Staff report

SALISBURY — Freshman Bailee Goodlett scored 19 points and led Catawba’s women’s basketball team to a 63-53 non-conference victory against Johnson C. Smith on Wednesday.

Goodlett shot 6-for-11 from the field, made her only 3-point attempt and was 6-for-7 from the foul line. In a mostly ugly game, she stood out.

Goodlett, who starred at North Rowan, scored the most points in a game by a Catawba freshman since Lyrik Thorne was a freshman in 2019.

Goodlett is at about 75 percent right now, due to a leg injury, but she may be at full speed when Catawba returns to action at Anderson on Nov. 20 to start South Atlantic Conference play.

Catawba (2-1) wasn’t sharp, turning it over 23 times and shooting only 34 percent, but the Indians made five 3-pointers and were solid (10-for-12) at the foul line.

Nala Baker scored 10 points, while Sheree Gidney had nine. Natalie Lara Fuertes had nine rebounds. Saniya Wilson had five assists.

Betsey Burnette scored 17 to spark the Golden Bulls.

J.C. Smith (1-1) had 32 turnovers and crushed any chance it had to win at Goodman Arena with 1-for-17 3-point shooting.

Catawba led 28-19 at the half. The Golden Bulls pushed closer in the third quarter, but Catawba had a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter.

Catawba ended a six-game losing streak against J.C. Smith and won its ninth straight home opener.

 

JC Smith    13    6   19    15   — 53

Catawba     14   14  14    21   — 63

CATAWBA scoring — Goodlett 19, Baker 10, Gidney 9, Foskey 6, Wilson 5, Gueterman 4, Ingram 3, Porter 3, Lara Fuertes 2, Dixon-Booker 2.