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WBB Preview at UNC - FRONT

Women's Basketball Greg Hartlage, Director of Media Relations

Women's Basketball Heads to Chapel Hill for Post-Exam Tilt

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women's basketball begins a quick spurt of three games over a five-day stretch on Friday as the Catamounts travel to #25/24 North Carolina for a 7 p.m. tip from Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill.

The contest with the Tar Heels will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra (paid subscription required). Live streaming audio (free) from the Catamount Sports Network and live stats are also available at CatamountSports.com. 
 
Matchup: Western Carolina (2-8) at #25/24 North Carolina (6-4) 
Date: Friday, Dec. 15
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Carmichael Arena (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast 
Live Video: ACCN Extra
Live Audio: Catamount Sports Network
Twitter: @CatamountWBB
 
Western Carolina returns to the court for the first time since finals Friday as the Catamounts travel to ACC foe and nationally ranked North Carolina. WCU looks to bounce back from a 59-48 defeat at the hands of mountain rival UNC Asheville last Saturday. Junior Chelsea Wooten tallied a team-high 15 points with five 3-pointers and Audrey Meyers pulled down a team-best eight rebounds. 
 
Wooten, who is riding consecutive double-digit scoring efforts, comes into the week ranked third in the SoCon in 3-point shooting, connecting on 24 triples and she also leads the league with 2.7 threes per game thus far in the 2023-24 season. The McKinney, Texas native comes into the matchup with the Tar Heels sitting 10th in scoring in the conference with 11.7 points per game. Jada Burton begins the weekend third in the conference with 43 assists and is tied for third in assists per game with 4.3 helpers per game. Burton is also tied for fourth in the league in steals, with 17 on the year. 
 
North Carolina comes into Friday's matchup with a 6-4 seasonal record as the Tar Heels dropped a 76-64 contest to #17 UConn last Sunday in the Hall of Fame Women's Showcase. UNC is ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press (AP) poll and No. 24 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Tar Heels have battled three ranked opponents already in the young season, including No. 1 South Carolina, No. 16 Kansas State, and the aforementioned Huskies.
 
Deja Kelly, a preseason All-ACC selection, leads the Tar Heels on the offensive end with a team-high 15.6 points per game, as Maria Gakdeng is scoring 11.2 points per game. Alyssa Ustby joined Kelly on the preseason all-conference team, averaging 10.9 points/game and adding a team-high 8.3 rebounds per contest for North Carolina. Lexi Donarski is scoring 10.7 ppg as she's connecting on a team-high 24 threes as she was selected to the league's newcomer watch list.   
 
North Carolina finished the 2022-23 campaign with a 22-11 record as the Tar Heels went 11-7 in the ACC. The Tar Heels advanced to the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament before falling to Ohio State as the Buckeyes advanced to the Elite Eight. UNC was selected third in the ACC Preseason Poll under the direction of fifth-year head coach Courtney Banghart. 
 
UNC leads the all-time series 11-3 with the Tar Heels claiming the last 10 games. The two teams meet on Friday for the first time since November 2019. In the 2019 matchup, Jewel Smalls posted a double-double with a team-high 23 points and 10 rebounds, connecting on eight field goals and four threes. 
 
Following Friday's tilt in Chapel Hill, the Catamounts return home for the final time before the holidays with a 2 p.m. tip on tap against Murray State from Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. The Racers hold a 5-2 record on the season as they host Little Rock on Thursday before making the trip to Cullowhee on Monday afternoon. The matchup with Murray State will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available on CatamountSports.com and live audio through the Catamount Sports Network. 
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount women's basketball and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, Catamountwbb).
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Audrey Meyers

#31 Audrey Meyers

G/F
6' 0"
Senior
Jada Burton

#10 Jada Burton

G
5' 8"
Junior
Chelsea Wooten

#11 Chelsea Wooten

G
5' 9"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Audrey Meyers

#31 Audrey Meyers

6' 0"
Senior
G/F
Jada Burton

#10 Jada Burton

5' 8"
Junior
G
Chelsea Wooten

#11 Chelsea Wooten

5' 9"
Junior
G