Nov. 21, 2008
Box Score
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - A strong first half was not enough to guide the Leopards to a win as they dropped a 68-51 decision to Western Carolina in the consolation round of the Preseason WNIT. Sophomore Lauren Jackson led Lafayette with a career-high 10 points but the Catamounts scored 23 points from the free throw line en route to the 17 point win.
Lafayette (0-2) shot nearly 47 percent in the opening half but just 20 percent in the second. The team made only 50 percent (9-of-18) of its free throws while Western Carolina (1-1) made 74 percent (23-of-31) of its attempts from the charity stripe.
The Leopards jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Catamounts countered with four straight points of their own. Western Carolina held a slim 10-9 lead after Kendra Eaton's fourth point of the game with 15:35 on the clock. Eaton would go on to finish with a game-high 16 points.
Jackson's jumper at the 12 minute mark brought Lafayette within two of the lead (15-13). Classmate Elizabeth Virgin's three kept it a two-point game at 20-18 and a Jackson's trey gave the Leopards their first lead (21-20) since the opening two minutes of the game. The lead increased to six (29-23) after Jackson's jumper at 3:27.
The Catamounts tied it at 31 after a three-point play by Eaton with 37 seconds remaining in the half. Cristin Zavocki quickly drained a three on the ensuing possession for the half's final points, giving Lafayette a 34-31 advantage.
The Catamounts opened the second half on a 12-2 run and led 43-36 after two free throws by Heather Swayne with 17:29 to play. A Spicer steal and subsequent layup brought Lafayette within six (45-36) at the 13:50 mark but that was as close as the team would get to the lead for the remainder of play.
West Carolina saw its first double-digit lead of the game after Brooke Johnson drained a three at 9:13 to make it 54-41. Fouls by Lafayette put WCU in the bonus and allowed the Catamounts to take a 56-42 edge with more than eight minutes left to play. The margin stood at 58-44 after the Leopards failed to get a basket for nearly five minutes before Virgin's three at 2:50 made it 58-47. Kaila'Shea Menendez's three at the buzzer made the final score 68-51.
The Leopards will take on UC-Riverside tomorrow night at 9:30 p.m. in their final game of the preseason WNIT. The Highlanders lost a buzzer-beater to Liberty in the first game of the day.
Postgame Notes:
- Lauren Jackson surpassed her previous career high of five points in the opening half alone. She finished with nine in the opening 20 minutes of action.
- Jessica Spicer led the team in assists for the second game in a row with four.
