Jan. 4, 2010

Box Score |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball was nipped by rival Appalachian State 53-52 Monday in Southern Conference action in the Ramsey Center. The Catamounts fall to 3-11 and 2-3 in the SoCon while the Mountaineers improve to 7-6 and 3-2 in conference play.

The Catamounts trailed for 38 plus minutes of the game until they took a one point lead with 1:23 left to play in the contest. Senior forward Kristen Feemster hit a lay-up and was fouled, but failed to convert on the three-point play, missing the free throw. Appalachian State's Ashlen Dewart ripped down the rebound, and after a Mountaineer timeout, Dewart locked in the win for ASU by hitting a lay-up with nine seconds remaining.

Western Carolina called a time-out with seven seconds left. Junior Kendra Carroll took the ball out under the Appalachian State basket, and after making a couple of passes, the ball ended back in the hands of Carroll, who went for a 15-foot jumper, but it hit the rim and bounced off as time expired.

Shooting an anemic 14.7 percent from the field in the first half, Western Carolina scored its lowest first-half output of the season, 13 points, and trailed by 12 at half-time. Appalachian State led by as much as 15 points in the second half before Western Carolina made a run late in the final frame.

The Mountaineers led by 10 points, 50-40, with 5:07 left when WCU went on a 12-1 run in a four minute span. The Catamounts made their push at the free throw line, going 6-of-7 from the charity stripe. The also hit three field goals, to take the 52-51 lead, before ASU scored the bucket at the end of the game and took the win.

Defensively, Western Carolina had two players record double figure rebounds for the first time this season. Sophomore Caitlin Hollifield ripped down a career-high 13 rebounds to go along with nine points and career-high three blocks. Junior Emily Clarke added 10 rebounds and a career-high four steals.

Senior Jessica Jackson led the team in scoring, for the second time this season, with 11 points.

Western Carolina wraps up its three-game home-stand by hosting Elon Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Ramsey Center.