Jan. 26, 2009

Box Score

JOHNSON AND HARPER POST GAME ON CATAMOUNT TRACKS PODCAST

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Brooke Johnson, a senior center, scored a game-high 22 points, and also notched her second-straight double-double with 11 rebounds, to lead Western Carolina women's basketball to a 72-66 victory over Davidson Monday. The Lady Catamounts improve to 11-8 and 7-4 in the Southern Conference while the Wildcats fall to 8-13 and 7-5 in the SoCon.

After leading by one point, 37-36, at halftime, Western Carolina built as much as a five point lead, 43-38, early in the second half before Davidson went on a 14-4 run to take a five-point lead, 52-47, with 9:47 left. Western Carolina continued to battle and cut Davidson's lead to one, 59-60, when Johnson drained a three-pointer at the top of the key. The Lady Catamounts took the lead for the first time in the second half, since the 11:22 mark, when Johnson hit a pair of free throws with 5:00 left in the game.

The Lady Catamounts held a tenuous lead throughout the remainder of the game, and held a slim three-point lead with 3:32 left when Davidson's Alex Thompson went in a for a lay-up to cut the WCU lead to one, 65-64.

After a missed lay-up by Emily Clarke gave Davidson the ball back, senior Lauren Powell stole the ball, but her three-point attempt was wide, and Davidson's Ashley Lax pulled down the rebound. Powell turned up her pursuit and again stole the ball. With 1:31 left, junior Kristen Feemster spotted Jessica Jackson open on the right side, and Jackson nailed a three-pointer that all but iced the game.

Davidson's Thompson again trimmed Western Carolina's lead to two, 68-66 with 1:08 left, but Feemster came back down the court and answered. Feemster hit a layup off an assist buy Johnson, with 22 seconds left, and was also fouled by the Wildcats nailing the free throw to give Western Carolina a comfortable five-point and secure the win.

Western Carolina's scorching 83.3 percent, 15-of-18, from the free throw line in the second half kept the Lady Catamounts in the game when the club went on a scoring drought from the field. The club shot 75 percent from the charity stripe for the game.

The Lady Catamounts turned the ball over just 12 times, a season best for the club. Western Carolina also had 40 rebounds in the contest, 26 of the boards off the defensive glass.

Johnson's double-double, 22 points and 11 rebounds, was the seventh of her career and third this season. She was 6-of-8 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from the three-point line and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Johnson also had two blocks in the contest and now needs just 22 to break the school record, 127, for blocks in a career.

The Lady Catamounts have won three straight games.

Davidson had three players score in double figures and was led by Thompson and Ashley Lax who each had 12 points. Mandy Halbersleben added 10.

Western Carolina begins a two-game road swing at 1 p.m. Saturday when the Lady Catamounts travel to Charleston, S.C. to take on College of Charleston.