College of Charleston
Western Carolina
College of Charleston wins Division I record 16th game with 61-56 overtime victory over Western Carolina
1/31/2009 5:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Sophomore guard Tonia Gerty (Port Orange, Fla.) scored 18 points and junior guard Jade Hughes (Spartanburg, S.C.) finished with 16 points as the College of Charleston (16-5, 9-4) handed Western Carolina (11-9, 7-5) a 61-56 overtime defeat Saturday afternoon in a Southern Conference women's basketball game at the Carolina First Arena. The victory is the eighth straight for the Cougars, dating back to a 64-53 decision over Appalachian State on January 10.
With the score tied at 46-46 with 5:35 remaining in regulation, Gerty hit a jump shot with two seconds remaining on the shot clock and Hughes connected on a three pointer to put the Cougars up 51-46 with 3:31 to go. Western Carolina then charged back with a 5-0 run of their own to tie the game at 51-51 with 11 seconds to go and sent the game to overtime.
In the overtime session, the Catamounts ran their stretch to eight straight points with a layup and foul shot by junior forward Kristen Feemster as they took a 54-51 lead at the 3:14 mark. At that point, Gerty and Hughes took over as they combined for the next six points to put Charleston up 57-54 with 1:18 left in overtime. A quick layup at the other end by senior guard Lauren Powell made it 57-56 before the Cougars scored the final four points on a layup by junior center Deidra Jones (Irmo, S.C.) and a pair of Gerty foul shots to close out the 61-56 overtime victory.
In the first half, the two teams battled through six ties and four lead changes as they were separated by no more than five points throughout the half. Trailing 22-20 with 2:12 remaining in the half, Charleston ended the half on a 7-2 run to take a 27-24 lead into the break.
In the second half, the Cougars scored five of the first seven points to stretch their lead to 32-26 at the 16:13 mark. That would be their largest lead of the half, as Western Carolina rallied to tie the game at 33-33 with 13:26 left in the half before eventually reclaiming the lead at 41-40 with 7:31 to go. The teams would then trade the next three baskets giving Charleston a 44-43 lead before WCU tied the game on a foul shot. Another exchange of baskets then tied the score at 46-46 and set the stage for the Cougars late game heroics.
For the Catamounts, Lauren Powell led the way with a game-high 26 points and six rebounds while senior center Brooke Johnson scored eight points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Emily Clarke and junior guard Heather Swayne both scored seven points, while senior forward Kendra Eaton grabbed nine rebounds. Junior guard Jessica Jackson added five rebounds and game-high four assists, while Feemster added five rebounds.
Gerty led the way for Charleston with a team-high 18 points and Hughes added 16 points and three assists. Jones scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds, while senior forward Nikki Williams (North, S.C.) added six points and five rebounds. Senior forward Sarah Moye (Alpharetta, Ga.) added five rebounds and team-highs at two blocks and two steals.
The Cougars begin a three game road trip on February 3, in Greenville, S.C. when they travel to Furman. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
NOTES
The 16 victories by the Cougars is the most for the program since moving to the Division I level ... the last time Charleston won 16 games was the 1989-90 season when they finished with a 16-11 record ... the victory by the Cougars snaps a six-game losing streak to the Catamounts dating back to February 20, 2006 ... Charleston had lost 21 of the previous 23 meetings dating back to November 26, 1996 ... the victory for head coach Nancy Wilson is only the second over Western Carolina since beginning her second tenure at the College of Charleston ... overall, she is 9-12 against the Catamounts ... Charleston's last overtime game came against Furman on February 7, 2006 when the Cougars dropped a 64-55 decision.
