Jan. 11, 2014

Box Score |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball (7-8, 1-3 Southern Conference) dropped is Southern Conference home opener to Chattanooga (13-3, 5-0 SoCon) 77-57 Saturday in the Ramsey Center.

The Catamounts played competitively against Chattanooga but couldn't overcome the 16 turnovers and the Lady Mocs shooting a blazing 50 percent from the field. Chattanooga gleamed 17 points off the 16 Catamount turnovers.

In almost every other statistical category the Catamounts were near even with Chattanooga. The difference, including the turnovers, was the Lady Mocs hit nine more field goals then Western Carolina. Each team hit six three pointers, Chattanooga hit two more free throws then Western Carolina (13-11) and Western Carolina ripped down one for rebound then the Lady Mocs (32-31).

Chattanooga was 6-for-6 from the field in the first four minutes of the game to build a quick nine point, 13-4, lead to open the game. The Lady Mocs' first miss, from the field, was a missed jumper by Alex Black.

The Lady Mocs pushed its lead to double figures four times in the first half. Senior guard Rena Wakama scored five straight points, a three pointer and two free throws at the 9:20 mark, to cut the Chattanooga lead to 31-23.

Western Carolina would slice the Lady Mocs' lead to six, 35-29, with 3:01 left thanks to a three-pointer by Makensey Campbell. Black's jumper pushed the Chattanooga lead back to eight, 37-29 with 2:01 left. Neither team scored in the final two minutes of the first half.

Chattanooga outscored Western Carolina 15-4, in the first five and a half minutes of the second half, to pull away from the Catamounts.

Despite only scoring four points, in the opening five minutes, Western Carolina ended the second half scoring 28 points, just one point shy of its 29 points in the first half. Chattanooga was also balanced posting 37 points in the first half and 40 in the second.

Western Carolina got 37 of its points from the bench and scored 20 points inside the paint.

Sophomore guard Lindsay Simpson senior guard Rena Wakama each scored 11 points. Campbell just missed scoring in double figures with nine, she also had six rebounds. Chattanooga had three players score in double figures. Chelsey Shumpert scored a game-leading 16 points. Taylor Hall added 15 and Ashlen Dewart had 11.

Western Carolina will complete its two-game home stand Monday when it hosts Samford at 7 p.m.