The Basics

Score: Mercer 71, Western Carolina 55

Records:  Western Carolina 4-22, 0-11 SoCon, 18-7, 10-0

Location: Hawkins Arena, Macon, Ga.    

MACON, Ga. – Three Catamounts scored in double figures in Western Carolina women's basketball's hard-fought 71-55 loss to Mercer Saturday at Hawkins Arena.  

The Southern Conference's front-runner for Freshman of the Year Jewel Smalls paced the Catamounts with 17 points.

Turning Point

The Bears put together a 24-13 lead after the first period and weathered the Catamounts' defensive efforts in the ensuing periods to secure the win.

Individual Leaders

• Smalls was 7-of-17 from the field for her 17 points ripping down six rebounds.
• Senior Angel Allen scored 13 points hitting 5-of-8 from the field. 
• Junior Judith Martin Ruiz rounded out the Catamounts' double-figure scoring adding 10.
• Amanda Thompson led the Bears with a game-leading 18 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. 

Inside the Box Score

• Mercer doubled up Western Carolina in the rebounding column pulling down 42, 29 on the defensive end, to the Catamounts' 27.
• Western Carolina was 14-of-20 from the free throw line. 
• The Catamounts hit five three-pointers to the Bears four.
• Western Carolina shot 37.5 percent from the field while Mercer ended with 47.1 percent.
• The Catamounts had 13 turnovers in the game for which Mercer converted to 17 points. 
• Mercer led for 39 minutes as the game was tied at two to start the contest.
• The Bears led in scoring in three of the four periods as the two teams each scored 14 points in the fourth.

News & Notes

• Martin Ruiz has now scored in double figures in seven of the last eight games.
• Smalls has scored in double figures in three of the last five games. She is averaging 14.8 points per game in that five-game stretch.
• Western Carolina has 157 made three-pointers in the 2018-19 season remaining in third place in the WCU record books for three-pointers in a season. Second place is held by the Southern Conference Championship squad of 2008-09 who ended the season with 167.
• Smalls has scored 278 points in the 2018-19 season which is the most by a Western Carolina women's basketball freshman since 2014-15 when Ace Easter ended her rookie campaign with 297.

Upcoming

Western Carolina returns home Saturday, Feb. 23 for an early evening doubleheader with men's basketball. Women's basketball welcomes UNCG at 5 p.m. while men's basketball hosts VMI at 7:30 p.m.in the Ramsey Center,

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