WISE - - Nia Vanzant netted a game-high 23 points while Caitlyn Ross added 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as UVA Wise rallied from a 15-point deficit to defeat Clayton State 72-65 in overtime in the Cavaliers' season opener at the Prior Center Saturday.

UVA Wise (1-0) used its defense to claw back in the game and the play of backcourt mates Vanzant and Ross to seal the win.

Clayton State (1-1) shot 64.7 percent from the floor in the first quarter as the Lakers made 11-of-17 field goal attempts and 3-of-5 shots from distance to build what would eventually become a 15-point lead.

The visitors would lead 42-28 at intermission before the UVA Wise defense clamped down in the final 20 points.

The Cavs' defense would hold the Lakers to 4-of-24 shooting in the third quarter to spark a scoring run that would get Jamie Cluesman's crew back in the game.

Vanzant would score seven points in the period while Ross added five as UVA Wise forced six Clayton State turnovers and held the Lakers to an 0-for-8 showing from the 3-point line in the quarter.

When the third quarter horn sounded, the Cavs had cut the deficit to 50-43.

Defense would continue to rule the game in the fourth quarter. Clayton State would not score its first points of the fourth quarter until 3:11 to play when Audrey McElhaney made a pair of free throws.

During the scoring drought, the Cavs would take the lead. Ross drained a 3-pointer to knot the game at 50, with 5:09 remaining.

Ninety seconds later, the senior completed a traditional 3-point play off a Leah Kestner assist to put her club in front for the first time since the game's opening minutes.

After McElhaney's foul shots cut the lead to a point, Clayton State would get a defensive stop and regain the lead when Taniya Patrick scored to make it a 54-53 lead.

The lead would see-saw back to UVA Wise when Vanzant made a jumper to make it a 55-54 affair. The lead was short-lived as Diamond Swift banked in a 3-pointer to put Clayton State back up by two before Vanzant countered with a 3-pointer to put the hosts back in front.

The long-range barrage continued when the Lakers' Jadah Waite's 3-pointer found the bottom of the net with 89 seconds to play putting Clayton State up 60-58.

An offensive rebound put back by Jose Hester tied the game at 60 with 1:06 to play before UVA Wise ended up with the basketball with less than 30 seconds to play with a chance to win the contest.

Ross would drive the lane and kick it out to Kestner who would have a game-winning attempt rim out, sending the game to an extra five-minute session.

Neither school would crack the scoring column in the overtime period until 2:32 to play when Kaitlin Bailey split a pair of free throws to put UVA Wise in front by one.

McElhaney countered with a jumper to put the Lakers in front before back-to-back buckets from Sable Burnside and Bailey gave the Cavs a 65-62 lead.

After an empty possession from Clayton State, Ross would put the game away at the charity stripe. The Kingston, Tenn. product would make 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.

Vanzant's 23 points move her into a tie for 15th in school history in scoring with 1,167 points in her career.

Burnside finished two points shy of a double-double as she tied for game-high rebounding honors with 10.

Waite scored 12 points while Patrick chipped in 11 in defeat for Clayton State.

The win marked the first time since 2015 that UVA Wise won its season opener. The Cavs will have an opportunity to go 2-0 tomorrow at 1 p.m. when they entertain Flagler College.