Feb. 26, 2011

Box Score |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball (8-21, 6-14 Southern Conference) dropped its final home game of the season, 59-47, to Chattanooga (16-13, 13-7 SoCon) Saturday in the Ramsey Center. Seniors Kendra Carroll and Emily Clarke were recognized before the game.

The Catamounts will be the No. 10 seed in the Southern Conference Tournament beginning March 3. Western Carolina will face the No. 7 seed Georgia Southern at 1 p.m. in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Guard Carroll, who has been sidelined due to injury for the last nine games, started the game but was quickly taken out soon after the game began. Fellow senior Clarke also earned a start on senior day and led the Catamounts with 11 points, draining three of Western Carolina's four three pointers in the game.

Chattanooga built as much as a 12 point lead in the first half before Western Carolina began chipping away at the Lady Mocs lead. With 6:12 left in the half, Clarke hit back-to-back three pointers to cut the Chattanooga lead in half. A pair of free throws by Clarke had the Chattanooga advantage to three points, 22-19, with 2:39 left.

In the span of five minutes, Western Carolina went on a 10-1 run against the Lady Mocs. Chattanooga picked up a pair of field goals to push the lead back to seven before the Catamounts trimmed it back to five, 26-21, with a lay-up by Kaila'Shea Menendez to end the half.

The momentum Western Carolina built in the first half, swung back in Chattanooga's favor in the second half. Although the Catamounts kept the Lady Moc lead in single digits most of the second half, they could only equal their half-time deficit of five twice in the final 20 minutes. The first was with 18:09 left in the game, 31-26, and the second with 1:56 left, 52-47.

Chattanooga shot 41.2 percent in the game to Western Carolina's 25.8 percent. The Catamounts did win the rebounding pulling down 46 to the Lady Mocs' 35.

Redshirt sophomore Diamond Hunnicutt tied her career with eight rebounds and also had seven points in the contest.

Chattanooga was led by Whitney Wood with a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds. Bailey Dewart added 12 points.