Final Stats

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball dropped a heart-breaker 63-60 to visiting ETSU Saturday in the Ramsey Center in the Catamounts' Play4Kay game.

The Catamounts fall to 9-14 on the season and 1-7 in the Southern Conference. ETSU improves to 15-8 and 7-1 in the SoCon.

Senior guard Justin Taylor led all scorers with 22 points and was one of three Catamount players to score in double figures. Ace Easter and Lindsay Simpson each added 11 for WCU.

After trailing by three, 31-28 at the half, Western Carolina battled ETSU throughout the second half. Trailing all of the second half, the Catamounts did tie the game, 44-44, off a smooth lay-up by Easter. ETSU snatched the lead back, 46-44, on a jumper by Tianna Tarter.

Trailing by two, 59-57, with 1:29 remaining Western Carolina had an excellent chance to tie the game for the second time in the second half.

A monster block by freshman Sherae Bonner, with 54 seconds left, gave the ball back to WCU with a chance to tie the game. Redshirt sophomore forward Brianne Mack's lay-up attempt rattled off the rim and ETSU picked up the rebound. Western Carolina was forced to foul ETSU in the final 30 seconds. The Buccaneers were 4-for-5 from the charity stripe to keep its edge.

With two seconds left Taylor hit a jumper to cut a five-point ETSU lead to three, 63-60, the eventual final score.

ETSU scored six straight points to open the game. Western Carolina freshman forward Emily Hatfield halted the Buccaneer scoring streak with a pair of free throws.

The Catamounts took their first lead of the game, 16-15, on a driving lay-up by freshman Kyia Hough. The Bucs quickly re-took the lead, 17-16, when Shaumauria Bridges nailed a jumper.

The see-saw scoring continued when WCU again re-claimed the lead, 18-17, on another bucket by Taylor scoring two of her 11 first-half points. Serena Clark hit a pair for free throws and ETSU turned it into a 10-0 run to lead 27-18. The Buccaneers built its largest advantage of 10 points, 31-21, before the Catamounts battled back.

Western Carolina went on a run of its own scoring seven consecutive points, highlighted by a three-pointer by Simpson, to trail 31-28 at the half. Bridges had 20 points for ETSU, Clark poured in 16 and Maria Bond added 10.

Western Carolina shot at a nice 50 percent clip from the field and ETSU just under 45 percent at 43.9. The box score was nearly even in the scoring columns but the tale of the lines was one extra ETSU bucket, hitting 25 to WCU's 24, and just one more Buccaneer free throw 10 to the Catamounts' nine.

Western Carolina hits the road to new Southern Conference member Mercer Monday for a 7 p.m. tip. The Bears defeated WCU 68-51 Jan. 10 in Cullowhee.