Box Score Nov. 14, 2008
Box Score |
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball (0-1) lost in the first round of the Preseason WNIT 90-56 to No. 4 North Carolina (1-0) Friday in the Smith Center. The Lady Catamounts fall into the consolation bracket of the tournament and will find out their opponent and competition site late Saturday.
A pair of Western Carolina seniors led the Lady Catamounts in scoring - Brooke Johnson paced the team with 13 points and Lauren Powell followed with 12. Johnson also had two blocks and two assists in the game but the telling stat was just two rebounds, as she didn't get her first board until two minutes into the second half.
North Carolina used quickness and long-range shooting to put Western Carolina on its heels early in the game and then never looked back. The Tarheels scored the first eight points of the game before sophomore guard Emily Clarke hit the first Lady Catamount basket of the game almost three minutes into the game.
The Tarheels then reeled off 15 unanswered points to balloon their lead to 23-2 before the Lady Catamounts could answer again with just their second basket of the game as junior Heather Swayne came off the bench to drain a three after the first media timeout. It was back-to-back threes for Western Carolina as Powell followed with a trey of her own.
However, Western Carolina couldn't stop North Carolina from hitting three pointers of its own as the Tarheels hit 10 three-pointers in the game. The fleet of foot UNC players also had 19 steals in the game and scored 34 points off turnovers - the margin of victory in the game.
Up by 22 with six minutes to go in the half, Western Carolina did make a mini run as the Lady Catamounts went on a 10-0 spurt to cut the Tarheel lead to 15, 43-28. Powell had a three, Swayne a bucket and Clarke hit a pair of field goals in the run. North Carolina went on a 14-4 run to close out the half and build the lead back up to 25 at the half.
Overall North Carolina shot 50 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from the three-point line. Western Carolina shot 41.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from the three. The Lady Catamounts had 32 turnovers in the game and forced 22 out of North Carolina. However, the Tarheels won the rebounding battle with a 46 to 43 advantage.
Swayne had a solid outing with nine points, six rebounds and three assists. Clarke got her first official start as a Lady Catamount and ended the contest with six points and six rebounds.