Bailey Put Back Takes UVa-Wise Over Tenn. Wesleyan

January 31, 2006
Boxscore

Wise, VA – Ray Bailey’s offensive rebound and put back inside layup with 19 seconds left proved enough to take the University of Virginia’s College at Wise men’s basketball team over visiting Tennessee Wesleyan. The Bailey basket broke the ninth tie of the second half to give the Highland Cavaliers a 64-62 win.

The UVa-Wise win moves the team to 5-10 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference and up into eighth place in the league. The team is now 9-15 overall. The Bulldogs (16-6) dropped to 11-3 in the AAC and fell out of first place in the conference.

Parker Gemmell and Jarred Soles poured in a game-best 22 points apiece to pace the Cavs. Gemmell connected on nine of 10 foul shots and seven rebounds while Soles hit four triples and handed out three assists. Bailey scored all six of his points in the deciding second half while grabbing a team-high nine caroms.

Zach Gulmire was the lone double figure scorer for Tennessee Wesleyan with 18 points on six of 10 shooting. Mark Riden snatched 12 rebounds to go with nine tallies.

The Bulldogs opened the game on an 8-0 run, the largest lead of the game for either team, over the first 2:37 only to see the Cavs answer with a 15-2 spurt of their own for a 15-10 lead at the 13:48 mark. The two teams played to five ties before Gulmire’s three-pointer with 2:01 left gave Tennessee Wesleyan a 34-31 first half advantage.

The second half proved to be just as tight as the opening stanza. Jerel Beamon started the half to give the visitors a five-point lead before Gemmell made a driving layup and Soles hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 36-36. Neither team led by more than three points until Bailey laid the ball in for a 60-56 lead at 1:58. Gemmell made two free throws to bring the tally to 62-57 only to have the Bulldogs score the next five points for the ninth tie, 62-62, with 56 seconds. The game remained tied until Bailey’s layup with 19 seconds on the clock to push UVa-Wise ahead 64-62. Gulmire missed two free throws with three seconds to end the Bulldogs’ chance to tie again.

UVa-Wise will stay at home where they will host Milligan College for a 7:30 p.m. Friday night affair.