Western Carolina 64, UNC Wilmington 53

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball used a strong second-half performance to knock off host UNC Wilmington, 64-53, in the final day of the UNCW Thanksgiving Classic Saturday at Trask Coliseum.

Western Carolina improves to 3-3 on the season while UNCW falls to 2-3.

Senior guard Justin Taylor led all scorers with 24 points, the third time this season the Gastonia, N.C. native has scored 20 or more points. It is also the sixth game on the year she has scored in double figures. In fact, dating back to the 2013-14 season, Taylor has scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games.

The Catamounts iced the contest in the last 2:22 scoring the final seven points of the game. WCU was also 5-of-6 from the free throw line in the last 32 seconds.

Trailing 35-28, at the half, Western Carolina scored 10 unanswered points to open the final 20 minutes to overtake the Seahawks. Trailing 35-34, Western Carolina took its first lead, since being up 2-0, when freshman Sherae Bonner hit a lay-up with 14:39 remaining.

UNCW would tie the game twice in in the second half, after WCU took the lead, but could never recapture the advantage. Tied at 42, freshman Ace Easter hit a jumper to put the Catamounts up 44-42 which spurred an 11-3 run for Western Carolina and all but put the game out of reach for UNCW.

Western Carolina held UNCW to 18 second-half points and the Seahawks shot an anemic 29.6 percent from the field. UNCW didn't hit a three-pointer in the second half after hitting four in the first 20 minutes.

UNCW was solid in the first half scoring 35 points. After Western Carolina scored the first field goal of the game, a lay-up by Brianne Mack, UNCW scored 10 straight points to lead 10-2.

The Seahawks twice built a 10 point lead but with 7:50 left in the first, and WCU trailing 25-15, Emily Hatfield spurred WCU when she hit a lay-up. The Catamounts went on a 12-0 run that was book-ended by Hatfield scoring when she hit a pair of free throws to slice the UNCW lead to two, 27-25, with 3:11 on the clock.

UNCW snapped WCU's scoring streak to push the lead back to three but Taylor answered with a three-pointer to make the Seahawk lead just one, 29-28. The Seahawks went on a min-run of its own to close out the first half, scoring seven consecutive points, to end the half.

It was all Western Carolina in the second half and the Catamounts also took care of the basketball. After 11 first-half turnovers, Western Carolina gave up the ball just six times in the second half.

Western Carolina shot 46.9 percent from the field, a season-high, scoring 32 points from inside the paint. The Catamounts were also prolific at the free throw line hitting 14-of-19.

Of the nine players who saw action in the game, eight got into the scoring column. After being held scoreless against EKU, junior guard Lindsay Simpson just missed scoring in double figures with nine points. Freshman Sherae Bonner added a solid six points and seven rebounds.

Brie Mobley led UNCW with 18 points.

Western Carolina returns home Dec. 3 to host North Greenville at 7 p.m. The Catamounts welcome back North Greenville Head Coach Jayne Arledge a Catamount Hall of Fame member and Western Carolina women's basketball's all-time leading scorer.

 

Washington 101, Furman 69

CANCUN, Mexico - Jazmine Davis scored 26 points and headlined a withering assault from 3-point range that powered Washington to a 101-69 victory over Furman in the final game for both teams at the Cancun Challenge on Saturday afternoon.

Davis drained 9-of-12 shots, including 5-of-6 3-pointers, to lead the Huskies (5-1), who converted 18-of-28 attempts beyond the arc (64.3 percent) to cruise to the win.

The 18 3-pointers were the most yielded by the Paladins (4-3), topping the previous opponentg standard of 15 tallied by Chattanooga during the 2003-04 season.

Washington scorched the nets from long range in the first half, canning 12-of-16 treys to erase an early deficit and race to a 60-27 halftime advantage.

The Huskies made 20-of-31 shots in the first half and 15-of-31 attempts over the final 20 minutes to finish at 56.5 percent for the game.

Davis’ 26 points paced a contingent of five double figure scorers for Washington, which got 17 points from Kelsey Plum and 14 each from Brianna Ruiz and Talia Walton, who claimed 11 rebounds. Chantel Oshahor rounded out the double figure effort for the Huskies with 10 points.

Holli Wilkins led Furman with 18 points, and Brittany Hodges and Whitney Bunn added 17 each for the Paladins, who shot 40.6 percent from the field.

Sarah Durdaller claimed 11 rebounds to lead Furman, which posted a 38-34 advantage on the boards, but the story of the game was Washington’s effectiveness from long range as the Huskies outscored Furman 54-21 from 3-point territory.

The Paladins led 5-1 to minutes into the contest, but it didn’t last long as Washington knocked down four consecutive 3-pointers to take the lead on the way to the big win.

Furman returns home to open a season long five-game homestand beginning with a Dec. 3, 7:00 p.m. clash against Coastal Carolina.

