Goodlett shines in Women’s Basketball’s win in home opener

Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College women's basketball team pulled away in the fourth quarter in their victory in the home opener versus Johnson C. Smith on Wednesday evening behind a career-high 19 points from freshman Bailee Goodlett.

TEAM STATISTICS

- Johnson C. Smith shot 19-for-54 (35 percent) from the field, while Catawba was 24-of-70 (34 percent) from the floor

- The Catawba Indians were 5-for-21 (24 percent) from three-point range, while holding the Golden Bulls 1-of-17 (6 percent) from long range

- JCSU went 14-for-16 (88 percent) from the free throw line; Catawba was 10-of-12 (83 percent) at the charity stripe

- Both teams grabbed 41 rebounds; Catawba held a small 9-8 edge in second-chance points

- The Catawba Indians dished out 11 assists to 23 turnovers, while Johnson C. Smith recorded six assists to 32 turnovers; Catawba held a 34-15 advantage in points off turnovers

- Catawba led in points in the paint (32-28), fastbreak points (21-8) and bench points (23-10)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Goodlett led the way with a game-high 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting

- Nala Baker was the other Catawba Indian to reach double figures with 10 points, five rebounds and four steals

- Freshman Sheree Gidney chipped in nine points and three boards off the bench

- Natalie Lara Fuertes pulled down a team-high nine rebounds with four steals

- Saniya Wilson dished out a game-high five assists

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST QUARTER

- After Catawba scored the opening basket, JCSU scored the game's next five to take an early lead

- Goodlett and Sydney Gueterman jumpers turned the lead back in Catawba's favor

- The teams traded baskets the rest of the period with Catawba lead 14-13 after 10 minutes

SECOND QUARTER

- The defenses settled in to begin the second quarter, as the teams combined for just two points in the opening five and a half minutes

- Jada Porter broke Catawba's scoreless drought by splashing home a triple near the 4-minute mark

- Baker canned a three-pointer and Goodlett was fouled on a last-second heave and converted all three free throws to five Catawba a 28-19 advantage at the break

THIRD QUARTER

- Johnson C. Smith trimmed the Catawba lead to five points less than four minutes into the half

- Their deficit got to as slim as a single point after a KyShonna Brown jumper made it 37-36 at the 2:48 mark

- Goodlett drained a deep three-pointer in transition as the third quarter clock expired to give the Catawba Indians a four-point cushion heading into the final 10 minutes

FOURTH QUARTER

- Triples from Baker and Brooklin Ingram propelled a 10-0 Catawba run to force a JCSU timeout at the 8:17 mark

- The Golden Bulls chipped away with an 8-0 run of their own, capped by Betsey Burnett's jumper to cut their deficit to 52-48 at the 6:15 mark

- Catawba's lead grew to 10 points once again near the two-minute mark after Goodlett's free throw

- JCSU got the game to within six points near the minute mark, but Lara Fuertes and Gueterman sealed the game with baskets down the stretch to give Catawba the win in the home opener

GAME NOTES

- Terence McCutcheon's 96th career win as head coach

- Catawba's ninth straight win in their home opener

- Win snaps a six-game losing streak to Johnson C. Smith

- Goodlett's 19 points are most by a Catawba freshman since Lyrik Thorne scored 22 in a win at Fayetteville State in November 2019

UP NEXT

- Catawba takes the weekend off before starting up conference play next week; the Catawba Indians head to Anderson next Wednesday for a matchup of two NCAA Second Round teams from a season ago; tip is scheduled for 5 p.m.