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  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1992-12-10_Vol58_No15_08

The Western Carolinian Page8 Thursday, December 10, 1992 Sports Volume 58 Number 15 Lady Cats top Bulldogs for second win of year Derek Smolik Sports Editor Amy McEntire's 19 points helped the WCU women's basketball team come from behind to defeat the UNC-Asheville lady Bulldogs 68-63 Monday night in Asheville for their second straight win. The Bulldogs came out of the lockeroom athalf-time with a41 - 38 lead and quickly increased that to 46-40 before the Cats made their move. Over the next six and a half minutes the Cats outscore the Bulldogs 21-7 to take an eight point lead of 61-53. McEntire helped to key the rally with seven of her points in the run. Lori Lyons and LaVeta Bissinger both had four points. "Amy McEntire just really took control, and that's what you need out of a senior guard," commented head coach JanetCone. "She had some beautiful, beautiful shots at the right times of the game...that was probably one other best games." From there the Cats simply held off the Bulldogs with the final blow being two free throws by Marlena Surratt with 16 seconds left to give WCU it's final margin of victory. Angela Rowe also had a strong game, with 9 points and 10 rebounds, despite sitting out most of the first half with two fouls. "Angela is not a very big, tall young lady to be inside...(but) she is by far our best athlete," commented Cone. "She has done well in all three of our games so far." The first half was a back and forth affair with the Cats taking an early ten point lead before the Bulldogs stormed back with ten unanswered points to tie the game. The 10-0 run came withstart- ers Lyons and Angela Rowe on the bench with two fouls apiece. Neither would return in the first half as Cone emptied her bench to try to pick up the slack. Bissinger and Jennifer Adams came off the bench to score six and four points respectively, keeping the Cats in the game. Bissinger would finish up with 11 points for the game. All 13 players on the roster got at least three minutes of playing time, with eight getting ten or more. Lori Jones and Dee Godette both had big first halves for the Bulldogs with Jones scoring 12 and Godette seven as UNC- A shot 47%. But in the second half the Bulldogs could not get the shots to sink as they made only eight field goals and shot 25%, while the Cats shot 46%. The win was the second in a row for the lady Cats after an opening season loss at Winthrop. WCU's first win came in the home opener last Saturday afternoon against the Naval Academy. In the game the Cats trailed by nine points with only ten minutes remaining before going on a 13-0 run to retake the lead. Rowe sank two foul shots with ten seconds left to preserve the victory. Both teams shot poorly in the game. The Cats shot only 32% for the game and 28% in the first half. The Mid-shipwomen shot 37% for die game. The Cats were able to overcome their poor shooting with good defense and rebounding. The Cats pulled down 49 rebounds in the game to Navy's 40, while the Cats were able to come away with 11 steals to six for Navy. The one place where the Cats did not shoot poorly was from the free throw line. Southern Conference player of the week, Lyons hit 14 of 14 free throws in the game to set a WCU single game record, as a team the Cats shot 79%. "It was so nice to see the number of people at the game Saturday...and then to go to UNC-A and realize that we had more people than they did, I just really appreciate that," Cone also said. Ole Mountain Jug stays in Boone, ASU 14 WCU 12 Derek Smolik Sports Editor Western Carolina University's hopes for a first ever conference title and play-off berth died in the Boone rain as the Mountaineers beat the Cats 14-12. The game was close throughout and came down to a third down pass with less than four minutes left to play. The Mountaineers led 14-12 and were faced with a 3rd and 9 to go for a first down. ASU quarterback D.J. Campbell floated a pass down the right sideline to wide receiver Craig Styron, who was defended by cornerback Willie Williams. As the ball sailed past the two players contact was made and the official nearby threw a flag. Styron appeared to pull down Williams with his left hand, causing Williams to fall on top of him. What happened next was a long and very confused officials meeting. They gathered in a huddle, all four of them to discuss the call, initially the ASU players thought the call had gone their way. Then the officials appeared to change their minds as the WCU players started to celebrate, but when the officials finally made their call it was pass interference on Western Carolina. "It was a bad call," said a tearful Williams after the game. "He pulled me down by my arm." The Mountaineers were given a first down at the