 

Virginia Tech 72, ETSU 65

BLACKSBURG, Va. – After facing a first half double-digit deficit, the ETSU women’s basketball team outplayed the Virginia Tech Hokies in the second – taking its first lead with 5:45 to go – but a few late conversions allowed the home team to hang on for a 72-65 victory on Saturday evening inside Cassell Coliseum.

With the loss, ETSU drops to 3-4 on the young season while Virginia Tech improves to 4-2.

Playing their third-consecutive road contest in five days, the Bucs showed no signs of road-weariness early; battling neck and neck through the first four minutes. After a 7-7 tie, the Hokies went on a 17-7 run over the next seven minutes to pull ahead, 24-24. In response, the Blue & Gold tried to chip away at its deficit but was continually answered by Tech. A Sidney Cook jumper with 3:18 to go in the opening period gave VT its largest lead of the game, 34-23. A couple of late baskets allowed ETSU to go into halftime trailing, 36-27.

To open the second half, the Blue & Gold came out energized and quickly took it to its opponent. The Bucs scored on four of their five possessions to open period; capped by a lay-in from Serena Clark with 16:34 to go to pull within three, 41-38. Facing an ETSU surge, the Hokies responded with an 11-5 streak to gain a 52-43 advantage with 10:54 left to play. Again showing resiliency, the Blue & Gold answered over the next five minutes to tie the game and eventually take its first lead of the game on a Shamauria Bridges three-pointer with 5:54 remaining; 60-58. Tech quickly fired back, though, to tie the game on two occasions over the next minute. Down the stretch, VT was able to execute on offense with two lay-ins while the Bucs were held stagnant from the field. Following a driving lay-in from Tianna Tarter to cut the deficit to three with 1:15 to go, late free throws and a last-seconds lay-up allowed the Hokies to hang on – 72-65.

For the fifth time this season, the Bucs had four players in double-figures; led by 15 points from Serena Clark. Also with double-digit scoring performances were Maria Bond with 14 points, Bridges with 11 and Tarter with 10. Clark also stuffed the stat sheet with five rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals in 24 minutes of play. In addition, Tarter, too, contributed in a variety of ways with four rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Meanwhile, Tech got a game-high 21 points from Rachel Camp including 13-of-15 from the free throw line.

The most eye-catching final statistics were total fouls and free throw attempts which both showed massive disparities. ETSU was whistled for 21 personal fouls and got to the charity stripe only eight times. On the flip-side, VT was called for only 12 personal fouls and reached the free throw line 24 times where it converted on 18 tries. The Hokies did outrebound the Bucs, 42-37, but only turned 13 of their offensive rebounds into nine second-chance points.

The Blue & Gold was the better team in a variety of statistical categories including points in the paint (38-30), points off turnovers (13-10), second-chance points (10-9) and bench points (17-14). For the game, ETSU shot 40 percent from the field including 48 percent in the second half which allowed for it to get back in the game. The Bucs only converted on six of its season-high 28 attempts from beyond the arc but did hit five of their eight chances from the free throw line.

The Bucs’ road swing will continue on Wednesday, Dec. 3, with a trip to Fairfax, Virginia to take on the George Mason Patriots at 5 p.m.

 

Northern Kentucky 66, UNCG 58

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The UNCG women’s basketball team made a late run but came up short against Northern Kentucky, 66-58, Saturday night in the final game of the Navy Classic at Alumni Hall.

UNCG falls to 2-4 on the season while Northern Kentucky improves to 4-3 with the victory. The free throw line was the difference as the Norse went 22-for-32 from the line and the Spartans were 16-of-31.

Sophomore guard Shanese Harris led the team with 14 points on 5-of-7 from the field with four rebounds and two steals. Junior guard Lucy Mason added 13 points (5-for-10) with three rebounds and tied her career high with five steals. Sophomore guard Bailey Williams had a season-high eight points, including two threes in the contest.

The Spartans shot 34.5 percent on 19-for-55 from the floor after hitting 12 shots in the second half. UNCG came away with 13 steals and 15 points off 23 Northern Kentucky turnovers. In a tightly called game, both teams were called for 29 fouls resulting in 63 attempts at the foul line.

The Norse, who never trailed in the game, had three players in double-figures with Melody Doss leading the way with 19 points and six rebounds. Kaitlyn Gerrety had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Northern Kentucky barely outrebounded UNCG 41-39 but the Spartans won the edge on the offensive end with 17 compared to just 13 for the Norse. Sophomore Jade Scaife finished with a season-high seven rebounds.

In the second half, both teams continued to trade baskets as the Spartans cut the lead to seven off a 8-7 run to start the final stanza on a layup from Mason. A minute later after a NKU basket, Mason would drain a three from beyond the arc to make the score 40-34 with 13:09 left.

Northern Kentucky went on a mini 6-0 run to increase its lead back to 12 on a jumper by Doss with under 10 minutes remaining. The Norse would lead by as much as 15 off two made free throws from Rianna Gayheart at the 4:25 mark.

