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 Freshman Emily Clarke had a career-high 18 points against Middle Tennessee. |
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March 19, 2008
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Western Carolina women's basketball got a glimpse of the future with freshman Emily Clarke scoring a career-high 18 points, but it wasn't enough to stave off hot-shooting Middle Tennessee (22-11), as the Lady Cats fell 104-69 Wednesday in the first round of the WNIT at the Murphy Center. The Lady Catamounts end the year with a school record 25 wins and the nine losses are the second least in school history as well.
Middle Tennessee opened the game on a 13-5 run and Western Carolina could never recover. The Blue Raiders connected on 13 three-pointers and shot a scorching 59 percent from the field to help put the game out of reach early.
Clarke had five of the Lady Cats first six points of the game and she ended the contest 6-of-13 from the field, 5-of-6 from the free throw line and also had one block. Western Carolina appropriately also got 18 points from out-going senior guard Monique Dawson. Junior guard Lauren Powell added 10 points.
Middle Tennessee couldn't miss from the field and had six of its eight players in double figures. The Blue Raiders were led by senior Amber Holt who had 30 points in the contest.
Western Carolina has a bevy of positives to look forward to in the 2008-09 season. The most notable will be the return of 6-4 center Brooke Johnson who was injured on December 20. Johnson will be rehabbing throughout the summer in preparation for her senior year.
The Lady Catamounts will also have junior Jessica Jackson. The South Florida transfer sat out this season due to transfer rules and it is expected Jackson will take over reigns of the point guard duties. Western Carolina will also welcome five freshmen to the Lady Cat family.
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Western Carolina head coach Kellie Harper
On tonight's loss to Middle Tennessee
"There are two women's teams playing and only one is going to win. It puts a sour taste on your season. Obviously, this is not the way we wanted to end our season. We are going to look back at this game for a long time. We have to reflect on the type of team that we had. I don't know if we can duplicate what we did this year and get that many wins. We are trying to encourage our players to look past this and look at the type of season they had."
On trailing 51-26 at the half
"We were playing so tentatively on offense. We looked scared to shoot it and scared to score. We looked intimated in the first half. Everything they shot was going in. I told the kids, it's not a good night to have your worst game against a team that possibly had their best game of the season. It was a bad night to do that."
On Middle Tennessee's 13 made 3-pointers
"The problem early on was that we couldn't score with them. They give you the same problem that Chattanooga gives you. Are you going to guard Amber Holt or their 3-point shooters? They don't shoot that well at the 3-point line. We had so many breakdowns. We weren't very sharp offensively and defensively. They made baskets. You are going to give up baskets and they made them."
On the senior's last game at Western Carolina
"They need to try to look at the positives. They have been the most successful kids in this program history. It's hard for them to understand. It's going to take a while. It's sitting hard on them right now. It's tough as a coach because I'm mad and disappointed. At the same time, I have to go in and comfort these kids because it's their last game in a purple uniform."
