Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College women's basketball team held the ball up a single point in the final minute against Tusculum in South Atlantic Conference action on Saturday in Goodman Arena when Nala Baker canned her career-high seventh three-pointer of the game to help push the Catawba Indians to a narrow win over the Pioneers.
TEAM STATISTICS
- Tusculum shot 29-for-64 (45 percent) from the field, while Catawba was 34-of-86 (40 percent) from the field
- The Pioneers were 5-for-14 (36 percent) from three-point range; the Catawba Indians shot 10-of-30 (33 percent) from deep
- Catawba shot 10-for-14 (71 percent) from the free throw line while TU was 18-of-28 (64 percent) from the charity stripe
- The Catawba Indians out-rebounded Tusculum 49-45; their 25 offensive rebounds helped them to a 24-16 advantage in second-chance points
- Catawba recorded 20 assists to 15 turnovers, while the Pioneers had 19 assists and 20 turnovers; the Catawba Indians capitalized on the TU miscues, leading 30-11 in points off turnovers
- Catawba led 40-36 in points in the paint, but Tusculum held the advantage in fastbreak points (13-7) and bench points (20-16)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
- Baker poured in a career-high 27 points on a career-best seven made three-pointers along with nine rebounds
- Janiya Foskey added 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting with eight rebounds
= Bailee Goodlett was the third Catawba Indian in double figures with 10 points, five rebounds and four steals
- Julie Janus chipped in seven points with five assists and a team-high four steals
- Mary Spry added six points and three boards off the bench
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
- Catawba jumped out to the early lead with baskets from Kairah Dixon-Booker and Foskey
- The Catawba Indians later rattled off eight straight points to take a nine-point lead at the 5:22 mark
- Tusculum chipped away at their deficit, as Carleigh Wilson's jumper cut Catawba's first-quarter lead to 23-17 after 10 minutes
SECOND QUARTER
- A Jada Porter triple and Sydney Gueterman basket pushed the Catawba Indian lead back to 12 points with four minutes left
- The Pioneers answered with an 8-0 run to whittle the Catawba advantage down to 35-31 at the 2:35 mark
- The Catawba Indians responded with the final seven points of the first half, capped by Goodlett's jumper with four ticks to go; Catawba led 42-31 at the break
THIRD QUARTER
- Ni'Kiah Chesterfield and Jenna Kallenberg three-pointers helped Tusculum cut their 11-point halftime deficit by more than half in the first 90 seconds, trailing by just five at the 8:37 mark
- Goodlett and Janus layups gave Catawba a nine-point cushion a minute later
- Zoe Sharpe scored the first six points of an 11-2 Pioneer run to tie the game at 52 with four minutes left in the third
- Foskey fired back with consecutive baskets to retake the lead
- TU took a 60-59 lead – their first of the game – after Chesterfield's jumper with under a minute to go
- Baker answered with one of her seven triples, taking a 62-60 lead into the fourth quarter after the teams combined for 49 points in the third period
FOURTH QUARTER
- Foskey kept at it with two more baskets early in the fourth to push Catawba's lead to 70-63
- What was once a comfortable seven-point lead with 2:32 left evaporate when Jalyn Spurlin threatened to tie the game with the free throw following an and-one with about a minute left
- Spurlin missed, and Baker drilled a three-pointer while fouled with the shot clock winding down on the other end
- Baker missed the free throw, but Goodlett swooped in for the offensive rebound and Baker knocked down two at the line to take an 87-81 lead with 24 seconds remaining
GAME NOTES
- Baker's third game of 24-plus points this season; she has eight games with three or more three-pointers made
- Foskey's second 20-point game of the week; Foskey scored 25 points between the two fourth quarters on Wednesday vs. Newberry and Saturday vs. Tusculum
- With the win, Catawba moves into fourth place in the SAC standings
UP NEXT
- Catawba takes the midweek off this week before returning to action back in Goodman Arena on Saturday, Feb. 8, hosting Anderson at 2 p.m.
