WISE, Va. – Carlas Jackson drained a mid-range jumper from the left wing with 3.9 seconds on the clock to push Urbana University men’s basketball past UVa-Wise, 67-65, for a gritty win inside the Prior Center on Sunday afternoon.
UU (7-6, 2-5 MEC) reached its highest win total since the 2012-13 campaign with the victory and earned its first MEC road win since defeating the Cavs (3-10, 1-6 MEC) last year in overtime.
Forward Jahmere Howze scored 14 points in the second half en route to his second double-double with 19 points and 13 boards. His rebound total is the highest since former Blue Knight Ognjen Rebic pulled down 19 boards on Dec. 18, 2014.
Jackson posted 10 points and guard Ethan Snapp also netted 10 with a career-high five assists to help the Blue Knights overcome a season-low points total. Forward Dalton Payton hauled down a career-high eight rebounds to go along with nine points.
For the second straight game, UU made only three 3-pointers and ended up going 3 of 16 (19 percent) from beyond the arc.
DeQuan Abrom (six points) had two of those treys, but those were the only points scored by the freshman guard who led UU in scoring in four of the previous five games.
As a team, the Blue Knights still shot at a decent clip with a 48-percent mark from the floor. UU out-scored Wise 30-18 on points in the paint while limiting the Cavs to 35-percent shooting overall.
Coming down the stretch, it was the freshman Snapp who came up with big plays. As UU grasped a 56-55 lead with six minutes left, the 6-foot guard poured in seven of the next nine points to lift UU to a five-point edge, 65-60 with 44 seconds to go.
On the next possession, Wise came up with two offensive boards before slashing the lead to three on a put-back layup. Then, the Cavs took advantage of a UU turnover with a 3-pointer to even the score at 65-65 with only 17 seconds on the clock.
With the shot clock turned off, UU was able to get an isolation for Jackson on the left wing and the experienced junior pulled off the clutch play.
The lead never reached double digits for either team – Urbana’s largest advantage of nine points came early in the game and Wise led by as much as six early in the second half.
UU returns to action on Tuesday night when it travels to Concord for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
UU women fall
WISE, Va. – A fast start for Urbana University women’s basketball was crucial on Sunday to begin a two-game road swing. The Blue Knights led 21-15 after one quarter but were quickly thwarted by a stout UVa-Wise defense that forced 20 turnovers in a 74-60 win over UU inside the Prior Center.
The first 10 minutes were the only positive moments for UU (3-7, 1-6 MEC) as guard Stefanie Davis recorded nine of her team-high 17 points to ignite the sizzling start.
Davis paced the Blue Knight offense that finished with 39-percent shooting. Guard Danie Shafer recorded 13 points while forward Sylvia Hudson registered her second straight double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Guard Morgan Mattimore gave the Knights their largest lead of the game, 21-10, on a layup with one minute left in the opening frame and UU seemed to be clicking on offense.
However, that momentum shifted quickly in the second quarter after UU went 5 of 15 from the field. The Blue Knights played well enough on defense though and entered the half-time break down only two points to the Cavs, 34-32.
The teams traded baskets to open the third period and Beachy’s 3-pointer tied the game at 44-44 at the 4:52 mark. Then, the Cavs finished off the frame on a 7-0 run and never looked back.
UVa-Wise went up by as much as 17 in the fourth and shot 52 percent in the second half. The Cavs, who shot 43 percent overall, were led by Taylor Sandidge’s game-high 19 points.
The Blue Knights were out-rebounded 43-32 and only reached the free-throw line five times, where they were out-scored 18-5.
UU will look to finish the road trip off on a strong note Tuesday when it challenges Concord in Athens, West Virginia. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.
