Jan. 9, 2006

Final Stats

Boone, N.C. - Earning her first start since early December, sophomore guard Monique Dawson scored a career-high 23 points to lead four Lady Catamounts in double-figures as Western Carolina knocked off its arch-rival, Appalachian State, 86-76, on the road Monday night in Southern Conference action.

The win evened the Lady Catamounts' SoCon record at 2-2, 2-11 overall, while Appalachian State dropped its third-consecutive in league play, standing at 6-8 overall, 2-3 in the SoCon. WCU's victory also halted ASU's three-game winning streak in the series and marked the Lady Catamounts seventh win in the last 10 meetings with the Mountaineers.

Dawson, who last started the home game with UNC Asheville, shot 70-percent from the floor, 7-of-10, and netted 9-of-12 from the charity stripe on her career night. Also reaching double-figure scoring for Western was senior Teyawna Hardy with 15 points off the bench, including a perfect 2-for-2 showing from long range, and freshman Lauren Powell with 14, all of which came in the second half.

Sophomore Chevon Keith recorded her second double-double of the year, tallying 10 points and 10 boards while also swiping three steals. In just her second action of the season, freshman Kendra Eaton scored career-bests with nine points and three rebounds, with sophomore Ashley Pellom scoring seven and dishing out seven assists.

Western Carolina led the first nine minutes of the game, but could only manage a largest lead of four points on five occasions as Appalachian kept the Lady Catamounts in check. The Mountaineers forced the game's first tie at 13-apiece at the 11:21 mark, and took their first lead two minutes later, 19-17. After trading buckets over the next six minutes, Western took the lead for good, on an Eaton three-point play, 33-30, and extended its lead to eight at intermission, 38-30.

In the second stanza, the Lady Catamounts continued to pull ahead, taking their first double-digit lead of 10 less than a minute into the half. The advantage would balloon to a game-high 18 on two occasions with nine-minutes remaining in regulation. But the Mountaineers continued to fight, cutting the Cats lead to as few as eight inside the waning moments, but Western managed to hit 8-of-12 free throws down the stretch to ice the win.

Western shot a season-high 49-percent from the floor, including 55.6-percent in the second half alone, and matched its season-high for points in the first half, tallying 38 in the opening frame.

Appalachian State put three players in double-figures, led by 18 points from sophomore Whitney Tossie and 15 apiece from seniors KiKi Conyers and Jocelyn Wyatt. Junior Danielle Edwards led the Apps with a game-high 14 rebounds.

Western returns to action this coming Saturday, Jan. 14th, hosting Chattanooga in doubleheader action in the Ramsey Center. The defending SoCon tournament champions host the conference's defending regular season winners, the Lady Mocs, at 4:30 pm, with the men's teams battling at 7:00 pm. Prior to the men's tip-off, the Western Carolina athletics department will retire the jersey of WCU great, Mel Gibson.