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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Rachel Brittenham came up two rebounds shy of a triple-double with 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as Wofford defeated Georgia Southern 70-55 Monday night in the Benjamin Johnson Arena in a Southern Conference game.
Brittenham finished the game 6-of-7 overall, 3-of-4 from three and 2-of-4 from the free throw line. It is the second time this season she has broken the double-digit assists mark and fifth in her career. She now has 341 career assists, fourth all-time, and 126 assists this season, fifth in assists in a single-season. She broke the single season mark in 2010-11 with 160 assists.
With the win, the Terriers improves to 10-11 overall and 3-9 in the Southern Conference. It is the first time since 2007-08 that Wofford has reached ten wins in a season and it is the earliest a team has reached ten wins since the 2001-02 team had ten wins by January 12. The win also snaps a six game losing skid and avenges a loss to the Eagles (7-14, 3-9) early in the season.
Wofford took an early 12-6 lead with just over 16 minutes to play. Logan Morris had eight of the first 12 points for the Terriers including two corner threes. Wofford extended the lead to 17-10 at 12:33 when Mariah Masalin found Rachel Brittenham on the baseline for an easy layup.
Wofford pushed the lead to 21-10 two made free throws from Brittenham and a technical foul on Georgia Southern at the ten-minute mark, and surged head to a 15-point lead, 25-10, on back-to-back jumpers from Masalin two minutes later.
Georgia Southern cut into the Terrier lead on baseline jumper from Janay Wilson, 25-14, but Wofford responded with a three from Brittenham and a put back on her own miss from Daniella Motley to push the lead 30-14 with 4:33 left in the half.
After the Eagles again cut into the lead 32-18 on two free throws from Britteny Benzio, Erin Frost answered with back-to-back threes to extend the lead to 20 points, 38-18, with just over a minute left. Georgia Southern converted the final basket of the half as Wofford took an 18-point lead, 38-20, into the half.
Wofford held their 20-point lead, 47-27 through the first media timeout in the second half with 15:58 left to play, but Lacie Dowling made a three coming out of the timeout to make it 47-30.
Wofford pushed the lead back to 21 points, 54-33, on a three from Wrightson two minutes later, and a Brittenham three at the 12-minute mark pushed the lead to 57-33.
Georgia Southern cut the lead to 19 points, 57-38, on jumper by Ro-Ro Smith at 9:48, and pulled to within 59-44 on two Anna Claire Knight free throws. Brittenham responded with a three and a layup from Motley to push the lead back to 19 points, 64-45 with 6:42 left in play.
The Eagles answered with a 10-2 run highlighted by a three from Briana Scott over the next five minutes before Daniella Motley knocked down a jumper on Brittenham’s tenth assists of the game to make it 68-55 Wofford. Wofford took the game 70-55 as Motley scored the final basket.
Wofford finished the game 49 percent from the floor, 53 percent from three and 56 percent from the line, while Georgia Southern went 27 percent overall, 20 percent from long range and 78 percent from the line.
The Terriers held a 45-33 rebound advantage, and an 18-5 assists advantage.
Brittenham’s 17 paced the Terriers offensively, but for the third straight game and 14th time this season Wofford had three with double-digit points. Motley finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. Morris followed with ten points, all of which came in the first half.
April Moorhouse added six points giving her 807 career points and putting her in a tie for 19th all-time in the Wofford record book. She is also the 21st player to crack the 800-point mark.
Knight was the only Eagle in double-figures with 11 points.
Wofford stays in the Benjamin Johnson Arena to finish a three-game home stand with Chattanooga on February 4 at 6 p.m. and Samford on February 6 at 6 p.m. which will air on ESPN3 as the SoCon Game of the Week.
