Junior Lauren Powell led the Lady Cats with 17 points in the first meeting with Middle Tennessee.
  
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Western Carolina Lady Cats Face Familiar Foe Middle Tennessee in WNIT First Round

Lady Cats defeated Blue Raiders 77-71 on December 2

March 18, 2008

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CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball will be playing in its second consecutive WNIT, but this time the Lady Catamounts will open with a familiar foe - Middle Tennessee. The Lady Cats faced the Blue Raiders on December 2 in Murfreesboro, defeating them 77-71, and will be making a return trip to the mid-state area Wednesday to play the Blue Raiders in the first round of the WNIT at 8 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network, which can be heard locally on Power 90dot5, WWCU-FM. Fans not in the Cullowhee area can listen online at catamountsports.com. 

Middle Tennessee and Western Carolina are each coming off losses in their respective conference championships. The Blue Raiders lost to Western Kentucky 65-49 on March 11 while the Lady Cats fell 71-59 to Chattanooga on March 10.

The Blue Raiders are 7-3 in their last 10 games and currently have record of 21-11. Western Carolina is 8-2 in its last 10 games and has won 17 of its last 20 games, ending the regular season with a school record 25 wins and just eight losses.

Both clubs are very different from when they met almost three months ago. Western Carolina lost junior center Brooke Johnson for the season on December 20 - she pulled down 20 rebounds for the Lady Cats. Middle Tennessee has seen the departure of junior guard Johnna Abney as well as Angelique Burtts. It was Burtts who unloaded on Western Carolina for 12 second-half points. Junior Lady Cat Lauren Powell led Western Carolina with 17 points while Blue Raider Amber Holt had 28.

The victory over Middle Tennessee December 2 snapped the Blue Raiders 14-game home winning streak. The Lady Catamounts were the only non-conference opponent to defeat Middle Tennessee on its home court this season.

The clubs have common opponents in Chattanooga, Louisville and Tennessee Tech. Both teams dropped games to Chattanooga and defeated Tennessee Tech. Western Carolina has the edge with a win over then No. 21/22 Louisville when the Lady Cats defeated the Cardinals 77-72 in the second game of the Minnesota Subway Classic. Middle Tennessee lost at Louisville 76-64.

The winner on Wednesday moves on to face Kentucky in Lexington Friday.