ELON, N.C. – Kendra Eaton dropped a game-high 17 points as Western Carolina sprinted to a 78-50 Southern Conference women’s basketball triumph over Elon Monday night at Alumni Gym.
The Catamounts (10-8 overall, 6-4 SoCon) also received 12 points and a contest-best three steals from Kaila’Shea Menendez, 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds from Brooke Johnson, 10 points from Lauren Powell and a contest-best four assists from Kendra Carroll.
The Phoenix (1-17, 0-10) was paced by a double-double performance by Amber Wall, who posted 11 markers and 11 boards. Elon’s Erica Keto made the most of her first collegiate start by pulling down a career-high seven caroms. The Phoenix's Anna Dellapenta knocked down her first field goal of the season.
Western Carolina finished the contest with advantages in rebounds (47-41), assists (11-6), turnovers (15-16), blocked shots (4-2), steals (11-10), points in the paint (46-28), points off turnovers (17-6), second chance points (14-9) and bench points (33-22).
The Catamounts shot 47.0 percent (31 of 66) from the field – 30.8 percent (4 of 13) from three-point land – and 70.6 percent (12 of 17) from the free throw line. Meanwhile, the Phoenix fired 27.7 percent (18 of 65) from the floor – 10.0 percent (1 of 10) from downtown – and 68.4 percent (13 of 19) from the stripe.
In the early going, the contest saw three ties and two lead changes. Western Carolina went on a 16-4 run to transform an 11-11 deadlock – the game’s final tie – into a 27-15 advantage on a trey by Johnson with 6:35 left in the first period.
Elon answered with a 9-4 spurt to draw to within 31-24 on a jumper by Aiesha Harper with 1:40 to play before the break, but the Phoenix could inch no closer the rest of the way. WCU went on to outscore Elon 43-20 over the next 18:16 to build a 74-44 cushion on a pair of freebies by T.T. Belcher with 3:24 remaining in the contest.
