WISE - - Forward Kalee Johnson scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds as UVA Wise grabbed a 85-63 win over Queens in the opening round of the 2021 Pilot Flying J South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Championship.

UVA Wise (15-4) got the offense going early by netting 22 points in the opening quarter. Johnson netted five of her career-high 30 points in the first 10 minutes, but it was the play of sophomore Caitlyn Ross that got Jamie Cluesman's crew off to the good start.

Ross scored 10 points, grabbed a pair of rebounds, dished out an assist and picked up a steal in the first quarter en route to a 20-point, four-rebound, six-assist, three-steal day.

It was a methodical victory for the Cavaliers, the Royals (1-19) trailed by three after a period and 10 at intermission. UVA Wise put the game out of reach in the third quarter with a 10-to-2 scoring run. Ada Stanley got the run going with two of her eight points on the day before Johnson netted four consecutive points. Queens received a bucket from Taylor Stevens only to see back-to-back buckets by Ross and Vanzant as the lead swelled to 18 with 4:14 to play in the period.

The Cavs controlled the paint, scoring 44 points inside. UVA Wise also did a good job of not turning it over, committing just eight turnovers in the game. As a team, Cluesman's crew shot 40.5 percent from the floor. The number includes a 50 percent showing in the fourth quarter.

Stanley finished a bucket shy of a double-double; the senior scored eight points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked a career-high four shots.

Christina Deng led Queens with 19 points off the bench. The center grabbed nine rebounds, four of which came on the offensive end. Kalaya Hall scored 12 points, but did it on 5-of-17 shooting while Cailtyn Moore chipped in 10 points in a losing effort.

Nia Vanzant joined Johnson and Ross in double figures as the sophomore scored 16 points while adding eight rebounds. Peyton Sams came off the bench to score five points and hand out five assists in 23 minutes of play.

Overall, UVA Wise won the battle of the boards 53-to-47. The team went to the line 23 times in the game compared to just four for Queens.

The postseason victory was the first for the Cavaliers since March 2, 2017 when the program scored a win in the quarterfinals of the Mountain East Tournament, 72-70 over West Virginia State.

Next up, No. 5 seed Anderson visits No. 4 seed UVA Wise in the quarterfinal round of the 2021 Pilot Flying J SAC Women's Basketball Tournament Monday at 7 p.m. inside the Prior Center.