UVa-Wise Finishes Strong to Take Virginia Intermont

December 4, 2007
BOXSCORE

Wise, Va. – UVa-Wise scored ten-straight points with seven minutes left in the game to propel the men’s basketball team to a strong finish to take Virginia Intermont on Tuesday night. The Highland Cavaliers never trailed after the run to take the 77-70 Appalachian Athletic Conference win.

Pance Kecev (Nickelsville, Va.) and Bryan Sexton (Lebanon, Va.) paced the UVa-Wise (5-7/1-2 AAC) attack with 15 points and 13 points with each hitting a pair of key free throws in the final two minutes. Sexton tied Travis Brannon (Glade Spring, Va.) with a team-high six rebounds. Jarred Soles (Yorktown, Va.) chipped in 11 points as the other double figure Cav.

Forward Akeen Price posted a big night for the Cobras (5-4/1-2 AAC). Price made nine of 18 shots including five triples for 24 points to go with 10 rebounds. Courtney White and Jamie Butler added 13 and 10 points.

Trailing 62-60, the Cavs put the next 10 points on the board with four points from Soles and the run was capped by a Sexton jumper to pull in front 70-62 with 4:17 remaining. Virginia Intermont put together the next seven points to make it 70-69 at 2:15 but would get no closer. Sexton made two free throws and Seth Gibson (Wytheville, Va.) followed with his second three-pointer less than 20 seconds later to seal the eventual 77-70 win.

The Cobras led by as many as 11 points, 30-19, in the first half with seven minutes still on the clock. The Cavs finished the last three minutes by outscoring the visitors 13-3 to tie the game at 39-39 heading to intermission treys from Gibson, Soles and Robert Amis (Hazard, Ky.).

UVa-Wise will next host AAC rival King College on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.