Feb. 25, 2003

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Led by Tiffany Hamm's career-high 28 points, Western Carolina women's basketball cruised past Appalachian State, 73-65, in a special noontime Education Day game at the Ramsey Center Tuesday. The win gives Western its 20th of the season for the first time since becoming a Division I program in 1981, now at 20-6, and a 13-4 record in the Southern Conference. ASU falls to 9-17 overall and 8-9 in the league.

The victory also gives head coach Beth Dunkenberger her 50th career win as a Catamount, making it the fastest any women's head coach has reached the milestone in the program's history.

WCU opened the game on a 10-2 run, but the Mountaineers answered with a run of their own, tying the game at 14-14 on a free throw by Jaymi Wilson. The Apps then took their first lead of the game on a jumper by Wilson, but it did not last long as two free throws by senior Marsha McGillivary and a basket by Jennifer Gardner gave the Cats the lead back at 16-14 with 7:34 on the clock. The game seesawed for the next seven minutes until four points by Hamm gave Western the 36-32 lead going into halftime.

An energized crowd of over 500 area fifth and sixth graders were ready to cheer on the Catamounts in the final half of the game. WCU jumped out to an eight-point lead on a lay-up by Janetta Heggins, but ASU squeezed the Catamount margin to two on a shot by Aisha Bryant to make the score 44-42 at 15:24. Western led by as many as 10 points on two occasions, both on consecutive free throws by Yoneko Allen. With the score 71-61 at 2:35, the Mountaineers scrambled to get back in the game, hitting two shots in a row by Kiki Conyers and Bryant to bring the Catamount lead to six. However, two more free throws by Allen sealed ASU's fate as Western went on to defeat Appalachian 73-65.

Hamm's career-high 28 points led all scorers, while three other Catamounts posted double figures. Heggins contributed 10, Gardner posted 13 and Allen had 11 in the win. WCU shot 43.1 percent from the field and committed just 14 turnovers to App State's 19.

The Mountaineers were led by Tiffani Johnson with 15 points, adding six rebounds. Bryant posted 12 points, while Conyers and Lindsay Smith each recorded 11. ASU went 5-of-14 from 3-point range for 35.7 percent.

Western Carolina plays host to Furman in the team's final regular-season game Saturday, March 1, at 4:00 pm. The men follow, hosting Chattanooga at 7:00 pm.