CHARLESTON, W.Va. - - A trio of Golden Eagles scored in double figures, led by Taylor Austin's 19 points as Charleston scored a 77-71 non-conference NCAA Division II women's basketball victory over UVA Wise inside H. Bernard Wehrle Arena Saturday.

Both teams started the game with a blistering offensive pace. UC (5-7) made 11-of-16 shots while making 5-of-9 shots from beyond the arc en route to a 29-28 lead after the opening quarter.

The Cavs (5-6) were able to stay within reach thanks to a strong shooting performance in their own right. Jamie Cluesman's crew connected on 12-of-16 shots in the opening period as Sable Burnside (7) and Ines Latpia (6) combined for 13 of UVA Wise's first 28 points.

Each school cooled off in the second quarter with the visitors making just three field goals while the Golden Eagles connected on just six field goals but the hosts still managed to enter intermission with a 43-40 lead.

Turnovers would plague UVA Wise in the third quarter as the Cavs committed nine turnovers in the 10-minute stanza. The last turnover of the quarter would prove costly as Cluesman's team had the ball with a chance for the last shot of the period trailing 55-52. However, UC would force a turnover and convert the extra chance to a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Paris Stokes.

UC would lead by at least two possessions for the bulk of the fourth quarter but, UVA Wise would get within three with 1:53 to play on a free throw by Caitlyn Ross.

The Cavs would force a miss on the next Eagles' possession but, Austin would grab an offensive rebound allowing teammate Haley Moore to score inside pushing the lead to five with 73 seconds remaining.

Following an empty UVA Wise possession, UC extended the lead to six with a made foul shot from Austin.

Latapia would draw the Cavs within three with a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left but the Eagles would salt the game away at the charity stripe to seal the win against their former Mountain East Conference rival.

UC outscored UVA Wise by 12 from distance as the Eagles made 10 triples compared to six made 3-pointers by the Cavs. Turnovers also played a role in the loss as UVA Wise committed 25 turnovers which led to 23 UC points.

Ross led UVA Wise with 19 points with Sarah Burton and Allyson Fleenor each adding 11. Latapia finished with 10 points as she also tied Fleenor for game-high rebounding honors with seven.

Moore (18) and Clarrissa Francis (16) joined Austin in double-figure scoring for UC who won for the first time since Dec. 9.

Cluesman's team will return to league action Wednesday when Mars Hill visits the Prior Center for a 5:30 p.m. tip.