Box Score
Box score (pdf)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford women’s basketball team improved to 3-0 for the first time since the 2006-07 season with a 50-45 win over Norfolk State Saturday afternoon in the Benjamin Johnson Arena.
Wofford is off to their best start since the 2006-07 squad started off at 3-0. The Terriers will now chase down the 2001-02 squad that started off 5-0 that was led by current assistant coach and former point guard Jessica Ridgill. With the Western Carolina (3-1) lost to Campbell the Terriers are now one of only two teams in the Southern Conference without a loss. Elon (2-0) is in action Saturday night against the Charlotte 49ers.
A basket by Norfolk State’s Recca Trice at 19:36 gave the Spartans a 2-0 lead, and April Moorhouse put the Terriers on the board with a jumper with just under 17 minutes to play. Mariah Masalin hit a long two to give Wofford a 4-2 lead with 16:22 to play, and the Terrier lead hit four points at the 13-minute mark on a Morgan Wrightson layup. Two Moorhouse free throws at 11:55 and two Erin Frost free throws gave Wofford a 12-4 lead as part of a 12-2 run for the Terriers. Norfolk halted the run with back-to-back layups by Rae Corbo to cut the lead to 12-8 with 9:24 to play. Wofford extended the lead with a Wrightson free throw and layup to take a 15-8 lead with just over seven minutes to play, but back-to-back Norfolk State baskets pulled the Spartans to 16-12 less than a minute later. Wofford’s lead hit eight points, 24-16, on a Wrightson jumper with just over four minutes to play in the half. Norfolk State cut the lead to 26-23 at 2:20 on Trice three-point play, but a Michelle Merritt layup at the one and a half minute mark pushed the Wofford lead back to six points, 29-23. Wofford carried the six-point lead, 31-25, into the half.
Wofford shot 54 percent from the floor in the half and 33 percent from three, while the Spartans were 35 percent overall and missed on their only two three-point attempts. Wofford also outshot Norfolk State from the free throw line, as they were 75 percent compared to 33 percent.
Coming out of the half, Norfolk State cut the lead to five points, 35-30, on a Whitney Long three with 16:42 to play. Back-to-back Terriers baskets on a Masalin three and a Motley lay-in pushed the Wofford lead to ten points, 40-30, with just under 15 minutes to play. Norfolk State mounted a 4-0 run to cut the lead to 40-34, but a Wrightson layup on an assist from Motley pushed the Wofford lead back to eight points, 42-34 three minutes later. Norfolk State pulled within four points, 44-40, on another Trice jumper, but a Moorhouse basket with just over seven minutes left made the score 46-40. Neither team would score for the next three minutes, until Moorhouse knocked down another jumper at the four-minute mark to give the Terriers a 48-40 lead. Norfolk State went on a 5-0 run on a three by Whitney Long and a layup by Rachel Gordon to cut the lead to three points, 48-45, with a minute to remaining. However, Wofford held on for the win as Wrightson knocked down two free throws with 21 seconds left to seal the 50-45 win.
The Terriers finished 41 percent from the floor and 20 percent from three, while they held the Spartans to just 28 percent overall and 18 percent from three. Wofford converted eight of their 13 free throws, while Norfolk State went just 1-for-4 from the line.
Moorhouse recorded her second consecutive double-double with ten points and 11 rebounds, while Wrightson led all scorers with 14 points. Motley added 12 points to the Terriers total, while Brittenham handed out five assists. Motley and Moorhouse both had three blocks.
Corbo was the lone Spartan in double figures with her ten points. Gordon grabbed ten rounds and missed the double-double with eight points.
Wofford will play the third game of its four-game home stand when they host Bluefield College November 23 at 2 p.m.
