WISE - - Seniors Kehana Grayer and Blair Harding proved to be the difference for UVa-Wise Saturday as the Cavaliers scored a 68-60 win over the University of Charleston in the Mountain East Conference for both schools. Grayer scored eight of her 10 points in the fourth quarter while Harding made six 3-pointers en route to a game-high 22 points.

The win was the first for UVa-Wise over Charleston since the school joined the Mountain East Conference in 2013.

Charleston (2-2, 0-1 MEC) opened the game with an 18-8 run. The Golden Eagles made four 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes as Tia Clement and Abby Watson scored five points each in the run.

Despite the fast start by the visitors, UVa-Wise (2-0, 1-0 MEC) trailed by just three at 18-15 after the first period thanks to Taylor Sandidge. The junior scored the final seven points of the period, by making a pair of shots inside and connecting on all three of her free throw attempts in the run.

Coach Adam Collins' Golden Eagles squad was delivered a blow in the second period when leading scorer Chyress Lockhart was assessed her third foul of the game with eight minutes to play in the half.

With the Charleston guard sidelined, UVa-Wise's Blair Harding found her stroke from the outside. The senior made four 3-pointers in the period, including one at the 4:53 mark to give the Cavs their first lead of the day, 26-24.

While Harding was putting buckets in from the perimeter, Charleston went to the interior. Olivia Nichols made a pair of shots inside while Clement and Kiara Johnson also scored inside over the final 3:30 of the half to give the Golden Eagles a 32-31 lead at halftime.

The lead would switch hands seven times during a third quarter that featured two more 3-pointers from Harding and two buckets from Makenzie Cluesman.

An old-fashioned 3-point play from Johnson gave Charleston a 46-42 lead with 1:39 to play in the third quarter. Johnson's play capped a 7-2 run by coach Adam Collins' squad.

Coach Kristin Kunzman's Cavs closed the stanza on a 5-0 run. As was the story in the first quarter, a member of UVa-Wise's backcourt scored all the points in the spurt. This time, it was Harding who scored on a fast break before hitting her sixth 3-pointer of the day for the quarter's final basket. The 3-pointer gave the Cavs a 47-46 lead after three periods.

Charleston opened the fourth quarter with a flurry. Lockhart finished an 8-2 run by making consecutive layups to give her team a 54-49 lead.

As was the case all day, UVa-Wise responded. Kayla Carey scored just her second bucket since the first quarter to cut the lead to three before Grayer boarded a miss and put the ball in the hoop cutting the lead to 54-53.

The field goal was the first of four consecutive for the West Jordan, Utah native who scored eight of her team's 10 points in the 10-0 scoring run. Grayer's final basket gave her team a 59-54 lead with 2:52 to play, it would be lead they would not relinquish.

Charleston would cut the lead to three on the next possession after Johnson made a pair of free throws. It would be as close as the Golden Eagles would get as the Cavs made seven of eight free throws in the final 90 seconds to post the 68-60 win.

Harding finished with three rebounds, three assists and three steals in addition to her 22 points. Sandidge went a perfect 9-9 from the charity stripe en route 17 points. The guard added six rebounds, four assists and two steals as she played every second of the contest.

Carey posted 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists while Grayer's final stat line read 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal without committing a turnover in 27 minutes of play.

Three Golden Eagles finished in double figures, led by Lochart's 13 point-four assist performance.

Each team made six 3-pointers in the game but, UVa-Wise made 14 of 15 free throws while Charleston hit on just six of 13 attempts.

The Cavs will put their 2-0 record on the line Monday when the team visits West Virginia State in a 5:30 p.m. tip. You can catch the action live on www.uvawisecavs.com