Nov. 14, 2010

Box Score

Middleton's Post-Game Comments - East Carolina (AUDIO)

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball (0-2) battled with visiting East Carolina (1-1) only to drop a close decision 80-76 Sunday in the Ramsey Center.

Redshirt sophomore Janae' McKinney was instrumental in the Western Carolina's flurried comeback. With the Catamounts trailing by 10, 42-32, at the half, the forward from Columbus, Ga. scored 10 of her 14 points in the second half and pulled down 11 rebounds, both career highs, and her first career double-double.

Kaila'Shea Menendez ended the game with her second double figure scoring outing in as many games, leading all scorers with 21 points, which ties her career high. She was also 9-of-13 from the free throw line.

McKinney and Menendez were two of five Catamounts who scored in double figures. Senior Kendra Carroll followed with 15 points, Caitlin Hollifield had 11, just missing a double- double with nine rebounds and Emily Clarke round it out with 10. After sitting out most of the first half with two fouls, Hollifield opened the second half with a bucket that started a 14-6 run by WCU to tie the game at 48 with 15:23 left in the game.

The two teams were nip and tuck for the next seven minutes, and Western Carolina got a boost when East Carolina's Ashley Clarke was called for a technical foul with 8:06 left. Menendez had a chance to give Western Carolina the lead, but hit just one of two free throws to tie the game at 63, the third of five ties in the contest.

Western Carolina took its first lead of the game with 7:56 left when Carroll hit one of two free throws. It was in the midst of a 3-0 run, however, the Catamounts had missed the chance to pull ahead further as they took three trips to the charity stripe and was 3-of-6.

In the final eight minutes of the game, the score was tied two more times. Knotted at 75, with 3:36 remaining, thanks to a made lay-up and free throw, off a foul, by Crystal Wilson, the Pirates of East Carolina took the lead for good with 3:04 left. Kim Gay nailed a lay-up in the paint, two of her 20 points in the contest, to give East Carolina the lead.

Western Carolina did cut the ECU lead back down to one, off one of two free throws by Menendez, but East Carolina quickly answered with a lay-up by Shala Hodges. Trailing by three, Western Carolina fouled Ashley Clarke, with 15 seconds left, and she hit one of two free throws to keep the game out of reach.

After committing 18 turnovers in the first half, Western Carolina came out in the second half and had just five. The Catamounts however, had to contend with 16 East Carolina steals and also had 23 turnovers to the Pirate's 16. ECU scored 24 points off of Catamount miscues.

Both teams had a solid presence in the paint, each scoring 36 points inside. East Carolina got solid play form its bench, scoring 33 points from its reserves to Western Carolina's 15.

Western Carolina did win the rebounding with 44 to East Carolina's 38. The team also stepped it up in the field, after shooting 34.6 percent in the first half, Western Carolina upped its percentage in the second half with 46.9 percent and ending the game at 41.4 percent. East Carolina ended the contest shooting 40.3.

The Catamounts head out on the road for a mid-week match-up on Wednesday taking on rival UNC Asheville. Tip time is set for 7:05 p.m.