Thorne becomes #4 Women's Basketball’s all-time leading scorer in 33-point outing in key win over LMU

Salisbury, N.C. —- Catawba grad student guard Lyrik Thorne became the all-time leading scorer in Catawba College women's basketball history Saturday afternoon in the 4th-ranked Catawba Indians' key win over Lincoln Memorial, who was previously unbeaten in conference play.

TEAM STATS

- Catawba shot 26-for-53 (49 percent) from the field; Lincoln Memorial went 22-of-53 (42 percent) from the floor

- The Catawba Indians were 5-for-16 (31 percent) from three-point range, while holding the Railsplitters to 7-of-24 (29 percent) from deep

- Catawba knocked down 13 of its 16 (81 percent) from free throw attempts; LMU struggled from the line, shooting 7-of-15 (47 percent)

- The Catawba Indians held a slight 32-31 rebounding advantage with both teams scoring five second-chance points

- Both teams recorded 13 assists, while LMU had 15 turnovers to Catawba's 13, but it was the Railsplitters who held an advantage in points off turnovers, 14-9

- The Catawba Indians out-scored Lincoln Memorial 38-30 in the paint and scored 12 bench points to LMU's zero

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

- Thorne exploded for a season-high 33 points on 12-of-16 shooting with four assists and three rebounds

- Catawba's floor general surpassed Danyel Locklear's ('04) career scoring total of 1,838 points

- Janiya Downs scored nine points in 16 minutes while battling foul trouble 

- Sara McIntosh recorded eight points, a game-high eight rebounds and three assists

- Mary Spry chipped in eight points in 14 minutes off the bench 

- Jada Porter buried a pair of three-pointers along with four boards

HOW IT HAPPENED

FIRST QUARTER

- LMU's Chloe Savage opened the scoring with a three-pointer in the opening minute

- Thorne scored four points on one trip with an offensive rebound on a free throw

- Four straight points from Spry and a Mazie Helpman layup put Catawba up 13-7 at the 3:21 mark

- The teams traded one basket each the rest of the way, as the Catawba Indians led 15-9 in a defensive opening quarter

SECOND QUARTER

- Lauren Flowers layup cut the LMU deficit to two points three and a half minutes in to the second quarter

- Thorne scored Catawba's next 11 points by herself, as Catawba opened up a double-digit lead on an 18-6 run

- LMU connected on a free throw late, as the Catawba Indians led 35-22 at the halftime break

THIRD QUARTER

- A 7-0 LMU run cut their deficit to six points at the 6:48 mark

- Alexa Smiddy's three-pointer brought the Railsplitters within five, but Porter answered with a triple of her own

- Lincoln Memorial got within a single possession after five straight points near the three-minute mark

- Another LMU three-pointer cut their deficit to 46-44 at the end of the third quarter

- The Railsplitters out-scored Catawba 22-11 in the period

FOURTH QUARTER

- An 8-0 Catawba Indian run early in the fourth quarter opened up a 10-point lead at the 6:39 mark

- The teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter, but the lead never moved from the 7-10 point range, as the Catawba Indians took down the final unbeaten team in SAC play

UP NEXT

- Catawba takes the mid-week off next week before returning to action next Saturday at Tusculum for a 2 p.m. tip