The Blue and Gold would not go away as senior Jarae Savage (Marietta, Ga./North Cobb) made an old fashion three-point play and Williams buried a three from the wing to cut the lead to 56-47 with 3:08 remaining.

UNCG would keep fighting as a 4-0 capped by a layup from Mason and a free throw from classmate Jazmine Missouri cut the score to 59-53 with a minute left.

The Norse would setup a play out of the timeout and received a layup from Doss to push the lead back to 61-53. NKU would hit six free throws the rest of the way for the final score at 66-58.

Northern Kentucky used balanced scoring to take a 31-23 halftime lead on 11-of-27 shooting from the field. Melody Doss and Kaitlyn Gerrety both scored seven points to lead the Norse. Mason scored six points on 2-of-4 shooting and Williams finished with five points on 1-for-3 from the field.

Northern Kentucky jumped out in front with an 8-2 lead off a three-pointer from Christine Roush at the 15:16 mark. Mason scored on a layup to cut the lead to 12-6 with 12:31 left in the half. The Norse would increase their lead to 18-10 off a layup from Gerrety at the under nine minute mark.

Northern Kentucky continued to pad its lead after a basket and foul shot from Faith Sanders to give NKU a 27-14 advantage with five minutes left till intermission.

The Spartans would end the half on a 9-4 run to cut the lead to 31-23 heading into the break. Williams scored five of the nine final points to keep UNCG within striking distance.

The Blue and Gold return home to host Big South foe Gardner-Webb Friday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at Fleming Gymnasium.

 

Gardner-Webb 65, Wofford 60

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford College women’s basketball team suffered a scoring drought in the final 10 minutes of action to help boost Gardner-Webb to a 65-60 win in the Benjamin Johnson Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Wofford (1-4) entered the final 11 minutes of action with a commanding 15 point lead, 53-38, when the dry spell began. During the next eight minutes the Terriers made one bucket, a 3-pointer from Sarah Traynor, as the Runnin’ Bulldogs tore open a 18-3 run to tie the game at 56.

Candace Brown led the Gardner-Webb (3-3) comeback, accounting for 10 of the 18 points on Gardner-Webb’s run. The junior scored in every way, scoring on a layup and a jumper in the paint before netting two from beyond the arc as Gardner-Webb rallied.

The Terriers shot just over 30 percent from the field, sinking 19-of-61 attempts from the field with just seven field goals in the second half. Wofford was 6-of-14 from 3-point range, going 3-of-7 from beyond the arc in each half, while hitting 16-of-23 from the charity stripe.

Wofford had four players score in double figures, with junior guard Chanel Stokes leading the way with 14. The Cincinnati native shot 4-of-8 from the field while knocking down 4-of-5 from the free throw line. Senior Lauren Kirby (2-9 FG, 6-7 FT), junior Jordan Frazier (3-11 FG, 2-5 3 PT), and sophomore Kentra Washington (3-13 FG, 4-5 FT) each added 10 points. Washington added 12 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.

Despite the loss, the Terriers saw improvements in some areas. The team earned a season-high in points (60) and assists (12) while recording a season-low in turnovers (15).

Brown and senior Jessica Heilig led the scoring charge for the Runnin’ Bulldogs, dropping 20 each. Brown shot 5-of-11 from the field while converting 7-of-9 from the free throw line. Heilig went just 5-of-15 from the field, scoring mostly in the paint, but also added 10 points from the free throw line on 12 attempts. The two combined for 19 of the team’s 47 boards – Brown clawing down nine while Heiling nabbed 10 for a double-double.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs edged the Terriers in overall rebounds, 48-47, but made it count when grabbing offensive rebounds, putting up 20 second chance points to Wofford’s 12.

The game opened up with both sides trading blows, the game tight through the first seven and a half minutes. Heilig opened all scoring with a pair of layups, while Frazier and Stokes responded to each with scores from long range. The two sides battled back and forth, the Runnin’ Bulldogs up by four, 16-12, headed into the second media timeout. Gardner-Webb’s lead grew to six at one point before the Terriers opened a 7-0 run on a Stokes three and pairs of free throws from Kirby and Washington to pull ahead, 21-20.

After a pair of Heilig free throws, Wofford’s offense caught fire. The Terriers pulled ahead by as much as 10 twice before the half, with Grayson Pinholster leading all Terrier scorers during the 14-7 spurt, with a career-best six points.
Wofford kept pushing in the second half, expanding the lead to 15 before eventually losing the lead with 3:37 left on the clock. The Terriers tied once more, 60-60, with 1:10 left on the clock before free throws from Heilig, Brown, and forward Olivia Parker put the game out of reach.

The Terriers are back in action on Tuesday, as they continue their home stand against in-state opponent South Carolina State. The two sides clash at 6:00 p.m. in the Benjamin Johnson Arena.