WILMINGTON, N.C. – Graduate transfer Lonasia Brewer tallied a season-high 16 points to lead three Catamounts in double figures as Western Carolina women's basketball picked up a 54-43 victory against UNCW on Thursday afternoon at Trask Coliseum.
""Tremendous gritty effort today. We really liked how our team responded in specific areas that had been poor over our last two contests. We are especially proud of them for meeting the challenge of getting back home from UAB at 3 AM Tuesday morning and then making the six-hour drive to UNCW for an 11 AM game today," commented head coach Kiley Hill.
Brewer scored 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting while adding seven rebounds and four assists. Senior Audrey Meyers added 14 points, making 6-of-9 field goals and four rebounds. Zanoria Cruz posted 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, and a pair of blocks. Tyja Beans led the way on the boards for Western Carolina with eight rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, as she had eight points.
Kylah Silver led the Seahawks with nine points as McCall King added eight points. Lexi Jackson pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds for UNCW as Mary Ferrito added three assists to lead the hosts.
"Our ability to stay engaged, prep well, and be in the moment allowed us to have a next-play mentality. It's the only way we can get better on the road or at home in front of 200 people or 1000 screaming kids, like today, rocking to the song "baby shark"," added Hill.
Thursday's game started slow for both teams as each had a lone bucket in the opening minute before the Seahawks went on a 7-2 run to claim the early 9-4 edge with 5:04 to play in the opening quarter. WCU used a 6-2 burst of its own to cut it to an 11-10 score before five unanswered from the Seahawks made it 16-10 after one quarter.
WCU started the second quarter fast with an 8-3 run over the first five minutes, cutting the Seahawks lead to one, 19-18 with 4:58 to play in the opening half. Beans led the way with layups in that run as Cruz and Meyers chipped in. The Seahawks connected on a quick 3-pointer out of the media timeout before the Catamounts scored eight unanswered to take a 26-22 lead with 2:15 to play. UNCW pushed back in front with five in a row before a late Meyers jumper gave WCU the 28-27 halftime lead.
UNCW regained an early lead in the third quarter before WCU used a 5-2 burst to take a 33-32 lead with 5:49 to play in the quarter. The two teams traded bursts in the low-scoring frame before a 6-2 run late allowed WCU to carry a 41-38 lead to the final 10 minutes in Wilmington.
The Catamounts started quickly with a 6-0 run in the early stages of the fourth quarter, which stretched the lead to nine, 47-38 with 6:57 to play. UNCW pushed back with five straight points before Western Carolina closed on a 7-0 run, all of which came at the free throw line to claim the 54-43 victory. WCU held the Seahawks to five points in the fourth quarter which matches the best defensive performance the Catamounts have had in a final frame through the opening four games.
WCU shot 45.1% (23-of-51) from the field as the Catamounts limited UNCW to 26.7% (16-of-60). UNCW held the advantage from beyond the arc, making six triples compared to none from the Catamounts. Western Carolina went 8-of-12 at the foul line, while the Seahawks made just five of eight at the charity stripe. The Catamounts won the rebounding battle by eight, 42-34. The guests controlled the paint on Thursday, outscoring the Seahawks 36-12 as UNCW had a slim edge in bench points at 20-18.
The Catamounts have a quick turnaround as WCU travels to Campbell for a 2 p.m. start on Saturday, Nov. 18 against the Camels. Campbell sits with a 2-1 record after falling to ACC foe Virginia in its most recent action. The matchup with Campbell will be shown on FLO Hoops (paid subscription required), with live stats available on CatamountSports.com.
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