WISE - - Fifth-year senior Jesse French continues to play the best lacrosse of her collegiate career as the attacker established a new single-game school record with eight assists in UVA Wise's 21-11 win over Mars Hill at Smith Stadium Tuesday. The eight assists also tie the South Atlantic Conference single-game record while tying for the most assists in a game this season by a NCAA Division II women's lacrosse player.

French's big day was evident from the start. The Dumfries, Va. native helped get UVA Wise (3-3, 3-1 SAC) on the board first when she found Katie Allen for a goal just 25 seconds into the game.

Mars Hill (2-6, 1-6 SAC) bounced back with consecutive goals from Maria Fabrizio and Rebecca Dallman to take a 2-1 lead at the 22:59 mark of the first half.

It would be the only lead of the afternoon for the Lions as the Cavaliers would score the next eight goals. During the stretch, Sydney Trask netted two of her game-high six goals with Caroline Earnshaw, French, Mallory Trimble, Samantha Hill, Ashley Wells and Allen also scored.

Sydney Joyce would stop the run as Mars Hill's leading scorer made it a 9-3 game with 12:34 showing on the first half clock. Following a goal by Caroline Earnshaw, Joyce and Kiersten Foust scored back-to-back goals cutting the deficit to 10-5 with 7:31 to play.

It would be as close as the visitors would get over the remainder of the day. Trask scored three straight goals before French scored with 23 ticks to play in the first half to send Meghan Dennehy's team to intermission with a 14-5 advantage.

French would assist on an Ellie Earnshaw goal early in the second half before the Lions rolled off three goals, leaving the score 15-8 with under 20 minutes to play.

The remainder of the contest featured the passing skills of French. She assisted on four of her team's final six goals as UVA Wise claimed its third consecutive running clock league victory.

The eight assists by French give her 108 for her career, two shy of the school's all-time record of 110 held by French's former teammate Sydney Steinberg.

Meanwhile, the 10 points in the game by the senior give her 250 for her career. She is the first player in program history to reach the mark while the point total is the 11th most of any active NCAA Division II women's lacrosse athlete.  

In addition to Trask, Ellie Earnshaw (4) and Ashley Wells (3) also turned in hat tricks in the win.

As a team, UVA Wise finished with 36 shots on goal while limiting Mars Hill to 15. The Cavs also dominated the draw control battle 24-to-10 while limiting the visitors to a 13-for-22 showing in clear attempts.

Foust and Joyce led the Lions with four goals each.

Next up, UVA Wise plays host to No. 13 Limestone Saturday. First draw is set for 1 p.m.