Tennessee Wesleyan Ride First Half Performance Past UVA-Wise

January 4, 2007
Game Stats

Wise, VA – Tennessee Wesleyan rode a dominating first half performance to a men’s basketball victory over UVA-Wise Thursday evening. The Bulldogs scored the game’s first six points and led 48-17 at the half on their way to a 76-59 defeat of the Highland Cavaliers in Appalachian Athletic Conference play.

Tennessee Wesleyan took its season mark to 9-6 and 4-1 in the AAC. UVA-Wise fell to 5-11 and 2-3 in the league.

Guard Jarred Soles (Yorktown, VA) made seven of 13 shots for 18 points to pace the Cavs. Joey Blackwell (Kingsport, TN) and Cassidy Vaughn (Newport News, VA) added 10 points apiece while Zydrunas Rackauskas grabbed nine rebounds.

Center Josh Ferguson led the Bulldogs with 20 points on eight of 10 shooting, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks on the inside. Zach Gulmire added 20 points of his own while Tyler Gaskin had 17 points. Tennessee Wesleyan outrebounded UVA-Wise 46-31 and held the home team to seven of 27 (25.9%) shooting in the first half.

Leading 18-10 halfway through the first half, the Bulldogs went on a scoring binge the final 10 minutes of 30-7 for a 48-17 intermission tally.

The deficit was too large for UVA-Wise as it worked the entire second half to cut the margin to 20 points, 73-53, with 2:49 left. The Cavs outscored the Bulldogs 42-28 in the final stanza but fell 76-59 in the end.

The Cavs trek to AAC leading Montreat College for a 4:00 p.m. Saturday, January 6 th affair.