs' 99th victory under Coach
Jamie Cluesman.
GETTING WISE
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Caroline Mullins had 20 points to lead all scorers as she went 9-16 from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line. She also had four assists and tied for the rebounding lead with her seven rebounds. This marks the sixth time this season that Mullins has had 20 or more points in a game.
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Madison Looney scored 13 points and also had seven rebounds. She also had three assists.
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Mia Nienaber had 11 points off of 5-8 shooting from the field and also had four rebounds.
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Emilea Preece also scored 11 points, including three three-pointers.
- As a team, UVA Wise shot 46.1 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Lions by a 57-37 margin. -The 57 rebounds are the most since they had 59 vs. Catawba on Jan. 27, 2024 and are the third-most in a game in the
Jamie Cluesman era. The most? 71 vs. Glenville State and future Tennessee coach Kim Stephens (now Caldwell) on Dec. 8, 2018.
- The win improves the Cavs' all-time record vs. Mars Hill to 15-4. It is their largest margin of victory ever over the Lions.
UP NEXT
The Highland Cavaliers will wrap up their five game road swing and will be looking to make some history as they travel to face Catawba in a Saturday afternoon SAC tilt on Jan. 10 at 2 p.m.
