WISE - - In a game that featured 80 free throws and 58 fouls, UVa-Wise overcame the loss of four players fouling out to post a 77-74 overtime win over Fairmont State at the Prior Center on Saturday.  Senior Deon Boyce scored 18 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the Senior Day victory for the Cavaliers to move within seven rebounds of the single-season rebounding record at the school.

UVa-Wise (10-14, 7-13 MEC) built a six point halftime lead as Boyce netted 11 points and corralled 10 boards in the opening 20 minutes.  The Cavs also hit four of the team's six 3-pointers in the period and limited the Falcons to 32.4 percent from the field.

Fairmont State (17-9, 12-8 MEC) would fall behind by as many as 11 points with 15:44 to play before mounting a comeback.  Caleb Davis would split a pair of free throws with 5:46 to play to tie the game.  A possession later, Thomas Wimbush gave the Falcons the lead with a jumper in the paint. 

Over the final five minutes of regulation the lead would change seven times and eventually end in a tie.  Each team would have an opportunity to win it in regulation; UVa-Wise's Charles George would miss a shot with 12 ticks remaining and Fairmont State's Davis would miss a shot with two seconds to play to force the contest to overtime tied at 68.

In the extra period, the Falcons struck first as Winbush canned a pair of foul shots.  On the following possession, Brian Sydnor attacked the hoop and scored inside to knot the game.  The lead would again go back and forth before Jordan Smith made his only shot of the game, a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Cavs a 74-73 lead with 1:15 to play.

UVa-Wise extended the advantage to three after an empty Fairmont State possession as Javon Moore sank a pair of shots from the line.  The Falcons would draw to within two points and Shammgod Wells would have a 3-point attempt clank off the rim with 11 seconds remaining that would have given the visitors the lead.  Moore cleared Wells' miss and pushed the ball ahead to Paul Evans who ran out the clock.

Moore turned in a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards and Sydnor finished a perfect 8-8 from the line en route to 12 points.  Matt Day, 13 points and Charles George, 12 points also finished in double figure scoring in the win.  Senior James Turner was limited to 24 minutes of action in the game but still turned in a seven point – three rebound – two assist – two block performance in his final regular season home game.

The victory keeps hope alive for the Cavaliers of hosting an opening round Mountain East Conference Tournament game.  UVa-Wise will be back in action on Tuesday when the team travels to West Virginia State.  Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.