Nov. 17, 2010

Box Score

MIDDLETON POST-GAME COMMENTS (AUDIO)

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Emily Clarke scored a season-high 22 points and Caitlin Hollifield added a double-double, 18 points and 10 rebounds, to help lead Western Carolina women's basketball (1-2) to a 78-59 win at UNC Asheville (1-1) Wednesday in the Justice Center.

With the 22 points, Clarke needs just two points to reach the 1,000 point plateau. She will become the 22nd women's player to hit this milestone in school history.

Clarke and Hollifield were two of four Catamount players to record double figures in scoring. Senior Kendra Carroll scored in double figures for the third straight game with 11 points and freshman guard Rena Wakama added a career-high 12 points. Wakama is the first of the five freshmen on the squad to score in double figures this season.

Clarke came off the bench to give Western Carolina a lift early in the first half. The Catamounts were up by three, after back-to-back jumpers by Hollifield, when Clarke got into the game and hit three consecutive treys to push Western Carolina's lead to 12.

Clarke's three long range shots helped Western Carolina to an 18-3 run over the UNC Asheville Bulldogs and take a 14 point lead, 25-11, with 8:27 left in the first half. UNCA cut Western Carolina's lead down to single digits twice in the last two minutes of the half, but a made bucket and free throw after UNCA foul, by Clarke, gave WCU a 38-27 lead at the half.

UNCA came out of the locker room in the second half and trimmed Western Carolina's lead to five, the smallest margin since UNCA was down by one in the first four minutes of the first half, thanks to Bulldog Grace Blaylock's back-to-back three pointers. Clarke answered with a three pointer of her own, nailing her season-best fifth three-pointer in the game, to push Western Carolina's lead back to 10, 45-35.

Western Carolina never trailed in the second half. It built its largest lead of the game with 19 seconds left with a field goal by Wakama.

The Catamounts hit a season-high seven three pointers in the game. WCU did find some woes at the charity stripe, hitting just 7-of-15 from the free throw line. Western Carolina ripped down 42 rebounds to UNC Asheville's 34 and dished out 16 assists. Clarke tied her season-high with three assists and junior Laura Sanchez also had three.

Eleven of the 12 Catamount players saw action in the game. Freshman Kristen Lyon was on the court for the first time this season and hit a field goal in four minutes of play. Western Carolina scored 34 points in the paint and had 24 points off the Bulldog's 21 turnovers. WCU also got 40 points from its bench, with 22 coming from Clarke.

Western Carolina returns to action Sunday playing at No. 14 North Carolina. Tip time is set for 3 p.m.