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Ashley Evans, WCU Communications and Marketing

Women's Basketball 2/21/2020 3:31:00 PM Denise Gideon, Director of Media Relations

Catamounts Host Wofford on Senior Day Saturday

Judith Martin Ruiz and Farasia Hodge honored prior to game

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women's basketball will play its final home game of the season, and honor seniors Judith Martin Ruiz and Farasia Hodge, when the Catamounts welcome Furman at 5 p.m. Saturday in the Ramsey Center. The game will be part of a doubleheader with men's basketball who will host The Citadel at 7:30 p.m.

AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE CATAMOUNTS:

Western Carolina and Wofford meet for the 54th time on Saturday. The Catamounts lead the overall series 34-19 but Wofford has won the last three meetings. Western Carolina's last victory over the Terriers came on Feb. 8, 2018, in Spartanburg, S.C. - the Catamounts lone SoCon win in that 2017-18 season. The Terriers have won four of the last five meetings. Western Carolina is 17-7 at home against Wofford.
Western Carolina will honor seniors Judith Martin Ruiz and Hodge prior to the game. Both were transfers into the Catamount program with Martin Ruiz spending three years and Hodge two with WCU.
For the season, Western Carolina has drained 180 three-pointers as a team. This mark ranks this Catamounts squad second in the record books for most three-pointers by a team in a season. The team is now chasing the No. 1 spot held by the 2013-14 squad who drained 189 treys in that year.
Redshirt junior Lauren LaPlant has scored in double figures 17 times on the season and led the team in scoring nine times. She is tied for 19th in the NCAA for most three-pointers in a season (71) which also ranks third in the SoCon.
Sophomore Jewel Smalls is tied for 24th in total rebounds in the NCAA with 253 ranking second in conference play. Her 253 rebounds also rank 10th in the WCU record books for rebounds in a season. She needs six rebounds for ninth place. The record is 295 set by Jennifer Gardner in the 2004-05 season.

AN INSIDE LOOK AT WOFFORD:

Just like Western Carolina, Wofford is suffering through a two-game losing streak. The Terriers are trying to find their footing after losing their top player Chloe Wanink to a season-ending injury.
In the loss to UNCG on Thursday Terrier Da'Ja Green went over 1,000 points in her career.
With the loss of Wanink, Green is the only Wofford player averaging in double figures with 12.9 points per game.
The Terriers have hit 195 three-pointers of the season with almost half coming from Wanink (73) in the 25 games the senior played.

For all the updates on Catamount women's basketball follow @catamounts (Twitter) for in-game updates and full recaps please follow or go to www.catamountsports.com.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Farasia Hodge: F; 6' 0"; Senior

#4 Lauren LaPlant: G; 5' 7"; Redshirt Junior

#14 Judith Martin Ruiz: G; 5' 7"; Redshirt Senior

#30 Jewel Smalls: G; 5' 7"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#3 Farasia Hodge
: 6' 0"; Senior
: F

#4 Lauren LaPlant
: 5' 7"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#14 Judith Martin Ruiz
: 5' 7"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#30 Jewel Smalls
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: G