CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women's basketball, under second-year head coach Kiley Hill, opens the 2020-21 season Wednesday, Nov. 25, on the road at UNC Asheville. The game between the mountain rivals is set for 1 p.m. in Kimmel Arena.
 
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AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE CATAMOUNTS:

• Western Carolina and UNCA meet for the 57th time with the Catamounts holding a 40-16 advantage over the Bulldogs. UNCA has won the last two meetings with the Bulldogs coming away in the last meeting in 2019, in Cullowhee, with a 64-47 victory. Western Carolina has won six of the last 10 meetings with its last win coming in 2017 at home defeating UNCA 62-52. WCU is 18-8 against UNCA in Asheville. The longest losing streak to UNCA is three games and the longest winning streak is nine-straight. The two teams first met on Feb. 3, 1968 with the Catamounts winning 50-26.
• Redshirt senior guard Lauren LaPlant was named to the Preseason All-Southern Conference squad as announced on Nov. 11. LaPlant averaged 12 points per game and broke the single-season program record for most three-pointers with 80 in the 2019-20 season.
• Head Coach Kiley Hill is searching for his 300th career win as he is sitting at 299.
• Western Carolina has a total of seven newcomers for the 2020-21 season which included two junior college transfers. The Catamounts will also welcome redshirt junior Kyla Allison on the court after she sat out last season due to transfer rules.
• Redshirt junior Kyla Allison returns to the hardwood after sitting out the 2019-20 season due to transfer rules after coming to Western Carolina from Middle Tennessee. While with the Blue Raiders, Allison played in 58 games averaging 3.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
• Western Carolina was picked to finish eighth in the SoCon preseason poll.

 

AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE BULLDOGS:

• UNCA will have a new look on the sidelines as former assistant coach Honey Brown takes over the Bulldog program after Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick stepped down as the head coach last spring. Honey Brown becomes the 11^th head coach of the Bulldog women's basketball program.
• UNCA was picked seventh in the Big South preseason poll while senior Nadiria Evans was named to the preseason Big South All-Conference First Team. Evans led the team in field goals made (157), free throws made (102), points scored (428), and steals (38). She scored 20 or more points seven times as a junior.
• UNCA had its run in the Big South Tournament cut short in March as the COVID-19 Pandemic forced the conference to shut down the tournament. The Bulldogs defeated Charleston Southern 82-46 in the opening round of the tournament, and was scheduled to play High Point before it was canceled.