Box Score

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Junior guard Lindsay Simpson poured in a season-high 20 points as Western Carolina women's basketball muscled its way past UNC Asheville 79-66, at the Bulldogs Education Day game, Wednesday afternoon in Kimmell Arena.

The Catamounts improve to 6-4 on the season scoring the most points of the year. UNC Asheville falls to 3-7.

Simpson, a native of Franklin, N.C., came off the bench to snap her scoring slump hitting 7-of-9 from the field and 4-of-5 from behind the three point arch. She was one of four Catamount players who scored in double figures with senior guard Justin Taylor notching 16, Makensey Campbell adding 11 and Brianne Mack posting 10.

UNCA stayed in the game, early in the first half, thanks to five straight points at the free throw line to open the contest. In fact, Bronaza Fitzgerald scored the first seven points of the game for the Bulldogs helping UNCA to take an early 7-6 lead.

Western Carolina weathered it all in the first half, including losing starters Taylor and Mack to two personal fouls mid-way through the first half. With the scoring minded Taylor out with six minutes to go in the half, with two fouls, Simpson found the hot hand and scored 13 of her 20 points in the first half.

Tied at 22, Western Carolina got a five point swing when Ali Lane swiped a steal and Simpson turned it into a lay-up. Campbell drained a three-pointer and just like that WCU was up by five, 27-22. In the final five plus minutes of the first half, Western Carolina went on a 14-8 run to lead 41-33 at the half.

UNCA came out on all cylinders and trimmed the Western Carolina lead to four, 50-46, with 15:17 remaining - it was the closest the Bulldogs would get to the Catamounts in the game. The tipping point was when Shonese Jones hit a pair of free throws to make the score 63-55 with 9:36 left.

Simpson answered hitting a lay-up with 8:18 left and the game's momentum seemed to swing completely in Western Carolina's favor. With 6:39 left, Western Carolina built its largest lead of the game at 14, 69-55, when Taylor hit a jumper.

UNCA's Jones did make it interesting when she hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to six, 69-63, with 3:21 left. Lane hit a field goal and was fouled, hitting the and one free throw, to push the lead back to nine, 72-63.

Western Carolina was 5-of-8 from the free throw line to close out the game. UNC Asheville's 19-of-25 from the free throw line kept the Bulldogs in the game. UNCA also hit seven three-pointers.

The Catamounts shot a scorching season-high 56 from the field and nailed nine three-pointers. WCU also had a season-low five turnovers in the contest.

UNCA doubled up the Catamounts on the glass ripping down 45, 25 on the offensive end, to the Catamounts' 22. WCU also dished out a season-high 19 assists including Lane tying her career-high in assists with eight.

Western Carolina returns to action Saturday facing FIU at 1:00 p.m. in Jacksonville, Florida as part of the UNF Holiday Tournament hosted by North Florida.