Feb. 16, 2009

Box Score |   

 Feemster and Harper Postgame Comments on Catamount Tracks Podcast

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Kristen Feemster had a career-highs in points (16) and rebounds (12) in the second double-double performance and first start of her career, leading Western Carolina women's basketball to a 77-61 victory over Elon Monday in the Ramsey Center. The Lady Catamounts improve to 15-11 and 11-6 in the Southern Conference while the Phoenix fall to 3-23 and 1-16 in the SoCon.

On a night when Western Carolina struggled offensively from the field, shooting 44.4 percent, the Lady Catamounts made up for it on the boards with a season-high 57 team rebounds. The club had 39 boards on the defensive glass to aid Western Carolina in winning its season-high fourth consecutive game.

Feemster was the bright spot to open the game, relishing the first start of her career. She scored the first six Western Carolina points to start the game. After an early 2-0 lead, Elon took the advantage on the scoreboard and led for the first 16 minutes of the first half. The Lady Catamounts took just its second lead of the half off a lay-up by Diamond Hunnicutt.

Elon reclaimed the lead when Tiara Gause hit a jumper with 2:04 left in the half. Tied at 30, after Feemster scored her 10th points thanks to a lay-up with 1:01 left, freshman forward TT Belcher was fouled. Belcher drained both free throws to give the Lady Catamounts a 32-30 lead at halftime.

The score was tied for the 11th and 12th time in the game to start the second half before Western Carolina took the lead for good after a pair of free throws by senior center Brooke Johnson. The Lady Catamounts went on a 14-4 run in the first 10 minutes of the second half to build a 10-point advantage, 51-41.

Elon would battle back and go on a 10-3 run to cut the Lady Catamount's lead to three, 54-51, with 8:05 left. Western Carolina was 5-of-8 from the free throw line and got key three-point buckets from Jessica Jackson, who also dished out a career-high seven assists, and Heather Swayne to keep the Phoenix from rising.

The Phoenix stayed in the game thanks to the hot shooting of Gause who led all scorers with 20 points. Elon's Courtney Medley also scored in double figures with 19.

Lauren Powell and Heather Swayne each had 11 points. Powell now has 1,301 points in her career and moves into ninth place in career scoring in the Lady Catamount record books.

Johnson is also keeping pace in her quest to break the Western Carolina career blocks record of 127. She had three blocks against Elon and now needs 12 to snap the record. She would need to average three blocks in Western Carolina's last four guaranteed games, three regular season and one the tournament, to take over the top spot.

Western Carolina heads on the road for a two-game swing beginning Saturday, February 21, taking on Chattanooga and Samford. The contest against Chattanooga will be televised on SportSouth beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.