Wofford 87, Southern Virginia 51
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford Terriers women’s basketball team tied a school record with a 5-0 start to the season as they defeated Southern Virginia, 87-51, Tuesday night in the Benjamin Johnson Arena.
The Terriers’ 5-0 start to the 2011-12 season tied the school record held by the 2001-2002 and the 1992-93.
Daniella Motley opened the scoring for the Terriers on an assists from Morgan Wrightson a minute into play, and Wrightson scored on a layup 20 seconds later to spark a 12-2 opening run for Wofford over the first four minutes of play. Southern Virgina went on a 3-0 run with free throw from Christina Augustin and two from Mina Romito to cut the lead to 12-5 with 14:20 to play. A Wrightson layup at 14:06 ended the Knights run to push the lead to 14-5. Wofford’s lead hit 11 points, 20-9, with 11 minutes to play in the half when Wrightson hit April Moorhouse cutting to the basket for the layup. The layup sparked a 6-0 run for the Terriers as Wrightson and Moorhouse added layups to give the Terriers a 24-9 just under nine minutes remaining. Amaris Newkirk ended the Wofford run with a layup at the eight-minute mark. A Daniella Motley basket and an Erin Frost three gave the Terriers a 20 point lead, 31-11, with 4:47 left in the half. Wofford’s lead hit it’s highest of the half, 39-13, following baskets by Lauren Kirby and Michelle Merritt with one minute remaining; the Terriers carried the 26 point lead, 41-15, into the half.
Wofford shot 50 percent from the floor, 16 percent from three and 80 percent from the line in the half, while Southern Virginia was 20 percent overall and 38 percent from the free throw line. The Knights missed all eight of their three-point attempts in the half.
Wofford came out of the half with the first four points before Nicole Baker converted a layup for Southern Virginia to make the score 45-17 a minute and a half into play. The Terriers responded with a 7-2 run over the next three and a half minutes before a jumper by Loretta Beaty ended the run made the score 52-21 just over 15 minutes to play. Back-to-back Merritt layups with assists from Wrightson pushed the Wofford lead to 37 points, 58-21, with 13 minutes to play. Southern Virginia cut the lead to 29, 58-29, two minutes later, but Wofford mounted a 21-4 run to extend the lead to 46 points, 79-33, with 5:23 remaining. Wofford ended the game up 87-51, and earned its seventh consecutive 80-point performance against Southern Virginia.
The Terriers 50 percent overall, 17 percent from the three and 58 percent from the free-throw line, while the Knights finished 30 percent overall and 50 percent from the line. Southern Virginia missed on all 18 of its three-point attempts in the game.
Logan Morris paced the Terriers with 15 points, while Merritt notched a career-high 14 points and nine rebounds. Merritt finished the game 7-of-9 from the floor to earn her 14 points. Morris’ 15 points off the bench was the first time a Terriers scored 15 or more points off the bench since she scored 16 points against UNC Greensboro on January 29. Erin Frost also added a career-high 13 points, while Wrightson notched ten and Moorhouse tallied ten points. All nine Terriers scored four or more points in the game. Kirby grabbed a career-high ten rebounds for the Terriers, and Brittenham had a season-high seven assists.
It was the first time since January 2, 2011 against Chattanooga that the Terriers had five players score in double figures.
Wofford hits the road with a game at Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C. on December 3 at 4 p.m., a game that was originally scheduled for 5 p.m. The game against the Runnin’ Bulldogs is the first game of a four-game road trip that will see the Terriers play four games on the road in seven days.
Western Carolina 59, Georgia State 64
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women’s basketball (4-3) suffered a 64-59 set-back to Georgia State (2-3) Tuesday in the Ramsey Center.
The Catamounts never led in the contest and trailed by as much as 14 points in the first half. Western Carolina did trim the Panthers’ first half lead to seven, 28-21, by going on a 6-3 run in the final four minutes.
It was a battle by both teams in the second half. Western Carolina got within one point on Georgia State, 30-29, with 15:12 left when the Catamounts Shauna Terry hit a jumper. Just as they did all game, the Panthers had an answer when Kendra Long pushed the lead back to three points with a jumper.
Western Carolina fought to the bitter, end and even turned the game into a nail-bitter, when Rena Wakama hit a lay-up with 2:03 left to make the score 58-53. The Panther’s Ashley Watson hit 1-of-2 free throws to put Georgia State back up to four points, 59-55.
Georgia State was 3-of-4 from the charity stripe, and nailed a lay-up, in the final 1:18 of the game to nail down the win. Wakama hit a jumper in the final two seconds of the game to push her point total to 14 which led the Catamounts.
Western Carolina won the battle of the glass, ripping down 41 rebounds to Georgia State’s 31. The Catamounts also had 11 steals in the game, but the game was won at the free throw line. The Panthers earned 35 trips to the charity stripe, hitting 24.
In total, the Catamounts had four players score in double figures. After Wakama’s 14, redshirt junior forward Janae’ McKinney added a season-high 12, Kaila’Shae Menendez poured in 11 and sophomore guard Kristen Lyon tacked on a career-high 10 points.
Western Carolina opens Southern Conference play on Saturday hosting Davidson. The game tips off at 2 p.m. and is part of a doubleheader with men’s basketball who hosts UNCG.