Dec. 19, 2011

Box Score

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Senior guard Kaila'Shea Menendez scored a career-high 26 points, as Western Carolina women's basketball (4-7, 0-4 Southern Conference) fought to the wire, before falling to Chattanooga (7-3, 3-0 SoCon) 64-58 Monday at McKenzie Arena.

The game became a real nail-bitter with 28 seconds left in the game. Freshman guard Makensey Campbell drained her fourth three-pointer, a career-high, of the game to make it a two-point contest, 60-58. The Lady Mocs went 4-of-4 from the free throw line and the Catamounts were 0-of-2 from the field in the final seconds to allow Chattanooga to ice the game.

Western Carolina held Chattanooga scoreless for almost six minutes, from 11:01 when Whitney Hood hit 1-of-2 free throws until Alex Black connected on a pair of free throws with 5:53 left. Though the Catamounts found the bucket in some instances, Western Carolina could only muster seven points in that stretch.

The Catamounts were down by as much as 16 points to start the second half, but clawed and scratched throughout the final 20 minutes. Chattanooga built its lead back to 10 points, 57-47, with 3:23 left. In the final three minutes, to cut the game to two points with Campbell's trey, the Catamounts went on an 11-3 run.

Menendez, who led all scorers with her 26 points, scored the first seven points for Western Carolina to start the second half. She was 8-of-15 from the field, 3-of-5 from the free throw line and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Menendez was the only Catamount to earn a trip to the charity stripe in the game.

Western Carolina shot 35.8 percent from the field and held Chattanooga to 37.3. Chattanooga hit four three-pointers in the first half but the Catamounts held the Lady Mocs to just one in the second half.

Chattanooga ripped down 44 rebounds to Western Carolina's 33.

Western Carolina will take a week off for the Christmas holidays before traveling to Nashville, Tenn. to take on Vanderbilt on December 29. Tip time is set for 8 p.m.