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Women's Basketball Denise Gideon, Director of Media Relations

Women's Basketball Heads to Mercer for Tangle with Bears

First of last two games of the regular season

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women's basketball closes out the regular season with a pair of Southern Conference road games. The Catamounts begin the two-game road swing at Mercer Thursday at 7 p.m.   
 
AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE CATAMOUNTS:
  • Catamounts earned their first victory over the Bears on Feb. 1 at home snapping a 17-game losing streak. In that meeting in Cullowhee, Western Carolina defeated Mercer 51-40. Overall, in Macon, WCU is 0-8 against the Bears. In the last meeting, at Mercer, on Feb. 16, 2019, the Bears defeated the Catamounts 71-55. 
  • The game between Mercer and Western Carolina has become a huge game for both clubs. The winner on Saturday will have a solid chance of avoiding the No. 8 seed in the upcoming SoCon Tournament and avoid playing the No. 1 seed during the 11 a.m. Education Day Game. It could be a huge win for Western Carolina as they would earn their seasonal first sweep over an opponent.
  • Redshirt junior Lauren LaPlant has scored in double figures 18 times on the season and led the team in scoring 10 times.
  • Sophomore Jewel Smalls has 260 rebounds on the season moving her into a tie for seventh place for most rebounds on the year. She needs two rebounds to move into sixth place. Her 260 rebounds are the most by a Catamount women's basketball player since former player Chevon Keith had 282 in the 2006-07 season. That mark earned Keith SoCon Defensive Player of the Year honors. 
  • As a team, the Catamounts have hit 187 three-pointers on the season. The 2019-20 squad needs three three-pointers before the end of the season to take over first place held by the 2013-14 team who ended the season with 189. 
 
AN INSIDE LOOK AT MERCER:
  •  Mercer is on a three-game losing streak just like Western Carolina. In the last three games, the Bears have lost to ETSU, Chattanooga, and Samford.
  • The Bears have three players averaging in double figures led by Jaron Dougherty who is averaging 15.1 points per game. 
 
 
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

Lauren LaPlant

#4 Lauren LaPlant

G
5' 7"
Redshirt Junior
Jewel Smalls

#30 Jewel Smalls

G
5' 7"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Lauren LaPlant

#4 Lauren LaPlant

5' 7"
Redshirt Junior
G
Jewel Smalls

#30 Jewel Smalls

5' 7"
Sophomore
G