Box Score
Box score (pdf)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford Terriers women’s basketball team tied a school record with a 5-0 start to the season as they defeated Southern Virginia, 87-51, Tuesday night in the Benjamin Johnson Arena.
The Terriers’ 5-0 start to the 2011-12 season tied the school record held by the 2001-2002 and the 1992-93 teams.
Daniella Motley opened the scoring for the Terriers on an assists from Morgan Wrightson a minute into play, and Wrightson scored on a layup 20 seconds later to spark a 12-2 opening run for Wofford over the first four minutes of play. Southern Virgina went on a 3-0 run with free throw from Christina Augustin and two from Mina Romito to cut the lead to 12-5 with 14:20 to play. A Wrightson layup at 14:06 ended the Knights run to push the lead to 14-5. Wofford’s lead hit 11 points, 20-9, with 11 minutes to play in the half when Wrightson hit April Moorhouse cutting to the basket for the layup. The layup sparked a 6-0 run for the Terriers as Wrightson and Moorhouse added layups to give the Terriers a 24-9 just under nine minutes remaining. Amaris Newkirk ended the Wofford run with a layup at the eight-minute mark. A Daniella Motley basket and an Erin Frost three gave the Terriers a 20 point lead, 31-11, with 4:47 left in the half. Wofford’s lead hit it’s highest of the half, 39-13, following baskets by Lauren Kirby and Michelle Merritt with one minute remaining; the Terriers carried the 26 point lead, 41-15, into the half.
Wofford shot 50 percent from the floor, 16 percent from three and 80 percent from the line in the half, while Southern Virginia was 20 percent overall and 38 percent from the free throw line. The Knights missed all eight of their three-point attempts in the half.
Wofford came out of the half with the first four points before Nicole Baker converted a layup for Southern Virginia to make the score 45-17 a minute and a half into play. The Terriers responded with a 7-2 run over the next three and a half minutes before a jumper by Loretta Beaty ended the run made the score 52-21 just over 15 minutes to play. Back-to-back Merritt layups with assists from Wrightson pushed the Wofford lead to 37 points, 58-21, with 13 minutes to play. Southern Virginia cut the lead to 29, 58-29, two minutes later, but Wofford mounted a 21-4 run to extend the lead to 46 points, 79-33, with 5:23 remaining. Wofford ended the game up 87-51, and earned its seventh consecutive 80-point performance against Southern Virginia.
The Terriers 50 percent overall, 17 percent from the three and 58 percent from the free-throw line, while the Knights finished 30 percent overall and 50 percent from the line. Southern Virginia missed on all 18 of its three-point attempts in the game.
Logan Morris paced the Terriers with 15 points, while Merritt notched a career-high 14 points and nine rebounds. Merritt finished the game 7-of-9 from the floor to earn her 14 points. Morris’ 15 points off the bench was the first time a Terriers scored 15 or more points off the bench since she scored 16 points against UNC Greensboro on January 29. Erin Frost also added a career-high 13 points, while Wrightson notched ten and Moorhouse tallied ten points. All nine Terriers scored four or more points in the game. Kirby grabbed a career-high ten rebounds for the Terriers, and Brittenham had a season-high seven assists.
It was the first time since January 2, 2011 against Chattanooga that the Terriers had five players score in double figures.
Wofford hits the road with a game at Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C. on December 3 at 4 p.m., a game that was originally scheduled for 5 p.m. The game against the Runnin’ Bulldogs is the first game of a four-game road trip that will see the Terriers play four games in seven days.
