CARROLLTON, Ga. - The UWG women's basketball team returned home on Tuesday and remained undefeated in The Coliseum, taking down Western Carolina by a 69-60 score.
West Georgia (3-2) trailed for over half of the game but in the end, the Wolves ground out a non-conference win over Western Carolina (2-5), by outscoring the Catamounts 40-25 in the second half.
"A great win for our team. They beat us in overtime last year at Western Carolina, and we haven't forgotte that," said head coach Joanna Reitz postgame. "So we were on a mission today, and I thought offensively and defensively we were good for three quarters."
It was the defense in the opening quarter that had Reitz scratching her head as WCU scored 25 points to open the game, and the second quarter offense from UWG managed just nine points.
"Our defense in the first quarter and our offense in the second was something we have to work on and be able to play four quarters of great basketball," Reitz added.
Four Wolves scored in double-figures, led by Grace O'Gara with a career-high 19 while Asia Donald added 13, Jasmine Jones had 11 and Sydne Tolbert had 10.
Jasmine Jones scored six of the Wolves' first 10 points, hitting a pair of threes in the opening five minutes of the contest.
The three-pointers would be a theme for the entirety of the first quarter with each team hitting four apiece. Western Carolina, led by 13 first-quarter points from Betsey Burnett, took a 25-20 lead into the quarter break.
UWG was scoreless nearly five minutes into the second until Destiny Jones got a steal and a fast break layup. Overall, both offenses cooled off in the second quarter, with WCU barely edging the Wolves 10-9 in the period and extending their advantage to six points at 35-29 at the half.
"First half, offensively, we weren't moving the ball as much as we like to, and once we got the ball moving in the second half, the scoring gets easier for everybody," Reitz continued in her postgame press conference.
The Wolves then slowly but surely began chipping away at the Catamounts' lead, tying the game at the 4:07 mark on a three-pointer by O'Gara. By the 1:59 point, Donald drove in and made a tough bucket to give the Wolves their first lead since late in the first.
Offensively, UWG found their rhythm in the third, shooting 50 percent from the field and led 49-46 after three quarters.
West Georgia would never trail over the final period, outscoring WCU 20-14 over the final 10 minutes. Down the stretch, UWG would go 5-for-6 from the free throw line including sinking each of their last five to seal the game.
"Defensively, the second, third, and fourth quarters, 10 points, 11 points, and 14 points. If we could take back that first quarter, we would have held them under 60," Reitz said of the defensive effort, "To hold a Division I opponent under 60 points is really, really good win for us heading into Thanksgiving break."
The Wolves were out-rebounded in the contest, but were led by six boards from Destiny Jones. Tolbert led the way in assists with seven which was a game-high.
UWG returns to action and puts their perfect home record on the line next Wednesday, December 3 as the UNC Wilmington Seahawks come to Carrollton. Tip-time for that game is set for 11 a.m. from The Coliseum.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- O'Gara outdid her last performance in which she set a career-high with 16 at Georgia Tech, finishing with the 19 on 5-of-10 shooting, 3-of-7 from three, and 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
- It was the first time this season in which UWG has placed four scorers in double-figures.
- The game featured seven lead changes and five ties.
