Box Score

A sloppy fourth quarter from the Wildcats that included four turnovers and a stretch of eight minutes without a successful field goal spoiled the Lady Wildcats first game in H.O. West Fieldhouse this season.  Belhaven sealed the 67-58 victory by going 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the final minute of the game  for their ninth win of the season and snapping the Wildcats three game winning streak.

Karlee Teddlie put the Wildcats ahead early in the first quarter, 5-3, on a 3-pointer less then a minute into the first quarter.  Belhaven rattled off nine unanswered points to jump out to a 12-5 lead mid way into the first quarter. The Wildcats worked their way back into the game thanks to solid free throw shooting, pulling within thee by the end of the quarter, 17-14.

The two teams battled through the first part of the second quarter with LC staying just out of arms length of the Blazers until a good layup and a foul on Kourtney McGhee tied the game at 25 with 5:19 left in the first half. The rest of the half continued to be a back and forth affair that included four ties and five lead changes, the last coming on a 3-pointer from Taylor Payne with 21 seconds left. The Wildcats held a 36-33 lead at the break.

The third quarter picked up right where the teams left off in the first half with both the Wildcats and Blazers trading baskets through the majority of the 10 minuted period. Belhaven took the lead back on a 3-ball at the 7:09 mark of the quarter, but LC answered with back-to-back buckets on their next two possessions to retake the lead. With the game tied at 48 and less than a minute remaining in the quarter, the Blazers made two quick baskets, one after an LC turnover, and Belhaven led 52-48 going into the final quarter. 

The Blazers extended their lead to six early in the fourth, then a free throw from Rachel Johnson made the score 56-51 Belhaven with 8:09 left in the game. The score would remain the same for the next five minutes until another free throw, this time from Rydeja McQuarn, cut into the lead. Both teams combined to go 0-for-13 from the floor over the five minute period between Wildcats free throws, and 2-for-22 over the final eight minutes of the game. Belhaven was able to seal the game thanks to eight made free throws late in the quarter.

No Wildcat was able to reach double figures for the first time this season, Kourtney McGhee and Taylor Payne came the closest with nine points each.  Payne did have double digit rebounds with 12 and fell just one-point shy of her first double-double of the season.

The LC women will embark on a pivotal four game road trip against the ASC Eastern Division, starting next Thursday with a trip to Clarksville and a date with Ozarks, before heading to UT Dallas next Saturday.  The Lady Wildcats return to H.O. West on February 2 for a matchup with LeTourneau.