Box Score

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball (9-13, 1-6 Southern Conference) dropped a 59-49 road contest to Wofford (7-15, 2-5 SoCon) at Benjamin Johnson Arena Monday.

Western Carolina opened the game shooting red-hot, to start the game, leading 12-4 over Wofford. However, midway through the first half, Western Carolina cooled off and the Terriers heated up. Wofford took the lead, 18-17, on a 14-5 run after Maria Corella drained a three pointer.

Wofford outscored Western Carolina 32-15 in the final 10 minutes of the first half to build the lead it needed to win the game.

The Catamounts also suffered from long scoring droughts. In the first half alone, the Catamounts went on two costly scoreless scoring streaks. The most costly was a six minute dry spell that was finally broken up when freshman Emily Hatfield hit a field goal with 3:39 left in the first half.

Ace Easter's field goal, with 26 seconds remaining the first half, sliced the Woffod lead to five, 32-27 - the halftime score.

In the first nine minutes of the second half Western Carolina went on a min-run, 13-7, to take the lead 40-39. Senior guard Justin Taylor's jumper gave WCU its first lead since the first half when WCU lead 12-11 at 13:11.

Easter's 1-of-2 free throws gave the Catamounts its largest lead of the second half, 41-39, before the Terrier's Corella was at it again. Just like in the first half, when a Corella three-pointer to give Wofford the lead, she did so again when she nailed a trey with 11:09 left.

This time Corella's three-pointer would give the Terriers the lead for good over the Catamounts.

The score would remain 42-41 for almost three minutes as neither team could find the iron. Wofford pushed its lead to four, 45-41, with what would be back-to-back three-pointers this one by Sarah Traynor with 8:36 remaining.

Western Carolina went seven minutes without scoring to doom its chances at clawing back in the game. Taylor's lay-up, with 4:56 remaining, did cut the Wofford lead to four, 49-45 but Wofford answered with a bucket to push its lead back to six, 51-45.

The Catamounts did cut the Wofford lead to four two more times, off a pair of free throws by Taylor and a jumper by Erika Joseph. Although Joseph's bucket cut the lead to four it was with 39 seconds left and the Catamounts were forced to foul Wofford. The Terriers were 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, in the final 35 seconds, to ice the game.

After opening the game shooting 66.6 percent the Catamounts cooled to 44 percent in the first half. WCU ended the game shooting 37 percent. Wofford didn't fare much better shooting 37.8 percent but it was the perimeter shooting that led the Terriers to the victory. Wofford was 7-of-12 from the three-point line including two of the three-balls that gave Wofford a lead.

Western Carolina won the rebounding battle 38-34 including crashing the defensive boards with 28. It was the second straight game WCU had a big night on the defensive end for rebounding, with 25 against Furman, in a loss.

The Catamounts also battled through 17 turnovers which Wofford turned into 20 points. Taylor led Western Carolina with 16 points. It was third straight game she has scored in double figures and the fourth in five games. Taylor has scored in double figures 19 times this season. Joseph just missed her second straight double-double with nine points and eight rebounds.

Jordan Frazier ended the game with 17 points for Wofford while Corella added 16.

Western Carolina returns home Saturday hosting returning Southern Conference member ETSU. The game tips off at 2 p.m. as part of a double-header with the Catamount men's basketball team. The game is also designated a Play-4-Kay game and fans are encouraged to wear pink for breast cancer awareness.