FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Deidra Combs scored a career-high 32 points and Emily Puskarich became the third FSU women's basketball player to go over 1,000 career points this season, as FSU downed UVa-Wise, 82-71, on Saturday afternoon at Joe Retton Arena.
 
Coming into the game, Puskarich needed just 12 points to surpass 1,000 points and Deidra Combs was just under 900 career points, needing 108 to top 1,000.
 
Puskarich scored 11 of her 19 points in the opening half and buried a jump shot at the 9:32 mark of the third quarter to join Amanda Ruffner and Makenzie White in the 1,000-point club this season. Combs ran her career point total well over 900 points this afternoon, scoring a game-high 32 points to go with six rebounds and five steals.
 
Combs now has 924 points in her career, needing just 76 to reach 1,000. Ruffner and White also helped pace FSU with 13 points apiece in the victory.
 
The Falcons (12-8, 9-5 MEC) shot 53.7 percent from the field (29-of-54) and 44 percent from three (8-of-18) in the win. FSU also got it done on the defensive end, forcing 18 turnovers that turned into 26 points on the offensive end.
 
Fairmont pushed its 37-35 halftime advantage to nine points at the end of three quarters and continued to build its lead to as many as 17 (73-56) midway through the fourth.
 
UVa-Wise (15-7, 10-4 MEC) got a team-high 18 points from Taylor Sandidge in the loss. Makenzie Cluesman also chipped in 15 and Allison Ball added 11 to give the Cavs a trio in double figures.
 
UVa-Wise held a 38-24 rebounding advantage on the afternoon, but managed just 43 percent (24-of-56) from the field.
 
FSU will wrap-up its four-game homestand on Wednesday evening when Wheeling Jesuit visits Joe Retton Arena for a 5:30 p.m. tip.