ROCK HILL, SC – The UVA Wise women's basketball team saw their season come to an end as they fell in the SAC Tournament Quarterfinals to Carson-Newman Thursday afternoon.

A run by the Eagles in the third quarter combined with cold shooting by the Cavs allowed C-N to build a double-digit lead and hold off any UVA Wise runs.

The loss ends one of the best seasons in program history and gives Coach Jamie Cluesman and her staff a solid foundation to build upon for next season.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result: UVA Wise 58, Carson-Newman 73
Records: UVA Wise (16-13), Carson-Newman (20-9)
Location: Rock Hill, SC | Rock Hill Sports and Events Center

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The game began with Madison Looney scoring the first points for UVA Wise with a layup at 9:01. Caroline Mullins added to the score with two tip-ins, helping UVA Wise maintain momentum. Keeleigh Rogers kept Carson-Newman competitive, contributing with a layup and free throw early on to help the Eagles grab a six point lead. However, Emilea Preece's three-pointer at 3:07 put the Cavaliers ahead. Alissa Cheek capitalized on this momentum by scoring a layup with 41 seconds left, followed by a free throw to extend the lead. Cheek added another layup in the final second, securing a 20-15 lead for the Cavs at the end of the first quarter.
- Madison Looney's early layup and jumper, both assisted by Alissa Cheek, set the pace for the Highland Cavaliers. Caroline Mullins contributed significantly with a jumper and two free throws,. Jennifer Sullivan of the Eagles responded with a fast-break three-pointer to keep the game competitive. Despite multiple turnovers and missed shots from both teams, the Cavs maintained a small lead. Mullins managed a late layup at 00:42 to give the Cavs the 32-24 lead before the Eagles hit a late three to cut their deficit to 32-27 at the half.
- Carson-Newman took control in the third quarter, outscoring UVA Wise 22-9. Delaney Weddington opened with a layup at 9:49 while Emily Gonzalez and Mattie Nuckolls contributed with pivotal layups.  Caroline Hill added back-to-back three-pointers, the latter at 1:16, to extend the lead to 47-39. Despite a late three-pointer by Jalie Ruehling at 2:32, the Cavs struggled to close the gap, ending the quarter trailing by eight points after shooting only 16.7 percent from the field while C-N hit over 53 percent of their shots.
- In the fourth quarter, the Eagles maintained their lead over UVA Wise with strong shooting, converting 9 of 12 field goal attempts, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. Shelby Higgins came off the bench and led the Cavs' effort with three three-pointers, getting eleven points in the quarter. Despite an aggressive push by the Cavs, highlighted by fast-break points and a strong bench performance, the Eagles secured the win with a final score of 73-58, ending UVA Wise's season.

GETTING WISE

- Caroline Mullins had fourteen points to lead the Cavs along with nine rebounds and two assists. She finishes the season with 551 points, becoming only the third UVA Wise women's basketball player to score more than 550 points in a season (Christy Gray-Dalton and Sarah Helton both did it twice) and is the most points scored in a season in the program's NCAA era. Her 244 rebounds this season were the third best of the D-II era, behind Cynita Webb in 2018-19 (314) and 2017-18 (257). She also became the third First-Team All-SAC performer in program history, joining Caitlyn Ross and Kalee Johnson (both in the 2020-21 season).
- Alissa Cheek had twelve points in addition to four assists and a block, she also drew seven fouls that led to two C-N players fouling out.
- Shelby Higgins tied her career high with eleven points as she came in the game and hit three big three-pointers.
- Jalie Ruehling had fourteen rebounds in addition to her seven points and two steals. Her 187 rebounds this season are the tenth-most in the DII era.
- Madison Looney had nine points and five rebounds.
- The team ends the season with 16 wins and 13 losses, and went 13-9 in SAC play. The 16 wins ties for the second best in the D-II era (behind 2016-17's 21 wins) and seventh-best in program history with the 2022-23 and 1976-77 squads.
- Their 13 conference wins are the most in the SAC era (tied with 2020-21) and only the 2016-17 (15 wins in the MEC), 2005-06 (15 wins in the AAC) and the 1993-94 and 1992-93 teams (14 wins in the TVAC) have had more.

UP NEXT
The coaching staff will now begin preparations for the 2026-27 season, with the first game coming in November.

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