Staff report

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C — For Catawba’s women’s basketball team, it was only an exhibition that won’t count on the team’s overall record, but a 78-75 overtime win vs. Division I UNC Wilmington at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center will still be something all the coaches and players will remember.

Thursday night’s victory in the Carolina Challenge is big as far as confidence for a team that has started 9-0  after a string of seasons that fell somewhere between average and pretty good.

The game did count for UNCW, which fell to 3-7.

Freshman guard Lyrik Thorne’s 3-pointer with 1:36 left in overtime gave the Indians the lead for good. With Catawba leading by one, junior guard Shemya Stanback made two free throws with 10.5 seconds left for the final points of the game.

Junior forward Taisha DeShazo and senior guard Madison Hallman each scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds for the Indians.

Stanback had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while junior center Talia Barnes chipped in 11 points with five rebounds.

Thorne made two 3-pointers and scored 10 points.

Freshman post player Sara McIntosh had eight points.

Freshman Janiya Downs (South Rowan) finally made her season debut on Monday in Florida against Embry-Riddle and played a couple of minutes. She was a factor against UNC Wilmington, making two 3-pointers and scoring seven points in 15 minutes of action.

Senior guard Lacey Suggs scored 20 for the Seahawks.

Catawba beat UNC Wilmington for the first time in seven tries.

Catawba went 11-for-13 from the foul line.

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