Feb. 27, 2010

Box Score

2010 Southern Conference Tournament Bracket

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball (7-22, 6-14 SoCon) dropped its final regular season game of the year, 75-71, to Wofford (8-20, 6-14 SoCon) in overtime Saturday. The Catamounts are the No. 8 seed in the Southern Confernece Tournament and will face No. 9 seed UNC Greensboro March 4, at approximately 2:45 p.m., at the Bojangles and Time Warner Arenas in Charlotte, N.C.

Senior Jessica Jackson had a chance to seal the game with a win for the Catamounts, with three seconds remaining in the game, and the score tied at 57. She was fouled and needed to hit just one of two free throws, but missed them both, to force the game into overtime.

The Terriers were tenacious in overtime, outscoring Western Carolina 18-14 in the extra frame. Wofford scored the first six points including back-to-back trips to the charity stripe by Rachel Brittenham, who hit 4-of-4 from the free throw line. The Catamounts played from behind the final two and a half minutes.

With four seconds left in overtime, and trailing by five, Jackson hit a three-pointer for Western Carolina and was fouled, trimming the Wofford lead to 73-71. She missed the free throw and the Terriers grabbed the rebound, sealing the game.

Wofford scored the first five points of the game to lead 5-0. Western Carolina proceeded to score 14 unanswered points to take a 14-5 advantage. The Terriers went on a run of their own, 12-4, pulling within one point, 18-17, with 6:53 remaining. Wofford tied the game, with 1:59 left at 23, off a free throw by Brittenham. A free throw by Mahagony Williams gave the Terriers a one point advantage, 24-23, with 1:31 remaining.

Western Carolina would take a three point lead into halftime in a scoring flurry in the final six seconds of the game. Junior Kendra Carroll a jumper and then Jackson stole the inbound pass from Wofford, to score a lay-up at the buzzer. The Catamounts led at the break 27-24.

A jumper by Caitlin Hollifield, to start the second half, gave Western Carolina a quick five point advantage, 29-24. Wofford tied the game at 32 and then took the lead 43-32 at the 16:49 mark.

Wofford would keep the lead, or be tied with the Catamounts, until 6:24 left in the game. Sophomore Kaila' Shea Menendez's lay-up and then pair of free throws handed Western Carolina its first lead of the game since the 18:52 mark. The game would be tied twice more until Hollifield hit a lay-up with 38 seconds left, to give the Catamounts a 57-55 advantage. The Terriers answered with a jumper by Brittenham, tying the game at 57, and setting up the two missed free throws by Jackson.

Western Carolina had five players score in double figures, led by Kristen Feemster who ended the game with 14 points. Emily Clarke followed with 13, Hollifield and Menendez added 12 and Jackson had 10.

This was the second straight overtime game for Western Carolina this season. The Catamounts are now 1-1 in overtime this year.