Box Score Feb. 6, 2006
Final Stats
Cullowhee, N.C. -
On a night where Western Carolina honored its all-time leading scorer, Jayne Arledge, the Lady Catamounts did not disappoint, putting on an offensive display over the first 20 minutes and using defense to secure the win down the stretch. In a game dominated by momentum swings and runs, the Lady Catamounts put together a clinching, 12-0 spurt over a three and a half minute span late in the second half en route to an 82-65 win over Appalachian State Monday night in the Ramsey Center.
The win, Western's second in its last three games, completed the seasonal sweep of the Mountaineers, a feat accomplished for the first time since 2003.
Led by freshman Lauren Powell and sophomore Monique Dawson, Western Carolina (5-17, 5-8 SoCon) put five players in double figures in the win. The duo finished with 14 points, with Powell draining three, 3-pointers and Dawson knocking down a perfect 10-of-10 offerings from the charity stripe. Freshman Teshymia Tillman scored 11 first half points, including an acrobatic circus lay-in at the buzzer, and finished with 13 for the game. Senior Teyawna Hardy scored a dozen, with freshman April Parker rounding out the quintet with 10 points. It was the first time since Feb. 11, 2004 that Western had put five players in double-figures, ironically at Appalachian State in an 80-65 WCU victory.
But it was the play of freshman guard Amelia Miller that nearly stole the show. The Winnsboro, S.C., native finished with a career-best 10 rebounds, tied a career-high with a pair of steals, and just missed her career number by scoring eight points off the bench. Sophomore Chevon Keith led the team with a pair of steals and the team's lone blocked shot.
Utilizing a 17-0 run midway through the first half, Western Carolina broke open the seesaw affair to build a commanding 18-point lead with 4:35 remaining before intermission. During the run, ASU went 0-for-5 from the floor and Western forced five Mountaineer turnovers. The Apps countered by whittling the deficit to 12 on the strength of a 7-1 spurt, but Tillman's buzzer-beating crowd pleaser pushed the lead back to 14, 44-30, at intermission.
The game's second major momentum shift made an appearance just after halftime as Appalachian State (10-12, 6-7 SoCon) opened the second stanza with a 13-0 run to slice the deficit to one, 44-43, at the 16:45 mark. Despite not tallying its first field goal after the half until a minute later, Western never relinquished the lead. Appalachian pulled to within two, 58-56 at the eight minute mark, but the Lady Catamounts held the Mountaineers scoreless for nearly the next four minutes while embarking on what would prove to be the game-winning, 12-0 run. All told, Western scored 10 of its final 12 points from the free throw line to secure the victory.
Appalachian State was led by junior Jaime Bennett and freshman Greteya Kelley, each scoring the baker's dozen, 13 points, with Kelley adding a game-high seven steals. Seniors KiKi Conyers and Jocelyn Wyatt each finished with 10 points in their final visit to Cullowhee. Wyatt tied junior teammate Danielle Edwards for the team-high in rebounds, boarding seven in the loss.
Western Carolina outrebounded the Apps, 41-36, and made more free throws (26-of-35) than the Mountaineers attempted (12-of-14). For the game, Western shot 44.8-percent from the floor, including a season-best 50-percent in the first half, while Appalachian State connected on 39.7-percent of its shots from the floor.
Western hits the road Thursday for a date with the league-leading Chattanooga Lady Mocs in the McKenzie Arena with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 pm. The Lady Mocs escaped Cullowhee with a 77-68 overtime victory back on Jan. 14. The game will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network and can be heard locally on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 or on-line at www.WWCUFM.com.
