JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. —
Michael Mays was one of three Tornado to score in double digits Saturday afternoon, dropping a team-high 21 as the King University men's basketball team opened the season with a convincing 95-77 win over UVA Wise.
THE BASICS
FINAL: King 95. UVA Wise 77
LOCATION: Holt Fieldhouse; Jefferson City, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 1-0, UVA Wise 0-1
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
- The Cavaliers jumped out to an early 5-2 lead before Connor Jordan hit back-to-back buckets to give King a 6-5 lead.
- Mays hit his first bucket of the night with 15:47 left in the half, hitting a three to give King a 9-8 lead.
- After being a back-and-forth affair, the Tornado started to pull away with 8:52 left, when Henry Okoye hit a layup to give King another lead. This time, they didn't give it back, as Darron Howard and Blake Atwood hit back-to-back buckets before Howard drilled a three to force the Cavaliers to take timeout.
- UVA Wise started to claw their way back, getting to within seven before Mays hit a three to give King a 10-point lead.
- The Tornado ended the half on an 8-1 run to take a 48-38 lead into the locker room.
Second Half
- In the first five minutes of the second half, King stretched the lead to 18 points, thanks in part to a 5-0 run by Mays, who started the half with a layup before nailing a three. Curry and Jordan would also contribute buckets to give King a healthy lead.
- The Cavaliers were able to get to within eight with 10:52 left, but that sparked a 9-0 King run that saw Howard hit a three to give the Tornado a 15-point lead once again.
- King continued to extend the lead, eventually getting to an 84-62 lead after a three from Shareef Jones Jr.
- Amarius Beasley got in on the act with 2:00 left, hitting a three of his own to give King a 91-72 lead.
- UVA Wise did get a three in the closing seconds, but it was too little too late for the Cavaliers.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- J'Son Brooks set a new career high with four assists, eclipsing his previous of three that was set against Belmont Abbey back on Feb. 6.
- This was the sixth time in the last seven games that Howard finished in double digits, scoring 16 points for the Tornado, along with four rebounds.
- This is the second consecutive win for King over the Cavaliers, both of which have come in season-opening tournaments. The last time that UVA Wise beat King was Dec. 20, 2015.
FOR THE FOES
- Kaeleb Carter and Isaiah McAmis both scored 16 points for the Cavaliers, while Makai Vassell pulled a team-high eight rebounds.
UP NEXT
- Both teams will be in action Sunday, with the Tornado facing Carson-Newman at 4 p.m. while the Cavaliers will face Lees-McRae at 2 p.m.