Appalachian 46. Three running plays produced only two yards, so the Apps punted to the Cats. But the Mountaineers had already accomplished their goal, they had run off 4:03 of the 4:46 remaining when they got the ball. Western had only 43 seconds left when they got die ball back at their own 20. After Galloway was sacked on the first play, die Cats burned Iheir last time out. On the next play Galloway ran for 10 yards. Then on 3rd and 4, Galloway hit Craig Aiken widi a 14 yard pass to give the Cats a first down at Ihe 40 widi less than 20 seconds left. Then die miraculous almost seemed to occur. Widi Galloway scrambling around trying to buy time he saw Aiken wide open and lofted a short pass which Aiken took to die ASU 20 with :08 seconds left. But Galloway had crossed die line of scrimmage before he tiirew the ball and was (lagged for an illegal forward pass, bringing the ball back. On die next play, Galloway direw up a prayer that was intercepted and the Mountaineers began to celebrate. The Mountaineers started the game off fast. On just their second play from scrimmage, J.K. Reaves shot dirough a hole up the middle ; several missed tackles and 65 yards later the Mountaineers had a 7-0 lead. Neither team was able to do much after that for the rest of the quarter. With the start of the second quarter though, the Cats seemed to gain new life. Galloway, the second ranked quarterback in the nation, drove the Cats 77 yards in 11 plays for the Cats first touchdown. On 4th and 1 from the ASU 4, Galloway rolled left and fired a bullet to Kerry Hayes for the score. Phil Shirley's extra point attempt sailed wide and the score was 7-6. The importance of the miss would be magnified later as the Cats had to go for a two point conversion. Missed opportunities continued to plague the Cats as Phil Shirley missed his second field goal of the day, (his one was blocked, from 29 yards away. Then, three plays later Tom Bodine made a spectacular one handed interception of aCampbell pass and returned it to the ASU 24. Two plays later though, the Cats gave it right back when Galloway Carolinian photo by Mark Mitchell Kerry Hayes pulls down a pass traffic during the Appalachian - WCU game was intercepted on the 3rdyard line. The Mountaineer would then go 97 yards in 15 plays and took up 7:47 to give App a 14-6 lead. Western responded immediately with a quick scoring drive capped off by an 11 yard pass from Galloway to Aiken. The Cats tried to tie the score up at 14, but Galloway's pass was tipped away. Men's B-ball breaks out of slump 73-46 V-Ball team beaten by Bucs in five games Derek Smolik Sports Editor The WCU women's volleyball team was eliminated from the Southern Conference tournament in five games by East Tennessee Slate University, ending a much improved season for the Cats. After two very close games were split between die two teams, they headed into (he last game tied at two games apiece. The fifth game was to be played in rally-style, with a point awarded on every serve. The Bucs raced out to a quick 7-1 and still led by 10-5 atone point. Western was unable to do much with their own serve but did not give up anything on the Bucs' serves' as well. The Cats finally made their move widi four straight points on Ihe serve of Kristen Baxter. First All-Tournament Team selection Katherine Thomas got a kill to give the Cats die serve and cut the score to 10-6. Baxter then served up an ace to close to 10-7. AnnMarie Alvarez and Jennifer Ross bolh got kills to make it 10-9, an ETSU error then lied Ihe score at 10-10 before Western lost the serve. ETSU would not roll over and die, however. Ihey scored 4 of the next 5 points to put (he Cats on the brink of elimination at 14-11. But the Cats regained die serve and scored three straight points to lie up the score at 14-14. The teams traded points before the Cals regained die serve. With Alvarez serving. Western got it's first lead of the game at 16-15. But with r game poiir. Alvarez's serve touched the net and one game point was Izzt. ETSU then scored two points to once again put the Cats backs against the wall at 17- 16. A Ross kill tied die game up again at 17-17. The teams would trade mmiV. •lV4L_*S^8iaWM Carolinian photo by Mark Mitchell Catherine Thomas prepares to spike the ball in action against East Tennessee State Jniversity during Southern Congerence Tournament, points, but ihe Cats could not regain the lead. Western's luck finally ran out soon afterwards. After a Catamount error gave the Bucs die serve and a one point lead (hey finally took advantage widi a kill dial finished ihe match at 21-19. Afterwards die players and coach were visibly drained and sad. Many of die players hugged each odier to console one another as family and friends joined in. Most of diose involved had little to say about Ihe match. "(It was) Emotional, die most emotional game I've ever