SALISBURY, N.C. — The Catawba College men's basketball team saw a comfortable lead tighten before using clutch shooting to put away UVA Wise, 72-66, at Goodman Arena on Saturday afternoon.
TEAM STATS
- Shooting efficiency between the teams was neck and neck, but Catawba (11-3, 6-2 SAC) claimed a paper-thin 39.3%-39.0% edge
- The squads' three-point percentages were similarly narrow with Catawba going 6-for-21 (28.6%) in comparison to UVA Wise (12-4, 5-3 SAC) who posted a 3-for-11 (27.3%) day
- One made free throw was the difference at the charity stripe as the Catawba Indians recorded an 18-for-26 (69.2%) clip while the Highland Cavaliers registered a 68.0% mark
- The Catawba Indians won the rebounding battle 43-35, but lost the turnover margin 16-15; nonetheless, Catawba remains undefeated when either occurs
- Catawba fell one block shy of tying the program record, denying 12 of the Cavs' shots in midair — the most in nearly three years — while limiting the guests to three swats
INDIVIDUAL STATS
- Jordan Simpson poured in 20 points for the fourth time in five games, swishing a quartet of three-pointers
- Nick Walker caps his week with a second double-double as the senior forward collected 15 points and 10 rebounds, also chipping in four blocks and three assists
- Ibra Athie chipped in 14 points with eight rebounds and a trio of assists, sharing the team lead with Walker
- LeVionne Lindsey also enjoyed a big day on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds of which three came on offense
- Foul trouble hindered the efficacy of Carson Daniel, but the sophomore guard remained a +8 with a team-best three steals and two assists
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
- Simpson opened proceedings loudly with a pair of triples in the first 77 seconds for a 6-0 start, but UVA Wise tracked down the hosts and used an Anderson Cummins three-point play to tie it at 12-12
- The Catawba Indians responded with a punishing 11-2 run, a stretch including four Cavalier turnovers and eight points from Simpson
- Walker bookended a Simpson bucket with two of his own in a six-point flare that briefly lifted the advantage to 12
- Although UVA Wise closed the gap to three in the final couple minutes, Catawba padded its lead with a 7-2 burst for a halftime tally of 39-31
Second Half
- Walker drew and converted an and-one to kick off the half before a back-and-forth sequence developed
- Catawba regained momentum with a 7-0 run in just over a minute, but the Cavs proceeded to then outscore the hosts 12-4 leading up to the under-8 media timeout
- Three points from Athie and a Walker bucket, scored on a second chance following a swipe by Zion McDuffie restored the double-digit lead
- Needing to go on a tear, UVA Wise did just that as the Cavs summoned a 12-2 run to tie the game at 66-all inside the final two minutes
- On a potential go-ahead shot from the Cavs, Jacob Bryant drew a loose ball foul on the rebound and went 2-for-2 at the line
- UVA Wise missed three opportunities to tie or take the lead before being whistled for an intentional foul as Athie came down with an offensive board; he also went 2-for-2
- Catawba also retained possession due to the elevated foul status, setting up Simpson for a lay-in that sealed the deal for the blue and white
UP NEXT
The Catawba Indians prepare for another big South Atlantic Conference battle on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at undefeated, seventh-ranked Anderson.
