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Andrea Martin Ruiz
Lindsey Lunn
56
Western Carolina WCU 1-4,0-0 SoCon
66
Winner Charleston So. CHASOU 2-2,0-0 Big Sout
Western Carolina WCU
1-4,0-0 SoCon
56
Final
66
Charleston So. CHASOU
2-2,0-0 Big Sout
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Western Carolina WCU 16 9 15 16 56
Charleston So. CHASOU 16 18 11 21 66

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Denise Gideon, Director of Media Relations

Cruz Scores Career-High 24 in Loss to Charleston Southern

Catamounts travel to Tennessee Tech Wed.

The Basics
 Score: Charleston Southern 66, Western Carolina 56
 Records: Western Carolina 1-4; Charleston Southern 2-2
 Location: Buccaneer Field House, Charleston, S.C.  
 
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Freshman Zanoria Cruz scored a career-high 24 points in Western Carolina's 66-56 loss at Charleston Southern Sunday in the Buccaneer Field House. 
 
Turning Point:
Charleston Southern outscored Western Carolina 18-9 in the second quarter, after the Catamounts battled back to tie the game at 16 in the first quarter, and was held scoreless for the first five minutes of the second. 
 
After struggling in the second quarter, scoring just eight points, Western Carolina battled in the third and fourth quarter, even cutting the Buccaneer lead to one, 53-52 with under five minutes to go. Charleston Southern closed out the game on a 13-4 run to close out the game and secure the win. 
 
  Individual Leaders
  • Cruz bested her career scoring mark by nine with a game-leading, and carer-high, 24 points. 
  • Andrea Martin Ruiz was the second Catamount to score in double figures with a season-high 11. 
  • Freshman Joi Reid came off the bench to rip down a career-high eight rebounds. 
  • Carmella Walker led Charleston Southern with 14 points. 
  Inside the Box Score
  • Western Carolina had 20 turnovers in the game equating to 23 Buccaneer points.
  • The Catamounts were 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. 
  • Each team connected on four three-pointers. 
  • The Catamounts won the rebounding battle ripping down 35 to Charleston Southern's 25. Twenty-two of WCU's 35 rebounds were on the defensive end.  
  • Western Carolina found success in the paint scoring 30 of its 56 points inside the paint. 
  • Seven of the nine Catamounts who saw action in the game got into the scoring column. 
  • Charleston Southern ended the game by shooting a scorching 50 percent from the field. WCU ended the game at 39 percent from the field. 
  • The Buccaneers outscored WCU 21-16 in the fourth quarter after the Catamounts edged the Buccaneers 15-11 in the third. 
  • Western Carolina capitalized on 12 second-chance points. 
  • The Catamount's second-quarter struggles saw the team shoot 26.6 percent from the field. WCU bounced back hitting over 40 percent in the ensuing third and fourth quarters. 
  News & Notes
  • LaPlant keeps her streak alive – hitting at least one three-pointer in the last 35 consecutive games.
  • The Catamounts also extended its three-point streak as a team – WCU has hit at least one three-pointer in 337 straight games dating back to 2009. 
  • Cruz is the first Catamount this season to score 20 or more points in a game and also the first WCU freshman to eclipse the 20-point mark this year. 
  • Cruz has hit her last 17-consecutive free throws - 17-for-17 including a season-high 10 against Elon. 
  • WCU is 32-of-38 from the free-throw line over the last four games. 
  • The Catamount's loss to Charleston Southern halts a two-game winning streak against the Buccaneers. WCU is now 9-3 against Charleston Southern all time. 
 
Up Next
Western Carolina continues its road swing traveling to Cookeville, Tenn. to take on Tennessee Tech at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16.  
 
For the latest information on Western Carolina women's basketball, follow @catamounts on Twitter or go to www.catamountsports.com.
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