played in," commented Thomas after die match. "This one came from the heart." "It's hard, Bolh teams played loo hard for anyone to lose," said Baxter. "I will remember diis forever." The Cats had a chance to finish die match widiout die fifth game earlier in the match. Leading two games to one in the fourth game the Cats forced a tie of 12-12 wilh the Bucs. Two Catamount errors gave die Bucs a 14-12 lead, the Cats regained the serve and got a point to close to 14-13. But East Tennessee got die serve back and won the game 15-13. Games one and two of the match were relatively mundane compared to the last three as the teams split the games widi WCU winning game one 15-8 and ETSU winning game two 15-10. After die Cats jumped out to an early lead die Bucs took a lead and looked !ike they would not relinquish until a Thomas kill got the Cats back on die right track. They would come back from a 13-9 deficit to tie the game at 13-13. After exchanging points the Cats took a 15-14 lead and with Alvarez serving, Ross smashed a kill past the ETSU defenders for die winning point 16-14, putting die Cats up 2-1. "You saw two talented teams in a slugfest," said head coach Trish Howell. "They deserve credit, they came back." The record of 21-15 is the best since 1990 and isa marked improvement over last year's 6- 26. The loss of three seniors is key according to Howell, but she expects next year's team to be of the same caliber or better. "I expect us to be in die upperdi vision of the conference," she said, "I look forward to us being a strong team." Derek Smolik Sports Editor The Western Carolina men's basketball team won their first game of the season, beating die UNC- Asheville Bulldogs easily Tuesday night in Asheville ending a two game losing streak. UNC-A led by one at the half, but were quickly left behind as the Cats opened up die second half with a 20-4 run. The run turned a 29- 28 half-time deficit into a 48-33 lead that diey would never relinquish. Ramon Brown helped to key die run widi two diree-point field goals. The Cats defense picked up significantly in die second half, holding the Bulldogs (o only a 22% field goal percentage and making four steals. Western also dominated the boards, pulling down 16 more rebounds in the second half than the Bulldogs in posting the winning score of 73-46. "I feel we played a solid 40 minutes of defense and a solid 40 minutes of boarding," commented head coach Greg Blatt. "We finally got in the flow offensively and diat led to outstanding shot selection." One of the keys to victory in the second half for the Cals was shutting down die Bulldogs dircebig guns: Josh Kohn, Willie Black, and Eric Evans. After combining for 21 points in the first half, the trio was held to only seven in die second half on 2 of 14 shooting. "I think we did a good job on Black and Kohn (especially) in the second half," Blatt also said. The first half was close throughoutas dicCats, especially Greg Dates, got into foul troubleearly. Dates picked up four fouls in die first 14 minutes of die game. He was replaced by Jeff VanDeMark, who scored six points on three of five shooting. Gaines almost kept the Cats in die game by himself in the first half as he scored 16 of the Cats 28 points and pulled down 6 of the Cats 18 rebounds. Gaines would finish widi a game high 24 points and 14 rebounds. Tuesday night's performance was only three days removed from die Cats history making performance Saturday afternoon against Virginia Tech. In die game the Cats shot a lackluster 25.4%, setting a school record for lowest field goal percentage in a game. Virginia Tech did not shoot much better as diey only managed 34% for the game. Tech took the lead from the start and never trailed, but the Cats were as close as four points wilhjustover two minutes left. They could get no closer though and fell by a final score of 55-47. "If we had shot poorly we would have won that game...we shot worse than poorly in the game and that's why we lost," said Blatt. The Cats were also disappointed in dieirseason openeragainst Mars Hill in Cullowhee. The Lions played the Cats tough in the first half to go in the lockeroom deadlocked at 41-41. But after the Cats took an early second half lead the Lions took control and beat the Cats soundly, 86-74. In die game the Cats shot only 42%, including only 37% in the second half. Robert Gaines was the leading scorer for die Cats with 20 points, while B.J. Thompson contributed 15 points and pulled down six rebounds. "Views From The Pressbox" will not be run due to space limitations

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1992-12-10
  • Date digitized: 2019-10-09
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.75" x 14.25"
  • Pages: 10 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1992-12-10_Vol58_No15
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library