Published: February 29, 2008 11:33 pm         

PSC falls to Hagerstown

FREDERICK — Potomac State made three comeback attempts in the second half, but could never grab the lead as the seventh-seeded Catamounts bowed out of the Region XX Division II Tournament with an 85-78 first round loss to No. 2 Hagerstown that also ended the team’s season.

The Cats rallied on three different occasions in the second half from double-digit deficits. Each time PSC would either tie the score or get to within one point before Hagerstown would pull away again. Potomac was forced to foul by the end of the second half, which allowed the Hawks to increase its lead to the final score.

“It was a battle of runs for most of the evening,” said Potomac State head coach Jim Walton. “They would get up and we would chase. Our girls just kept fighting back, and the effort was definitely there. We just came up short.”

The Catamounts were led by Amanda McKim’s season-high 33 points and five rebounds. She finished 15-for-18 from the floor, including 3-of-3 from three-point range. Denise Johnson scored 16 points, and Maddie Crosby finished with 11. Julieanne Buckley added nine points and five assists.

The teams committed a combined 21 fouls, with only four (all against PSC) getting called in the first half.

Latoya Buckner scored 20 points, and Tianna Jewell added 18 for Hagerstown.

Potomac State finishes the season 17-10.

“It wasn’t the season I would have liked to have, but everyone is a freshman, and have said they are coming back,” Walton said. “Now all we need is to get a few more players to fill out the roster and allow us to give some breaks to players. We asked a lot of minutes out of these girls, and couldn’t give them the breaks they needed. They are a good group of girls, and I’m looking forward to next season.”