CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College women's' basketball team led at halftime in its home matchup against the Western Carolina Catamounts on Tuesday night, but a strong second half from the visitors gave Western Carolina a 42-38 win at the Templeton Center.
PC moves to 1-6 on the year and begins Big South Conference play at home on December 7 against Gardner-Webb at 5 p.m. The game marks the first in a PC hoops doubleheader that precedes a men's basketball game against Furman at 7:45. Western Carolina improves to 5-3.
The Blue Hose led by five points at halftime but Western Carolina outscored the home side 27-18 in the second frame to take the win.
Sherece Smith (Clemson, S.C.) led all scorers with a season-high 13 points and three steals. Noelle Carter (Neptune, N.J.) also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds—setting a new career-best—while Keyonna Allen (Forest Park, Ga.) tied a career-high with nine.
PC turned back the Catamounts early and often in the first half en route to a 20-15 lead at halftime. The Blue Hose held Western Carolina to 27.3 percent shooting (6-for-27) in the opening period and committed only six turnovers—despite the Catamounts pressing on nearly every possession at the end of the half.
The Blue Hose worked down low to take their lead, scoring 12 points in the paint and outrebounding the Catamounts 23 to 14 in the first half. Smith scored eight in the stanza while Allen hauled in eight rebounds. Late in the frame, Allen also read a Catamount shot from its beginning and blocked the chance with authority, leading to a PC possession.
Smith and Allen gave PC a 4-0 lead and the Blue Hose eventually extended the advantage to six points on a Smith jumper 8:03 into the frame.
The Catamounts struggled against the PC defense, going scoreless for 6:56 until cutting a double-digit PC lead to seven with 4:18 to go. The visitors chipped away a the lead with nine straight points, but a Kaycie Reffner (Altoona, Pa.) trey gave the Blue Hose four points of breathing room. Two Allen free throws pushed the lead back to five heading to the locker room at halftime, 20-15.
Western Carolina scored six straight points as part of a 15-6 run to start the second half and take its first lead of the game. Despite buckets from Megan Schaaf (Ellicott City, Md.), Rebecca Walker (Snellville, Ga.), Smith and Kelly, the Catamounts ran their lead up to eight with 9:08 remaining.
PC's defense buckled down and cut the deficit to three on a three-pointer from Walker and a layup by Carter. An Alex Abraham layup pushed the Catamounts lead back to five.
Smith knocked down a free throw to make it a four-point lead before an Aianna Kelly (Newport News, Va.) steal and ensuing foul gave the freshman two foul shots, which she converted to get within two.
A pair of Catamount free throws made the score 40-36 and an offensive foul gave the ball back to the visitors. Ali Lane gave the Catamounts a six-point lead before a Smith jumper narrowed the gap to four, but time ran out on the Blue Hose as Western Carolina hung on for the win.
Justin Taylor led Western Carolina with eight points while Erika Joseph hauled in six rebounds. PC outrebounded the Catamounts on the night, 40-30.
