CAVS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT, TOP REGIONALLY RANKED BEARS | https://uvawisecavs.com/
CAVS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT, TOP REGIONALLY RANKED BEARS | https://uvawisecavs.com/
CAVS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT, TOP REGIONALLY RANKED BEARS
Nia Vanzant scored a career-high 31 points while Caitlyn Ross netted 18 points and dished out 10 assists as UVA Wise closed out the season with its third straight win, 80-77 over regionally ranked Lenoir-Rhyne, inside the Prior Center Saturday.
UVA Wise (16-13, 7-11 SAC) dominated the glass by out-rebounding Lenoir-Rhyne (21-7, 11-7 SAC) 41-to-25.
The superior play on the glass continued over to offense in the paint. The Cavaliers scored 42 points in the paint, with 14 coming in what was a pivotal third quarter.
The Bears led 41-40 at intermission but the tide turned in the third quarter as the Cavaliers pounded the interior, primarily from drives to the hoop by Vanzant.
The Murfreesboro, Tenn. product netted 14 points in the period as UVA Wise outscored LR 25-13 to take a 65-54 lead to the final 10 minutes.
Despite the double-digit lead, the Cavs would be unable to put the Bears away quietly.
When UVA Wise's Sable Burnside scored at the 5:04 mark of the fourth quarter her team led 71-62.
From there, LR went on a run. Emily Harman scored five points in a 28-second span to make it a 71-67 game before Vanzant scored off a Ross assist to stop the run.
The Bears' Bailey Crooks would then score six straight points of her own to tie the game at 73 with 2:37 remaining.
On the next possession, Vanzant would find Leah Kestner for a look at a baseline jumper. The Chilhowie, Va. native drained the shot to put her team back on top.
It would be a lead that Jamie Cluesman's team would not relinquish.
After an empty LR possession, Vanaznt scored in the paint off a Ross assist to make it 77-73 with one minute remaining.
Brandi Hudson would trim the lead to two with a bucket and after a UVA Wise turnover, Crooks would be at the line with a chance to tie the game.
On a day when she finished with a career-high 34 points she would miss both foul shots allowing UVA Wise to grab the rebound and seal the game by Vanzant making 3-of-4 charity shots down the stretch.
Vanzant finished with a career-high 13 made field goals as part of her career-best scoring day. Kestner added a season-high 12 points while Burnside finished a rebound shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds for the winners.
Crooks made 13-of-23 field goal attempts and made 8-of-10 foul shots. Harman tacked on 16 points and seven assists with Hudson finishing with 14 points in defeat.
The loss will not help LR's hopes of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Bears entered the day fourth in the latest Southeast Region Rankings but the loss now forces the club to go on the road to Tusculum for the opening round of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament.
Despite recording its most overall wins (17) since winning 21 games in 2017, UVA Wise will not play postseason basketball. Thus, the Cavs finish the season on a three-game winning streak.
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