Dec. 2, 2008

Box Score

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball dropped its third consecutive game, and is still looking for its first road win of the season, after falling 90-71 to rival UNC Asheville Tuesday in the Justice Center. The Lady Catamounts fall to 2-4 on the season and the Bulldogs improve to 2-5.

Free throws, free throws, free throws: it was one of the differences in the game. Western Carolina shot an anemic 13-of-25 from the charity stripe and only connected on 4-of-13 in the second half including missing four front ends of one-and-ones.

For the second straight game, Western Carolina allowed a team to score 50 or more points on the club in the second half. Montana State posted 57 points in the final 20 minutes and UNC Asheville had 51 points in the second half. The Bulldogs 90 points against Western Carolina is the second straight team to put up 90 or more points on Western Carolina and the third overall in just six games.

The Lady Catamounts had its largest lead of the game, up by six 23-17 with 10 minutes left in the first half. After the fifth tie of the game, at 31,  Lindsey Montgomery hit the second of two free throws to give UNCA the lead and the Bulldogs never trailed again.

Western Carolina trailed by three, 39-36, at the half and trimmed the Bulldog lead to one, 53-52, with 12 minutes left but UNCA had an answer for every Western Carolina bucket. The Lady Catamounts also shot just 38 percent from the field and was out rebounded by 11, 55-44.

Three players did score in double figures in the losing effort with Lauren Powell and Heather Swayne leading the way with 12 points a piece. Powell also tied the school record for three-pointers in a career, with two treys in the game, and now has 180. She needs just one three-pointer to break the record.

Junior forward Kristen Feemster came off the bench to have her first double figure performance of the season with 10 points. Senior Brooke Johnson was one shy of her season-high with three blocks in the game and continues her streak with at least one block in the first six games of the season.

Western Carolina returns home Sunday to host Middle Tennessee in the Ramsey Center. Tip time is set for 4 p.m.