Box Score |   

The Basics
Score: Furman 83 - Western Carolina 76 OT
Records: Western Carolina 4-15, 0-5 SoCon, Furman 10-9, 3-1 SoCon
Location: Ramsey Center - Cullowhee, N.C.

CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Western Carolina women's basketball dropped on overtime thriller, 83-76, to Furman Thursday in the Ramsey Center.

Tied at 67 at the end of regulation, Furman outscored the Catamounts 9-3 in the final three minutes of overtime, and was 8-of-8 from the free throw line to secure the win. Overall, the Paladins topped the Catamounts 16-9 in the overtime frame.

Western Carolina overcame a 12 point, 39-27, halftime deficit to take its second lead of the game in the third period. A lay-up by sophomore JonTay Mitchem put WCU in the lead, 46-45, for the first time since the first period, with 4:34 left in the third.

Furman battled back in the fourth period and built a seven point lead, 63-56, with five minutes left in the game but Western Carolina has some fight of its own. The Catamounts outscored the Paladins 11-4 to close out the fourth period with senior Erika Joseph's lay-up with 38 seconds remaining knotted the game at 67 and forced overtime.

Western Carolina was led by sophomore guard Ace Easter with 22 points recording her third 20-point game of the season. Freshman guard Raziyah Farrington recorded her second straight double figure performance with 12.

Furman's Whitney Bunn scored a career-high 33 points scoring 20 of her 33 points in the second half and overtime. Bunn was one of three Paladins to score in double figures with Kelsey Ellis adding 15 and Cierra Carter recording a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Turning Point
Furman outscored Western Carolina 16-9 in overtime including outscoring the Catamounts 9-3 in the final three minutes.

Individual Leaders
- Easter led Western Carolina with 22 points.
- Farrington recorded her second straight double figure scoring performance with 12.
- Sophomore forward Sherae Bonner just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
- Furman's Bunn scored a career-high 33 points.

Inside the Box Score
- Furman shot 45.8 percent from the field to Western Carolina's 39.7 percent.
- Western Carolina won the rebounding battle ripping down 43 to the Paladins' 39.
- Each team had five blocks in the contest. - Furman was 23-of-30 from the free throw line shooting 76.7 percent.
- Both teams hit six three-pointers.
- Western Carolina hit more field goals then Furman, 29 to 27.
- Western Carolina won the third period outscoring Furman 25-12.

News & Notes
- Western Carolina's overtime loss to Furman is the second straight OT loss at home for the Catamounts ... WCU lost 92-88 in overtime to Mercer on Jan. 9.
- With three treys in the game, Lindsay Simpson has hit at least on three pointer in the last eight games ... Simpson now has 162 career three pointers ranking third in the Catamount record books ... She needs 17 three pointers to move into second place usurping former Catamount Yoneko Allen who sits with 178.
- Easter has now scored in double figures in seven of the last eight games and 14 times overall.
- The 76 points scored by Western Carolina is the most scored by the Catamounts in two games. - Western Carolina is averaging 69.5 points per game at home an opposite of its 63.1 overall.
- Bonner tied her career-high with three blocks.

Up Next
Western Carolina's home game against Wofford has been shifted from Saturday to Sunday due to the threat of wintry weather. The Catamounts will face the Terriers at 3:30 p.m. the second game of a doubleheader with men's basketball who will host Mercer at 1 p.m. Sunday.

For the latest information on Catamount women's basketball, follow @catamounts on Twitter or go to www.catamountsports.com.