Box Score November 18, 2009
Wofford vs. Norfolk State
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The first and only home game in 2009 for the Wofford women’s basketball team was an overtime thriller, with the Terriers claiming a 77-75 win over Norfolk State. Kathlyn Varno and Maddie Helms led four players in double-digit scoring with 18 points apiece as the Terriers earned their first win of the season.
Wofford scored the first points of the game off a layup by senior Varno, but less than a minute and a half later, the Spartans claimed a 4-2 lead off a good jumper from Whitney Long. The Terriers managed a five point lead at the 14-minute mark and extended it to seven with 10:58 remaining, but a quick three-pointer for Norfolk State cut the lead to three.
A 17-17 deadlock at the 9:22 mark gave way to a four-point lead for the visiting Spartans, but two good free throws from freshman Mariah Masalin put the Terriers within two, enabling them to grab the lead off a three-pointer from Masalin. After a brief one-point lead for the Spartans at 24-23, the Terrier regained the lead and held on, heading into half time with a 35-33 advantage.
The Terriers extended their lead to as many as eight points by the 12-minute mark of the second half, maintaining a comfortable lead until an 8-0 run by the Spartans tied the score at 55 with 6:42 remaining. From there, the momentum swung to the Spartans, who built a five point lead with 1:38 remaining. A free-throw shot from Natalie Gramblin and two layups by junior Mahagony Williams kept the Terriers in the game, tying the score at 66 and forcing the game into overtime.
Gramblin knocked down two free throws as the first scores of the overtime period, but the points were quickly canceled by a two-pointer from the Spartans’ Marquilla Evans. Norfolk State grabbed a quick lead off a free throw shot from Evans with 3:26 left, but junior Maddie Helms gave the Terriers the spark they needed, nailing two three-pointers in less than 30 seconds to put Wofford up by five. The Spartans surged to cut the lead to one point with seven seconds remaining, but Gramblin knocked down a free throw to pull off the win for the Terriers.
Whitney Long led the Spartans with 19 total points, while Marquilla Evans added 15 and Marian Brooks contributed 10. Evans led the Spartans in rebounds with eight, including seven defensive boards. Freshman Recca Trice added five assists for the Spartans.
Two Terriers notched double-doubles in the home opener, with four players recording double-digit points. Senior Kathlyn Varno led the team with a career-high 18 points and 12 rebounds , while junior Maddie Helms also recorded 18 points. Junior Mahagony Williams picked up a double-double with 10 points and led the team with 15 rebounds. Junior Kelly Dwyer also matched her career-high 16 points on 8-10 shooting from the field, while also adding a career-best five steals. As a team, the Terriers outrebounded the Spartans 64 to 39.
With the win, Wofford improves to 1-2 on the season while Norfolk State falls to 0-2. The Terriers will get an early start to Southern Conference play as they travel to Western Carolina to take on the Catamounts on Friday, November 20. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center.
