Dec. 17, 2006

Final Stats

Spartanburg, S.C. - Making her Western Carolina debut, sophomore transfer Brooke Johnson scored a team-high 17 points off the bench to lead four in double-figures as the Lady Catamounts downed the Wofford Terriers, 76-67, in the Southern Conference opener for each school. The win was Western's ninth in the last 11 meetings with Wofford.

Johnson, who transferred to WCU from Carson-Newman last spring and became eligible after the conclusion of fall exams, connected on 5-of-10 from the floor, including 1-of-2 from behind the 3-point arc, in her first game in over a year and a half. She also blocked a WCU season-high four shots.

Joining Johnson in double-figures was junior Chevon Keith with her second double-double of the season scoring 11 and pulling down a career-high 15 boards. Her classmates, Monique Dawson and Ashley Pellom, scored 12 and 10, respectively, with both dishing out four assists and Dawson swiping four steals.

Senior Erin May just missed a double-double finishing with eight points and eight rebounds, while freshman Heather Swayne boarded a career-best six.

The first half endured six ties with neither team pulling ahead by more than three through the first 20 minutes of action. Down two, 30-28, with two minutes to play before the half, May drained a 3-pointer and Dawson connected on a runner in the lane to put WCU ahead by three, 33-30, at the half.

In the second half, Western managed to pull ahead by as many as four, but Wofford rallied to tie the game and take a two-point lead of their own, 43-41, at the 15:01 mark. After trading buckets, Pellom put WCU ahead for good, draining a jump shot at the 12:54 mark giving the Lady Cats a one-point advantage. Western pushed the lead to double digits with seven and a half minutes to play and eventually surged ahead by a game-high 15 with six minutes to play on the strength of an 20-to-4 run.

But Wofford would not go away, slicing the lead down to seven with just over two minutes to play in regulation. However, that was as close as the Terriers could get as Western nailed 6-of-8 from the free throw line to secure the win.

Wofford (6-4, 0-1 SoCon) was led by a career-high 22 points from sophomore guard Liz Miller, while junior Kelsi Koenig recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Jennifer Weurding rounded out the three Terriers in double figures with 10, adding four blocked shots.

For the game, Western held a commanding advantage on the boards out rebounding the Terriers 55-40.

Western returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 20 when it visits preseason SoCon favorite, UNC Greensboro, at 2:00 pm in Fleming Gymnasium. The game, which will conclude WCU's 11-game road swing, will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network and can be heard locally in Western North Carolina on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 or online at www.WWCUFM.com and www.CatamountSports.com.