Feb. 5, 2007

Final Stats

Boone, N.C. - Sophomore Lauren Powell drained the first of her three 3-pointers early in the first half, igniting a 20-to-4 run to erase a two-point deficit and give Western Carolina the lead for good as the Lady Catamounts posted their ninth-straight win, 77-68, over Appalachian State Monday night in Southern Conference action at the Holmes Center. WCU improved to 17-7 overall and 11-2 in league play.

Western's win coupled with Chattanooga's five-point victory at home over Davidson sets up a first-place showdown in Cullowhee this Saturday (Feb. 10). The Lady Catamounts host the Lady Mocs in the first half of a WCU basketball double-header at 1:30 pm in the Ramsey Center. (The men host Georgia Southern at 4:00 pm.)

Powell finished with a game-high 19 points, connecting on 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc. Sophomore Brooke Johnson and junior Monique Dawson each scored 15 with Dawson adding a team-high nine rebounds while also dishing out five assists and five steals. Johnson also blocked three shots.

Junior Chevon Keith scored 12 points - nine of which came in the first half - and made five steals, while freshman Heather Swayne scored five and stole a pair as Western set a season-high in thefts with 16 steals as a team on the night,

After falling behind two, 5-3, Powell's first trey at the 18:13 mark handed the Lady Catamounts a lead they would not relinquish. The trifecta spurred a 20-to-4 run over the next eight minutes with Western leading 23-9 midway through the opening half following a pair of Dawson free throws. WCU managed to balloon its advantage to 19 on two separate occasions over the remainder of the half, taking a 15-point, 39-24.

The Lady Catamounts again surged ahead by 19 three and a half minutes into second stanza, leading 43-24 at the 17:31 mark. However, the Mountaineers put together a 13-to-2 run over the next three minutes, capitalizing on three WCU turnovers to slice the deficit to eight, 45-37. After back-to-back ASU possessions came up empty, Western embarked on a 20-to-7 run to put the game out of reach, grabbing a game-high, 21-point lead, 65-44, with 5:56 remaining in regulation.

Despite being outscored 24-to-12 over the final five minutes, Western converted 8-of-10 from the free throw line over the final minute and a half to stave off the Apps for the fifth-straight time.

Appalachian State (11-13, 5-8 SoCon) mimicked Western with four in double-figures led by 16 points from Carleena Costner. Maria Grimes finished with a dozen, while Whitney Tossie and GiGi Thomas each tallied 11. Jamie Bennett finished with eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Western opens the first of three-straight home games this Saturday at 1:30 pm in the Ramsey Center. The Lady Catamounts host Chattanooga in a first-place showdown in a tape-delayed broadcast on CSS. Saturday is "Go Girls" day in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day with all women gaining free admission.

Also on Saturday, WCU alum Monique Douglas of the Charlotte Bobcats' dance team and Tara Mull of the Carolina Panther's Top Cat Dancers will be in the Ramsey Center signing autographs and taking pictures with WCU fans.