The Basics

Score: Cleveland State 68, Western Carolina 61

Records: Western Carolina 2-9; Cleveland State 7-1

Location: Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, N.C.

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women's basketball grew up on Friday night as the Catamounts gave visiting Cleveland State all they can handle and more before dropping a hard-fought battle 68-61 in the Ramsey Center. 

Cleveland State scored the first 13 points of the game it looked grim for Western Carolina but the Catamounts bounced back scoring 18 points in the opening quarter and trailed the Vikings 26-18 after the first 10 minutes. WCU went on to outscore Cleveland State 20-13 in the second quarter and trail the Vikings by one, 39-38, at the half. 

Turning Point:

With the score tied at 59 with 4:59 left to play, Cleveland State's Mariah White drained a three-pointer spurring a 5-0 run by the Vikings and they never relinquished the lead again. In the final four minutes of the game, Cleveland State outscored Western Carolina 9-2.

Individual Leaders

• Jewel Smalls and Lauren LaPlant each led the team with 14 points. 
• LaPlant drained four three-pointers in the game, tying her career-high.
• Freshman Alyssa Walker came off the bench to score nine points just missing scoring in double figures. 
•  Smalls topped the Catamounts with eight rebounds - two shy of recording her ninth double-double on the year. 
• Senior Judith Martin Ruiz dished out seven assists on the night just two away from tying her career-high. 
• Senior Farasia Hodge put in quality work on the court scoring seven points going 2-for-2 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.
• Cleveland State's White led all scorers with 24 points as she was one of three Vikings to score in double figures: Mariah Miller (18) and Jamiya Braxton (16).

Inside the Box Score

• There were eight lead changes in the contest and six ties. 
• Western Carolina turned the ball over 20 times leading to 26 Viking points. 
• The Catamounts shot lights out in the first quarter at a clip of 57.1 percent and ended the game shooting 42.1 percent. 
• Each team got 28 points inside the paint.
• Cleveland State earned 13 trips to the free-throw line hitting 11. WCU was 6-of-8 from the charity stripe. 
• Western Carolina and Cleveland State each hit seven three-pointers. 
• The Catamounts won the rebounding war ripping down 34 to the Vikings 32. 
• Western Carolina's bench accounted for 16 of WCU's points while the Vikings got 10 from their bench squad. 

News & Notes

• Smalls streak of double-doubles ended at four against Cleveland State as the sophomore had 14 points and eight rebounds. 
• Smalls did keep her streak of double-figure scoring alive with her 14 points extending it to eight straight and 10 out of 11 games. 
• LaPlant has now scored in double figures in the last three games and four of the last five games. In the three consecutive games she has scored in double figures she is averaging 18 points per game. 
• Western Carolina has scored 60 or more points in the last three games. In those last three games, WCU is averaging 64 points per game 42.2 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three-point line (27-of-75). 
• Hodge's seven points against Cleveland State was a season-high. 
• Judith Martin Ruiz's seven assists were a season-high. 
• In the last two games, Western Carolina went 1-1 averaging 65 points a game and shooting 45.6 percent from the field. 
• With seven three-pointers against Cleveland State, Western Carolina has hit seven or more three-pointers in 10 of 11 games. 
• LaPlant has hit four three-pointers in the last three games and at least one three-pointer in all 11 games. 
• In the 2018-19 season, Western Carolina scored 60 or more points in eight of its 30 games. Already in the 2019-20 season, the Catamounts have scored 60 or more points in five of the first 11 games on the year. 

Up Next

Western Carolina will break for finals and return to action at 7 p.m. Dec. 17 hosting Tennessee Tech. 

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