CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The 24th-ranked Fairmont State University women's basketball team hit the road for a Mountain East Conference showdown with the University of Charleston. The Falcons were able to grab hold of the lead midway through the first and did not look back as they claimed the victory, 76-65.

Leslie Huffman led all scorers with 27 points, going 10-18 (.556) from the field and grabbed eight rebounds. Jalen Gibbs added 16 points as nine total different Falcons found the scoresheet.

Charleston (12-9, 8-6) scored the game's first basket but Fairmont State (18-3, 12-2) quickly responded with six-straight points. During the run, Leslie Huffman scored four of the six points. The Falcons held the slight lead until the Golden Eagles went on an 8-2 run to regain a 12-10 advantage with 2:09 left in the first period. The visitors had an answer as they closed the period with seven-consecutive points to lead by five (17-12).

Fairmont State carried the momentum over to the second as it started with six of the first eight points to lead 23-14. The hosts were able to chip away at the deficit and made it a three-point contest (24-21) with just under four minutes left in the half. The Falcons took control of the game for the remainder of the period as they outscored the Golden Eagles, 8-4 and led 32-25 going into the locker room.

Out of the half, the two squads were fairly even until FSU grasped control with an 11-2 run as it opened a 14-point (47-33) advantage. Jalen Gibbs scored four while Alyssa DeAngelo added another three over the two-plus minute section of the period. UC did not let the game get away from itself as it dropped in 12 of the next 16 points to cut the difference to just six (51-45) with 1:18 left in the third. The two sides matched each other until Bre Wilson hit a three in the final seconds to give the Falcons a 56-47 lead going to the final 10 minutes of regulation.

In the fourth period, the teams went back-and-forth with neither team adding or subtracting from difference. The Golden Eagles tried to trim the lead but most of their points came from the free throw line as FSU had an answer for the remainder of the game. As the final horn sounded, the Falcons won by the 11-point margin.

At the free throw line, the Falcons were 82.6-percent (19-23) while the hosts shot 59.1-percent (13-22). Defensively, FSU forced 21 turnovers while only committing nine.

Fairmont State returns home to face the Yellow Jackets of West Virginia State. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m.