WOMEN'S BASKETBALL'S HISTORIC WIN STREAK SNAPPED IN HEARTBREAKING LOSS TO CATAWBA

Salisbury, NC - After leading by eight at the half and fighting until the end, the Cobras suffer only their second loss of the season to the Catawba Indians.

By The Numbers:

Final Score: Catawba 71, Coker 65
Records: Coker 21-2 (17-2 SAC), Catawba 14-9 (12-7 SAC)
Location: Salisbury, NC | Goodman Center

Top Performers

Shawnteanna Tillman: 19 points, 2 assists
Kristynn Knight: 11 points, 3 rebounds
Kamari Thompson: 8 points, 15 rebounds

How It Happened

The Cobras jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, with Cayanna Stanley knocking down a three to put the Cobras up 12-4. Catawba responded to bring it back to a one-possession game, but Stanley hit another big three to take the lead up to 15-9. After a couple of free throws, the Cobras lead 16-10 heading into the second quarter.

A Mya Wasswa made three-pointer got the scoring going in the second quarter and put the Cobras up 19-10. Mariah Mitchem grabbed a steal and headed on the break to convert a lay-up to make the score 23-12, followed by Kamari Thompson putting in a lay-up to give them the largest lead of the game at 25-12. After a bit of back and forth, Catawba started to make a dent in the deficit, scoring some clutch buckets to shrink the deficit to just eight points at the break.

For the first five minutes of the third quarter, the two teams exchanged stops and scores on both sides to keep the score around the same buffer. Underneath the five-minute mark, the Catawba Indians shrank this to just a five-point game. After a Coker timeout with 1:32 left on the clock, Catawba brought this one to within just one point at 45-44. At the end of the third, it was Coker with the three-point lead at 49-46.

For the first time since 2-0 in favor of Catawba, they took the lead back while scoring the first four points of the game to make it 50-49 in their favor. Tillman responded, hitting an and-one lay-up to retake the lead at 52-50. Catawba then went on a 9-0 run where their stout defense prevented chances for the Cobras and proved to be a formidable challenge. Down nine with 3:19 left on the clock, Tillman helped start a run beginning with two made free throws. The 7-0 run ended on another pair of free throws, this time by Thompson. Catawba made great plays down the stretch and the mighty Cobras fell victim to just their second loss on the season.

Notables

• This week, the Cobras were ranked in the Top Ten in the WBCA Poll for the first time in school history, slotting in at ninth in the latest update. This is a testament to all the hard work and sacrifices this team and these coaches have put in this season!
• As previously stated, this is just the second loss on the season for the Cobras. As the current win streak ends, another one can begin starting on Saturday!

Up Next

The Cobras will look to bounce back in a big way, headed on the road yet again to take on the Saints of Limestone. Tip-off for that contest is set for 2:00 PM ET.