Mars Hill opens SAC play versus Cavaliers
The Mars Hill women's basketball team (1-5, 0-1 SAC) was felled by UVa-Wise (4-1, 1-0 SAC) by a score of 87-64 in their 2019 South Atlantic Conference opener Tuesday evening.
WISE, Va. - The Mars Hill women's basketball team (1-5, 0-1 SAC) was felled by UVa-Wise (4-1, 1-0 SAC) by a score of 87-64 in their 2019 South Atlantic Conference opener Tuesday evening.
The Cavaliers opened the contest on a 6-0 run over the first 3:27 of the first quarter. Mars Hill reeled off four straight points before the Cavaliers responded with a 9-2 run to hold a 15-6 lead with less than three minutes to play in the opening frame. The Lions closed out the frame on an 8-4 run with De'Ja Marshall and Tatum Boggs each netting four points.
Mars Hill knotted the game at 19 early in the second quarter, but a 6-2 run gave UVa-Wise a 25-21 advantage with just over seven minutes to play in the half. The Cavaliers tacked on six more points before a Kiara Johnson jumper stopped the run momentarily. As the buzzer sounded after 20 minutes of play, the Cavaliers possessed a 38-26 lead.
Cynita Webb led the Cavaliers' offense with 10 points in the third stanza as UVa-Wise outscored the Lions 22-17. Boggs recorded seven for Mars Hill, including a three-pointer that cut the Cavaliers' lead down to 55-41 with 3:25 left in the third. UVa-Wise began to pull away further in the fourth, extending their lead by as many as 25 points and picking up their first SAC win.
Both Webb and Nia Vanzant ended the night with 22 points apiece. Webb collected a game-high 14 rebounds for her double-double.
Marshall led all players with 23 points and pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds for the double-double. Boggs finished with 18 points on the evening.
Mars Hill returns home on Saturday, November 30 as the Lions take on Newberry inside Chambers Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.