Staff report

WISE, Va. — Catawba’s men’s basketball survived Saturday’s long trip to UVa-Wise with a 67-66 South Atlantic Conference victory.

With Catawba trailing by one, Marcell Haskett made the tying and go-ahead free throws with seven seconds left.

Catawba (14-6, 9-5) won its third in a row despite shooting 35 percent from the floor and 3-for-18 on 3-pointers.

The third-place Indians were good at the foul line (22-for-26).

Haskett scored 17 points, while Malik Constantine had 14 and Devin Cooper had 11.

Constantine grabbed 14 rebounds. Cooper had six assists.

Briggs Parris scored 21 for UVa-Wise (5-15, 1-13), and former Thomasville star Cameron Whiteside had 16.

Catawba trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half but got back within six at halftime. Then the Indians opened the second half with a 12-0 run for a 43-37 lead.

UVa-Wise is in last place in the SAC, but it caught up and the teams battled all the way to the wire.

Catawba plays at Wingate on Wednesday and hosts Mars Hill next Saturday.

CATAWBA (67) — Haskett 17, Constantine 14, Cooper 11, Lilly 7, McLeod 6, Whitfield 4, Zemonek 4, Carter 4, Johnson, Matthews.

UVA-WISE (66) — Parris 21, Whiteside 16,  Sheffey 11, Parker 2, Eason 2, Mosquera-Perea 2.

Catawba   31  36   — 67

UVa-Wise  37  29  — 66