WISE - - UVA Wise put together one of its best total team efforts in recent history Saturday as Jamie Cluesman's team knocked off Anderson University 83-74 in South Atlantic Conference women's basketball action inside the Prior Center.
UVA Wise (7-9, 3-5 SAC) had several players achieve new career highs in what was the program's first-ever victory over Anderson (11-3, 3-3 SAC).
Junior guard Sable Burnside led the career-high charge with 28 points as she connected on 13-of-21 field goals. The Morristown, Tenn. product added seven rebounds, two assists and a steal across a career-high 38 minutes of action.
Burnside scored 17 of her 28 points after intermission, including nine in what proved to be a decisive third quarter.
The Cavaliers went to intermission trailing 37-36 but the hosts outscored the Trojans 22-to-11 in the third quarter to take control of the contest.
Anderson was held to 5-of-19 shooting in the third period while UVA Wise connected on 9-of-19 shots and made both of its 3-point attempts in the stanza.
Cluesman's crew took a lead it would not relinquish with the first points of the second half when Caitlyn Ross stole the ball from Brittney Stafford and found Burnside for a fast break deuce.
The bucket was the start of a 14-to-3 scoring spurt to begin the quarter. Fittingly, Burnside also capped the run with a made jumper off a Katlin Burger assist to make the score 50-39 with 5:23 to play in the quarter.
The assist was one of five on the night for Burger who recorded five or more assists for the second time in three games. The junior also notched her second double-double of the season as she tossed in 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Burger joined fellow post player Leah Kestner with double-digit rebounds to aid UVA Wise to a 56-52 advantage on the glass. Kestner corralled a career-high 14 rebounds while dishing out a career-high six assists in the triumph.
The Cavs would see their lead swell to 15 points when Ross sank a pair of foul shots with 1:54 to play in the third quarter.
From there, the Trojans battled back. Anderson would score 19 of the game's next 25 points to cut the deficit to two at 62-60 with 7:29 remaining. Diamond McDowell closed the run with a 3-point basket off a Zamiya Passmore assist.
UVA Wise quickly countered with one of Sarah Burton's two made 3-pointers on the evening. The freshman guard netted 13 points, marking the 10th time this season she has cracked double figures.
Anderson would score six of the game's next eight points to make it a 67-66 contest with 5:17 to play.
It would be as close as the visitors would get. Ross would can a jumper and after a defensive stop, the fifth-year guard found Burger for a bucket. Burger's basket wound up being worth 3-points as she completed the traditional 3-point play to make it 72-66 with 4:14 remaining.
Anderson would not get the game back within single digits again as UVA Wise made 11-of-13 foul shots in the fourth quarter to preserve the win.
The Trojans were led by Nelliah Wilson who scored 20 points and led all players with 21 rebounds. Passmore nearly recorded a triple-double as her final stat line read 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
As a team, UVA Wise committed just 14 turnovers and grabbed a season-high 19 offensive rebounds.
The Trojans entered the game ranked third in the latest CSCD2 Southeast Regional Poll and had won four consecutive games.
The Cavs halted a three-game losing streak with the win and kept pace in the league standings to qualify for the conference tournament. UVA Wise will be back in action Wednesday at Carson-Newman. Tip time is set for 5:30 p.m.
