Box Score
Box score (pdf)
KENNESAW, GA. – Led by Morgan Wrightson’s first double-double as a member of the Terriers, Wofford survived a 66-62 game against the Kennesaw State Owls Friday night in the KSU Convocation Center in the team’s season opener.
It was Wofford’s first season opening win since the 2006-07 opener when they defeated Gardner-Webb 57-47.
Daniella Motley gave the Terriers their first points of the 2011-12 season with a basket at 18:21, and April Moorhouse followed with a basket at 17:36 to give Wofford a 4-0 lead. The Owls responded with a 4-0 run to tie the game at the 15-minute mark. Logan Morris gave Wofford a 6-4 lead, but a three by Kennesaw State’s Ashley Holliday gave the Owls a 7-6 lead with just under 13 minutes to play. After an Owl basket by Sametria Gideon, Wrightson tied the game at nine with a three. Kennesaw State mounted a 4-0 run to take a 11-9 lead, only to see back-to-back baskets by Morris, including a long range three, to give the Terriers a 14-13 lead with 8:42 to play in the half. The two teams would trade baskets until Wofford pulled away to a four-point lead, 24-20, on Wrightson’s second three of the half. The Terriers carried a five-point lead, 29-24, into the locker rooms at the half Daniella Motley knocked down a jumper for the final basket of the half.
Wofford was 50 percent from the floor in the half making 11 of their 22 shots, and 50 percent from three with three makes on six attempts. Kennesaw State was 33 percent (11-for-33) overall and 14 percent from three (1-of-7).
The Wofford defense forced a turnover on the opening Kennesaw possession of the second half as they got off to a 5-0 run with a three pointer from Wrightson and layup from Masalin to take a 34-24 lead with just over 19 minutes to play. Wofford pushed the lead to 39-26 on a Rachel Brittenham triple, and held 41-28 lead with 16:23 to play on a Motley jumper. Kennesaw cut the lead to 41-30 on two Gideon free throws at the 15-minute mark, and to nine points, 41-32, on two free throws Tamasha Bolden a minute later. Brittenham made a runner in the lane and Morris knocked down a long two to push the Terrier lead to 45-32 with 13:56 remaining in the game. Wofford’s lead hit 14 points, 48-34, on a Brittenham three with just under 12 minutes left. The Owls trimmed the lead to ten points, 49-39, when Nicole Adams made three with 10:36 on the clock, but a Motley basket on a post move pushed the Terrier lead back to 12, 51-39, a minute later. Kennesaw pulled within eight points, 53-45, on two Taylor Mills free throws, but Lauren Kirby scored on a nice pass from Masalin to extend the lead back to ten points with seven minutes left on the clock. The two teams traded baskets, until Kristina Wells made two free throws to pull the Owls within six points, 55-49, at the five minute mark, and trimmed the lead to four points, 57-53, on a Lisa Capellan put back, but Wofford responded with a 3-0 run with a Wrightson free throw and layup to extend the lead to 60-53 with just over three minutes to play. Kristina Wells converted a three-point play to cut into the Wofford lead, 60-56, on the next Kennesaw possession, but Brittenham made two free throws to make the score 62-56 with a minute and half remaining. Kennesaw would battle back and trim the lead to three points, 65-62, with 16 seconds to play on a Mills three, but Brittenham was fouled on the in-bounds play and made the second of her two free throws to seal the Wofford 66-62 win.
Wofford finished 52 percent from the field on 24-of-46 shooting, 50 percent from behind the three-point arc and 57 percent from the free throw line, 12-of-21. Kennesaw was 33 percent overall, 21 percent from long range and 70 percent from the free throw line.
Wofford’s bench outscored the Kennesaw bench 18-8 in the game.
Every Wofford player who entered the game scored at least two points for the Terriers as Rachel Brittenham paced the Terriers with 16 points and five assists. Morgan Wrightson added 12 points and ten rebounds for her first double-double as a Terrier. Logan Morris chipped in ten points.
The Owls were led by Gideon, who had a game-high 23 points, and had a team-high nine rebounds.
The Terriers will open a four-game home stand starting with North Carolina Central Monday at 6 p.m. for their next game inside the Benjamin Johnson Arena.
