Jan. 30, 2010

Box Score

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Braving the elements of a winter storm that hit the area Friday night, Western Carolina women's basketball and Georgia Southern squared off in the Ramsey Center Saturday. The Eagles (12-9, 7-5 SoCon) snowed over the Catamounts (3-17, 2-9 SoCon) with a 74-61 victory.

Trailing by 11 at the half, 32-21, Western Carolina weathered a 19 point Georgia Southern advantage to cut the Eagles' lead to seven, 53-46, with 9:28 left in the game. Western Carolina chipped away at the GSU lead thanks to a 13-2 run that started with an Emily Clarke three-pointer and a pair of back-to-back jumpers by Kailia'Shea Menendez.

Georgia Southern halted the Western Carolina run four straight visits to the free throw line and going 6-for-6. Western Carolina trimmed the lead to double digits three more times but the Eagles always had an answer. In the final 1:15 of the game, with the GSU lead at seven, Georgia Southern was 9-of-10 from the charity stripe to keep the Catamounts at bay.

Western Carolina was lead by Menendez who had 15 points, scoring nine of those points in the second half. Clarke followed with 13, hitting three of the team's four three-pointers in the game.

Georgia Southern shot 45.8 percent in the game with the Catamounts hitting 38.2. The Eagles outrebounded by seven, 37-30.

Western Carolina returns to action Monday hosting the College of Charleston. Tip time is set for 7 p.m.