Cougars Earn 69-59 Win Over Catamounts - CofCSports.com--Official Web site of College of Charleston Athletics

Monday, January 23

John Kresse Arena

7pm

College of Charleston

Western Carolina

Cougars Earn 69-59 Win Over Catamounts - CofCSports.com--Official Web site of College of Charleston Athletics

1/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

#articleRelated { display: none !important; } Four Cougar scored in double-figures, including a 15-point effort by Erica Irick as the College of Charleston women's basketball team defeated the Western Carolina Catamounts 69-59 in Southern Conference action in front of 223 fans at the John Kresse Arena.

The win was the first for the Cougars over the Catamounts in eight tries and improves their record to 8-9 overall and 5-4 in the Southern Conference. Western Carolina drops to 3-15 and 3-6 in the league.

Charleston went up by 10 early, leading 16-6 with 14:00 minutes left in the first half before WCU cut the margin to five with a 6-1 spurt over the next 2-and-a-half minutes to trail 17-12. Charleston responded with four straight to go up 21-12 and that was a close as the Catamounts would get and went into intermission down 39-28. The Cougars shot a season-high 55.2 percent in the first half, while the Catamounts shot 36.7.

The Cougars led by as much as 17 in the second half and were trailing by 15 at 66-51 with 3:40 left in the game before the Catamounts staged a small comeback, going on an 8-0 run to cut the margin to seven at 66-59 with 1:48 left. That would be the last field goal for WCU as the Cougars converted on three free-throws to seal the 69-59 victory.

Charleston shot 35.7 percent in the second half and held WCU to 24.4 to finish the game with a 45.6 field goal percentage. Western Carolina ended with 29.6 for the game. The Catamounts edged the Cougars in rebounds, 46-44 and two fewer turnovers, 20-18.

Following Irick's 15 points was Melissa Chambers with 12. Jade Hughes and Marketta Talley both had 10 points apiece for the Cougars. Chambers also had eight rebounds to pace the team. Leading the Catamounts was Monique Dawson with her 15 points on the night. Teshumia Tillman had a team-high nine boards

The Cougars host Appalachian State Jan. 28th at 4:30 PM to start the second half of the season, while the Catamounts return home to host Wofford the same day at 5:00 PM.