MARS HILL, N.C. - - The monkey is off the back, UVA Wise scored its first South Atlantic Conference road victory in any sport Wednesday as the school's women's basketball team knocked off Mars Hill 62-57 at David Riggins Court. Three Cavaliers scored in double figures in the victory, led by freshman Caitlyn Ross who tossed in a game-high 14 points in just 18 minutes of action.

UVA Wise (9-10, 5-8 SAC) built an 18-point third quarter lead before the hosts began climbing back in the contest.

Mars Hill (2-17, 0-13 SAC) trailed 54-37 with 7:32 to play after the Cavs' Nia Vanzant made a pair of foul shots. From there, the Lions would go on an 18-2 run to get the game within one at 56-55 with 94 seconds to play.

UVA Wise would not be deterred, with Ross on the bench having fouled out, fellow freshman Leah Kestner carried her team across the finish line. Kestner scored inside off an assist from Hanna Oliver to make it a three point game.

The Lions would come up empty on their next possession and after Kalee Johnson sank two foul shots, the Cavs led by three at 60-57 with less than 30 seconds to play.

Mars Hill would call timeout and get a good look at a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the corner from Tatum Boggs. Boggs' shot would clank off the rim and Kestner would board the miss. The forward would be fouled and the Chilhowie, Va. product would go to the line and calmly make two foul shots to put the game out of reach.

The strong play late was part of a big night for Kestner as she finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Johnson also netted 13 points while adding a team-best eight rebounds.

UVA Wise built its lead behind a strong defensive first half. Mars Hill made just 8-of-26 field goal attempts in the first half as the visitors built a 29-20 advantage after 20 minutes of play.

The offense picked up for the Cavs in the third quarter as Ross scored 11 points in the quarter. Overall, UVA Wise made 10-of-20 field goal attempts in the period as the lead swelled to the aforementioned 18 points.

Mars Hill received a team-high 13 points from Boggs off the bench. The guard made a game-high three 3-pointers while adding four rebounds and a pair of assists to her stat line. Selby Baughman finished with 11 points and Alexis Purdue tallied eight points and nine rebounds.

The win keeps UVA Wise in the hunt for the SAC Tournament, Jamie Cluesman's team is now tied with Lincoln Memorial for the eighth and final postseason spot.

Next up, the Cavs entertain conference leader Catawba Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday from the Prior Center.