The Basics

Score: Coastal Carolina 66, Western Carolina 43

Records: Western Carolina 1-7; Coastal Carolina 4-0

Location: Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, N.C.

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – A stagnant fourth quarter stalled what was one of Western Carolina women's basketball's best performances of the season as the Catamounts fell to visiting Coastal Carolina 66-43 Sunday in the Ramsey Center.  

Sophomore guard Jewel Smalls had a career performance in the loss ripping down a career-best 18 rebounds, draining a personal-best five three-pointers along with scoring 17 points marking her sixth double-double of the season,

Turning Point:

Coastal Carolina outscored Western Carolina in three of the four quarters and held the Catamounts to seven points in the fourth quarter.

Individual Leaders

• Smalls led all scorers with 17 points and ripping down a career-high 18 rebounds.
• Senior Judith Martin Ruiz dished out six assists while her sister freshman Andrea Martin Ruiz gave out five.
• Coastal Carolina had two players score in double figures led by Aja Bount's 16 and followed by Torrie Cash's 10.
• Junior forward Tembre Moates had two blocks.

Inside the Box Score

• After Western Carolina scored in double figures in the first three quarters, including outscoring Coastal Carolina 14-13 in the third quarter, the Catamounts were held to seven points in the fourth quarter. WCU didn't score in the fourth until freshman Diarra Smith drained a three-pointer with 2:42 left in the game.
• Coastal Carolina shot 36.8 percent in the game while WCU shot 25.8.
• Western Carolina won the three-point battle draining nine three-pointers to Coastal Carolina's six.
• Coastal Carolina just edged Western Carolina in the rebounding war ripping down 47 to the Catamount's 42. Smalls had 18 of WCU's 42 boards.
• The Catamounts committed 16 turnovers in the game which turned into 22 Coastal Carolina points. Coastal Carolina had nine turnovers with WCU scoring nine points.
• All nine Catamounts who were available to play saw action in the contest.
• The Catamounts had a strong showing in the first half trailing Coastal Carolina 35-22 in the first 20 minutes of the game.

News & Notes

• Western Carolina started its third different line up of the season going with Lauren LaPlant, Judith Martin Ruiz, Andrea Martin Ruiz, Smalls, and Moates.
• Moates earned her first start of the season against Coastal Carolina.
• LaPlant has at least one 3-pointer in all eight games played as she connected on one in the game against Coastal Carolina.
• Smalls extends her double-figure performance streak to five-straight games with her 18-point performance against the Chanticleers.
• Smalls also had strong performance behind the three-point arch hitting a career-best five three-pointers usurping her previous mark of four.
• It was also a career day for Smalls in rebounds as she ripped down a career-best of 18 tying her for 14th the WCU record books for most rebounds in a game.  
• With those 18 rebounds, Smalls continues to lead the NCAA for most rebounds in a season with 93.
• With nine three-pointers against Coastal Carolina, it marks the seventh time WCU has scored seven or more three-pointers in a game.
• Smith's three-pointer in the game gives her a new career-high in points with three.

Up Next

Western Carolina travels to Gardner-Webb on Wednesday to face the Runnin' Bulldogs at 2 p.m. before the Catamounts break for the Thanksgiving holiday.

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