Jan. 31, 2009

Box Score

HARPER POSTGAME INTERVIEW ON CATAMOUNT TRACKS PODCAST

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball dropped a heart-breaker, 61-56, in overtime to College of Charleston Saturday in the Carolina First Arena. The Lady Catamounts fall to 11-9 and 7-5 in the Southern Conference while the Cougars improve to 16-5 and 9-4 in the SoCon.

Western Carolina is now 12-14 all-time in overtime games. The loss snaps the club's three-game winning streak and four-game winning streak on the road.

Senior Lauren Powell had a career-high 26 points in the game, scoring 11 in the first half. She was 10-of-12 from the field and five-of-five from the free throw line. Fellow senior Brooke Johnson led the team with 11 rebounds, her third straight double figure rebounding performance.

Kristen Feemster scored the first points in overtime for Western Carolina and also hit one of two free throws to give the Lady Catamounts a three-point lead. Three consecutive jumpers by College of Charleston put the Cougars back in front, 57-54, with two minutes left. A jumper by Powell pulled Western Carolina within one point, 57-56, but the Cougars Deidre Jones answered with a lay-up to give the College of Charleston a three-point lead with 34 seconds left.

Powell had a chance to tie the game but her three-pointer hit the rim and bounced out with 27 seconds left. Western Carolina was still alive when sophomore Emily Clarke grabbed the rebound but Kaila'Shea Menendez's jumper didn't fall and the Cougars got the rebound.

Western Carolina forced overtime by overcoming a five-point deficit with three minutes left in regulation. The Cougars were held without a basket in the final 3:31 of the second half.

The Lady Catamounts trimmed the Cougar lead to two when Heather Swayne hit a jumper with 53 seconds left and also drew a foul. After Swayne completed the three-point play, College of Charleston came down the other end nursing the two-point lead. A missed jumper by the Cougar's Jade Hughes afforded Western Carolina one last shot as Brooke Johnson hit a lay-up with 11 seconds left to tie the game at 51 and force overtime.

Field goals were in high demand in the second half, and Western Carolina had their opportunities to open the game up, as the Cougars hit just two field goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half. College of Charleston, however, stayed in the game hitting 7-of-8 from the free throw line in that time span.

Powell scored the first seven points for Western Carolina in the second half. Western Carolina tied the game off a pair of free throws by Clarke and the game was tied two more times before Western Carolina took its first lead of the second half off a free throw by Johnson. Swayne's jumper gave the Lady Catamounts its only other lead in the second half before tying the game two more times and forcing overtime.

Western Carolina had 23 turnovers and connected on just one three-pointer in the game. College of Charleston scored 18 points off Lady Catamount turnovers.

Western Carolina continues its road swing traveling to Statesboro, Ga. to take on Georgia Southern, Tip time is set for 5 p.m.