BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University men's basketball team opened their season with a home contest against regional rival UVA Wise. An early second half run and hot shooting from the Cavaliers handed King a 98-89 defeat.
THE BASICS
FINAL: UVA Wise 98, King 89
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 0-1; UVA Wise 1-0
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
- The Tornado got off to a hot start with a pair of Michael Mays triples and a Kenny Turner dunk in the opening three minutes.
- The hot shooting continued for the Tornado as a Jaylen Bernard triple gave King a 15-8 lead four minutes in.
- King grabbed their largest lead of the half at 25-16 following a Henry Okoye three-point basket as the Cavaliers started to chip away at their deficit.
- UVA Wise scored seven straight points to pull within 25-23 before layups from Okoye and Myles McCrary.
- King continued to hold the lead until another UVA Wise run, The cavaliers scored five straight and cut their deficit to 35-34 before a Brandon Lamberth basket.
- UVA Wise grabbed a 38-37 lead with five minutes remaining in the half before the teams traded baskets.
- The Cavaliers used a 5-0 spurt to break a tie at 40.
- Mays then made a layup and later knocked in another three-point basket.
- Following a Cavalier basket, Darron Howard made two free throws, pulling King within 49-47 at halftime.
- King shot 51.6 percent from the floor and 53.8 percent from three-point range in the first half while UVA Wise shot 61.6 percent from the floor and 57.1 percent from long range.
Second Half
- UVA Wise started the second half by scoring 10 of the first 12 points, including nine straight to open up a 59-49 lead.
- The King deficit grew to 12 on numerous occasions, as the Tornado tried to chip away at the deficit.
- However, each time the Tornado scored, UVA Wise had an answer.
- A Howard layup sparked a Tornado run as McCrary followed with a basket and Jordan Akal knocked down a triple to pull King within 76-73.
- McCrary converted a three-point play that cut the King deficit to 78-76 with six minutes remaining.
- Another McCrary layup kept the UVA Wise lead at two, but the Cavaliers extended their lead back to 85-78 with four minutes remaining.
- Akal answered with a triple, but the Cavaliers answered as they did the entire second half to extend the lead and take the contest 98-89.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- King shot 50.8 percent from the floor and 45.5 percent from three-point range.
- Mays led the Tornado with 22 points, shooting 8-for-13 form the floor and 3-for-5 from long range.
- Turner followed with 16 points and five rebounds.
- Akal chipped in with 13 points in his collegiate debut while McCrary added 11 points and six rebounds.
FOR THE FOES
- The Cavaliers shot 59.3 percent from the floor and 47.4 percent from long range.
- Bradley Dean scored a game-high 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting while Luke Lawson added 18 points and nine rebounds.
- Calen Lightford added 16 points.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Turner's 16 points set a career, topping his previous high of 13 set last season.
UP NEXT
- King hosts Carson-Newman University on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
- UVA Wise will take on Lees-McRae College on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in the Student Center Complex.
