SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio - - In a game that featured 55 fouls and 54 free throws it was the defense of Notre Dame College that proved to be the difference as the Falcons limited UVa-Wise to 30 percent shooting in a 69-60 Mountain East Conference women's basketball victory at Murphy Gymnasium.

Notre Dame (12-12, 11-8 MEC) got off to a fast start as five of Katie Hine's players dented the scoring column in the opening 10 minutes. As a team, the Falcons made 57.1 of their field goal attempts in the opening quarter as the hosts built a 19-18 lead.

UVa-Wise (18-9, 13-6) would quickly regain the lead when Alle Moore converted a traditional 3-point play at the 8:49 mark. Moore's play made the score 21-19 in favor of the visitors but, it would be short lived as Jessie Stout scored four of her team-high 17 points as part of a 6-0 spurt that gave the Falcons a 25-21 lead.

Back-to-back layups by Cavaliers' freshman Cynita Webb tied the game up before Kyleigh Ramlow's jumper put Notre Dame back in front.

The two schools would go back-and-forth over the final five minutes of the half before a free throw by Moore with less than a second to play in the half sent UVa-Wise to halftime leading 34-33.

A three of 13 showing from the field in the third quarter would be the downfall of the Cavs. UVa-Wise had built a 41-37 lead with 4:38 to play in the period but would miss five out its next six shots to close the quarter. The drought allowed the Falcons to take a 49-47 lead to the fourth period.

Cold shooting would continue to be the trend over the final 10 minutes as the visitors made just four of 13 attempts in the final period. A free throw by freshman Kayla Mullins got UVa-Wise within one at 49-48 with 7:36 to play before Notre Dame went on a 7-0 run spurred by a traditional 3-point play from Stout.

Leading 58-51, the Falcons kept the Cavs at arm's length for the remainder of the contest by knocking down free throws. Kelsey Miller would convert all four of her free throw attempts as part of a 12-15 showing from the line as a team in the quarter.

Notre Dame finished the game 20-28 at the charity stripe.

Miller finished the game with 12 points while teammate Terrina Robinson netted 13 to join Stout in double-figure scoring for the victors.

Several stat oddities occurred in the game as UVa-Wise collected 23 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Notre Dame 50-30 in the loss. The Cavs also finished with more turnovers, 21, than made field goals, 18.

A trio of UVa-Wise players fouled in the game, including leading scorer Makenzie Cluesman. The senior guard was limited to 26 minutes and failed to score in double figures for just the fifth time this year.

Senior Taylor Sandidge led all players with 20 points while Moore came off the bench to score 14 in the loss.

UVa-Wise will be back in action Saturday at Urbana University in a 2 p.m. tip-off.