By Horace Billings

Salisbury Post

Catawba’s women’s basketball team kept a share of first place in the South Atlantic Conference with an impressive 77-69 victory over Mars Hill at Goodman Gym on Wednesday night.

The Indians pulled out the win with a sparkling comeback. Trailing 26-24 at halftime, Catawba outscored the Lions 53-43 in the second half.

Coach Angie Morton’s Indians kept the nets hot in the second half. Catawba

(14-3, 4-1) made only 30 percent of its field-goal attempts in the first half but shot 70.8 percent (17-for-24) after halftime.

“It was an important win for us,” Morton said. “We played real well in the second half.

“We shot the ball very well and played very good on defense. We found a way to play better.”

Corin Muldrow led the scoring for the Indians with 20 points.

She had 12 in the second-half surge.

“Muldrow played a real good game for us,” Morton pointed out. “She shot the ball well and did a real good job rebounding.”

Muldrow shot 5-for-9 from the floor and 10-for-15 from the foul line.

Cristi Bartlett came off the bench and fired in 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting.

Cameron Clark followed with nine points, and Hillary Hampton, Brittany Higgins and Ingrid Easter added eight apiece.

Abby DeBusk led the Lions (8-7, 2-3) with 18 points. Allison Schafer, a former star for Davie County, was held to seven points.

Catawba is tied for first place with Wingate and Carson-Newman.

Catawba travels to face new league member Lincoln Memorial on Saturday afternoon.

MARS HILL (69) — DeBusk 18, Francis 15, Roberts 8, Okonowo 7, Schafer 7, Snider 6, Lee 6, Blanford 2.

CATAWBA (77) — Muldrow 20, Bartlett 13, Clark 9, Hampton 8, Higgins 8, Easter 8, Foster 5, Childs 3, Whitley 2, Howard 1, Baxter, Tackett, Colombo.

Mars Hill 26 43 — 69

Catawba 24 53 — 77