March 4, 2010

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Number 8 seed Western Carolina women's basketball (7-23) ended its season on Thursday, with a 57-55 loss to No. 9 seed UNC Greensboro (10-19) Thursday in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament in Bojangles Coliseum.

Trailing by two with eight seconds remaining, senior Jessica Jackson launched a three-pointer for the win, but it went wide and the Spartans ripped down the rebound. Western Carolina tied the game, 1:13 left, when sophomore guard Kaila'Shea Menendez drove in for a lay-up and was fouled. Down by one point, 55-54, Menendez drained the free throw to tie the game at 55.

UNC Greenboro missed a bucket and Western Carolina had a chance to take the lead, with less then 20 seconds, but Caitlin Hollifield missed a field goal and on the ensuing rebound attempt she fouled the Spartan' Lakiah Hyson. With 18 seconds remaing, Hyson connected on both free throws to give UNCG the 57-55 lead and eventual win.

Western Carolina trailed by 10, 30-20, at the half. In the second 20 minutes of the game, the Catamounts were down by as much as 13, 45-32, with 11:26 left. The Catamounts went on a 10-2 run, capped off by a lay-up by TT Belcher, to cut the Spartans lead to five, 47-42, with 7:14 remaining. Down by three, 47-44, with 5:24 left, UNCG pushed it back to five, 51-46, off a jumper by Monique Floyd.

The Catamounts got clutch free throws by Menendez and a bucket by Emily Clarke to stay in the game and give themselves a chance to win or tie the game in the closing seconds.

Clarke led the game with 20 points and was 7-of-14 from the field. She was followed by Menendez who finished the game with 12 points.

After hitting just 32 percent from the field in the first half, Western Carolina hit a scorching 45.2 percent in the second half, to end the game with 39.3 percent. The Catamounts also got 26 of their points from the pain and 12 points from the bench.