Nov. 25, 2009

Box Score

MIDDLETON TALKS ABOUT GAME WITH CINCINNATI (AUDIO)

ANCHORAGE, Ak. - Western Carolina women's basketball (1-3) dropped the opening game of the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout on Tuesday, with a 67-54 loss to Cincinnati (3-1). The Catamounts fall to the consolation round of the tournament, facing Coastal Carolina at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time Wednesday in Sullivan Arena.

Sophomore guard Kaila'Shea Menendez tied her career-high with a game-leading 20 points coming off the bench. She was one of two Catamount players who scored in double figures, as junior Emily Clarke added 14 points.

The Catamounts came out on fire, scoring nine un-answered points to start the game. Cincinnati answered with 11 uncontested points of its own to take a two-point lead. The fifth tie of the first half came with 2:44 remaining as the score was knotted at 19. Clarke drained a three-pointer to give Western Carolina the lead, but a jumper and a three pointer by the Bearcats gave the Bearcats a two point lead.

Menendez quickly answered with a jumper of her own, forcing the sixth tie of the first half at 24. A pair of free throws by Cincinnati's Stephanie Stevens gave the Bearcats a two point advantage, 26-24, at the half.

The Catamounts continued to contest and push Cincinnati to start the second half. Senior forward Kristen Feemster hit a lay-up in the first 30 seconds for the seventh tie of the contest at 26. The Catamounts took its final lead of the game off a jumper by Clarke, to make the score 28-26.

A three-pointer by Clarke with 16:26 remaining tied the game at 33, the eighth of the game. Roudebush answered for the Bearcats with a three-pointer of her own and Cincinnati never trailed again.

Cincinnati built as much as a 15 point lead with 3:10 left in the game but Western Carolina continued to fight. The Catamounts scored six unanswered points to trim the Cincinnati lead to nine, 61-52, with 1:47 remaining. It was then WCU began to foul and the Bearcats went 6-of-7 from the charity stripe in the final minute to keep the Catamounts at bay.

Western Carolina had a season-low four turnovers in the game but was outrebounded 43-28 by Cincinnati.