North Carolina 75, College of Charleston 49
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The College of Charleston women's basketball team shot just 18.9 percent in the first half, enabling the #10 North Carolina Tar Heels to build a 23-point lead at intermission and take the eventual 75-49 win in front of 2,868 fans at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
North Carolina (12-0) opened the game with six straight points as the Cougars (4-7) missed their first six shots before Megan Fischer nailed a three-pointer at the 16:28 mark to cut the Tar Heel lead to 6-3, its smallest of the half. Points would be hard to come by for CofC the rest of the half as the Cougars shot just 18.9 percent, going seven-for-37 from the field.
Down 13-24, after a three-pointer by Brianna Davie at 7:32, the Cougars would score just four points the remainder of the half and the Tar Heels scored the next 17 of 21 total points in a 17-4 run to take the 40-17 lead into the locker room.
The second half saw the Cougars begin to shoot better as they were 28.1 percent from the field. The Tar Heels weren't as strong as in the first half with a 33.3 percent. Charleston traded baskets with UNC and only trailed in the second, 32-35, but the deficit was too great for the Cougars to overcome.
Turnovers kept the Cougars from staging a comeback in both halves, as Charleston lost possession 24 times resulting in 22 Tar Heel points. Free throws were also a big factor in the game, with UNC going to the line 32 times, connecting on 21 of them. Charleston was 12-for-21.
The Cougars would cut the margin to 22, 49-71, with a 10--0 run in the second half that started with a three-pointer by Davie at 3:31 and ended with a field goal by Latisha Harris at 1:19. It was a little too late as UNC posted the game's final four points to take the 75-49 win.
Charleston pulled down a season-high 53 rebounds with Harris leading the way with a career-high 15 rebounds, en route to her first career double-double with her team-leading 11 points. Davies, also posted a career-high 11 points to lead along with Harris. UNC dominated in the paint, 32-16, and in fast break points, 19-2.
North Carolina pulled down 48 rebounds and its 75 points tied a season-low. The Tar Heels shot 38.5 percent for the game, compared to 23.2 for the Cougars.
Leading UNC was Waltiea Rolle with 15 points and Jessica Breland with 14. Laura Broomfield and Breland both had nine boards to pace the Tar Heels.
The Cougars continue their six-game road trek with a trip up the road to Charleston Southern for a New Year's Eve contest. The Dec. 31st game tips off at 2 p.m.
Colorado State 69, Western Carolina 53
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball (3-8) dropped a 69-53 decision to visiting Colorado State (7-4) Tuesday in the Ramsey Center.
Trailing by one point at half-time, 34-33, Western Carolina was outscored by Colorado State by 15, 35-20, in the second half. The Rams also used a balance attack shooting, with 50 percent from the field in both halves. After shooting 50 percent in the first half, the Catamounts dropped to 27.6 percent in the second half for 38.2 percent overall.
Colorado State also made the most of its time at the free throw line hitting 18-of-24. In contrast, Western Carolina was 9-of-15 and 3-of-6 in the second half. The rebounds were even at 32 a piece.
With the game tied at 18, in the first half, Western Carolina built its largest lead of the game, seven points, on an 8-1 run, capped off by a lay-up by Caitlin Hollifield. Colorado State would re-take the lead on a run of its own, outscoring WCU 15-2, in a four minute span. During that time, Western Carolina hit just one field goal.
Down 34-28, the Catamounts scored five unanswered points to trail by one at the half. Junior guard Kaila'Shea Menendez shaved the Rams four point lead, with 33 seconds left, down to one with a three-pointer. Menendez would connect on the only two three pointers for the Catamounts in the contest.
The Catamounts continued its scoring into the second half with another 5-0 run. All toll, in the final minute of the first half and first two minutes of the second, the Catamounts went on a 10-0 run. Western Carolina would enjoy its largest lead of the second half, four points, off Menendez's second three-pointer of the game.
Colorado State tied the game two more times in the second half before taking the lead for good with 14:17 left. The Rams' Chatil Van Grinsven hit a lay-up for a two point advantage, 42-20, and CSU never trailed in the contest again.
The Rams built its first double digit lead in the game with 3:55 left when Kim Mestdagh nailed a three pointer. Colorado State's largest lead overall, 16 points, came in the final 33 seconds in the game when Hayley Thompson hit two free throws.
Catamount senior guard Kendra Carroll was near perfection from the field, hitting 5-of-6. Carroll along with Hollifield led Western Carolina with 13 points. Menendez followed with 10 points and McKinney paced the team with 10 rebounds.
Western Carolina will play its final non-conference game of the season when the team travels to James Madison on Thursday. Tip time is set for 7 p.m.
Arkansas 88, Furman 47
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. - Lyndsay Harris scored 16 points and 24th-ranked Arkansas remain undefeated by beating Furman, 88-47, in women's basketball action Tuesday evening at Bud Walton Arena.
Win the win the Razorbacks improved to 12-0 on the season while the loss marked the third straight for Furman, which falls to 6-6 overall.
Harris led a contingent of five double figure scorers for Arkansas, which also got 15 points from Ashley Daniels, 12 points from Sarah Watkins, 11 by Quistelle Williams, and 10 from C'eira Ricketts.
Kelly O'Connor paced Furman with 10 points, and freshman forward and Arkansas native Martha Robinson finished with nine.
The Razorbacks shot 53.3 percent from the field, converting 32-of-60 shots, including 7-of-16 3-pointers (43.8 percent).
Furman connected on just 19-of-65 field goal attempts (29.2 percent). The Paladins won the rebounding battle, 40-34, but turned the ball over 22 times to the Razorbacks' eight miscues.
Arkansas wasted little time in taking control of the contest, fashioning a 12-0 run to go up 19-4 following a jump shot by Keira Peak less than seven minutes into the game.
The Razorbacks led 44-23 at the break and nearly doubled up the Paladins in the second half, outscoring Furman, 44-24, over the game's final 20 minutes in cruising to the victory.
Furman plays at Chattanooga on Jan. 4 in a 8:00 p.m. Southern Conference game.