Feb. 28, 2009

Box Score |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball locked up the No. 3 seed, heading into the Southern Conference Tournament, with a 77-55 victory over Wofford Saturday in the Ramsey Center. On Senior Night, honoring Kendra Eaton, Brooke Johnson and Lauren Powell, the Lady Catamounts improve to 18-11 and 14-6 in the Southern Conference while Wofford falls to 5-23 and 3-17 in the SoCon.

The Lady Catamounts will play the winner of No. 6 Georgia Southern and No. 11 Elon Saturday March 7 in Chattanooga, Tenn. at McKenzie Arena. Game time is set for approximately 30 minutes after the 9 a.m. contest.

Sophomore Emily Clarke led all scorers with 17 points and was one of three Lady Catamounts in double figures. Western Carolina's pair of seniors, Johnson and Powell, had 14 and 12 points respectively.

For the third straight game, Western Carolina led from tip to buzzer, held its opponent below 60 points and extends its winning streak to seven. The Lady Catamounts pounded the glass, out-rebounding the Terriers 53 to 38, with 30 of the boards coming on the defensive glass.

Western Carolina built a 28-13 lead with 5:53 left in the first half, when Wofford went on a12-2 run and cut the lead to give five, 30-25, with 1:44 left. The Lady Catamounts went on a run of their own, 6-2, in the final minute of the game, capped off by a jumper by Kendra Carroll with four seconds left, to lead 36-27 headed into the half.

The second half looked to be all Western Carolina to start the final 20 minutes, as the Lady Catamounts went up by 16, 43-27, with 16:48 left thanks to a three-pointer by Clarke. But the Terriers continued to try and come back, narrowing the WCU lead to seven, 48-41, with 11:20 left off a three-pointer by Liz Miller.

Western Carolina squelched the Wofford threat going on a 23-8 run, in a six minute span, to enjoy its largest lead of the game, 71-49, with 4:14 left. With two minutes remaining in the game, the three Lady Catamount seniors, Johnson, Eaton and Powell, were subbed out at home for the final time.

Wofford did deny Western Carolina a bit inside with 10 blocks. Miller had four of the blocks for the Terriers.

Speaking of blocks, Johnson's block watch continues. She had three blocks against Wofford and now has 121 in her career, needing six to tie the record (127) and seven to break it.

Fellow senior Eaton joined the 500 rebound club, the 22nd Lady Catamount in school history to have 500 rebounds. She now has 508 in her career.