CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women's basketball closes out its four-game homestand on Saturday as part of a mountain rivalry doubleheader as the Catamounts host UNC Asheville at 7 p.m. on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. The matchup will be preceded by WCU men's basketball hosting the Bulldogs at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
The contest with the Bulldogs will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Live streaming audio (free) from the Catamount Sports Network and live stats are also available at CatamountSports.com.
Matchup: UNC Asheville (3-5) vs Western Carolina (2-7)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 9
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center (Cullowhee, N.C.)
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Catamount Sports Network
Twitter: @CatamountWBB
Western Carolina closes out a season-long four-game home stretch against Big South foe and mountain rival UNC Asheville on Saturday night. The Catamounts look to rebound from a 73-64 defeat on Education Day on Tuesday against USC Upstate. Junior transfer Chelsea Wooten scored a career-high 29 points, connecting on eight 3-pointers for the Catamounts in the loss.
The game concludes a stretch of three straight home dates against teams from the Big South Conference. WCU has already squared off against Radford (Nov. 9), Presbyterian (Dec. 2), and USC Upstate (Dec. 5) during the 2023-24 season.
Wooten enters the weekend in a tie for sixth in the league with 19 made 3-pointers after connecting on eight triples on Tuesday afternoon against the Spartans. She also ranks 13th in the SoCon in scoring with an 11.3 points per game average. Freshman Tyja Beans is tied for ninth in the league with 21 offensive rebounds, while junior Jada Burton maintains her spot towards the league's top in assists with 39 helpers, ranking third in the SoCon. She's also tied for sixth in the conference with 15 steals.
UNC Asheville comes into the weekend with a 3-5 seasonal record as the Bulldogs picked up an 88-33 victory on Wednesday over NCAA Division III Warren Wilson. Asheville also has wins over Queens and Tennessee State thus far in the 2023-24 season with each of those wins coming on the Bulldogs' home floor. UNCA is 0-5 away from home including three losses in true road games and two on a neutral court.
McKinley Brooks-Sumpter, a preseason All-Big South Conference selection, leads the Bulldogs on the offensive end with a team-high 14.2 points per game while grabbing a team-best 7.8 rebounds per contest. Brooks-Sumpter has posted four double-figure scoring games including a season-high 20 against Queens. Lalmani Simmons is scoring 10.3 ppg. Jaila Lee leads the Bulldogs with 12 steals and a team-high 28 offensive rebounds.
UNC Asheville finished the 2022-23 campaign with a 12-19 record as the Bulldogs went 7-11 in the Big South Conference. UNCA defeated ninth-seeded Winthrop in the 2023 Big South Tournament opening round before falling to eventual tournament champion and top seed Gardner-Webb in the quarterfinals. UNC Asheville was picked fifth in the Big South preseason poll under the direction of fourth-year head coach Honey Brown.
WCU leads the all-time series with its mountain rival 40-19, with UNC Asheville claiming the last five showdowns. The Catamounts hold a 22-9 head-to-head record over UNC Asheville in games contested in Cullowhee. In the 2022 matchup in Asheville, Kyla Allison scored a team-high 11 points and added six rebounds, as Mya Love added eight points in the defeat to the Bulldogs. The most recent meeting in Cullowhee was tightly contested and went to overtime with the 'Dogs claiming a 74-72 win in the extra session.
Following Saturday's tilt in Cullowhee, the Catamounts are off for final exams until Friday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. when WCU hits the road for a 7 p.m. tip against North Carolina from the Carmichael Center in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels currently sit with a 6-3 record on the season and rank No. 24 in both the Associated Press (AP) and USA Today/WBCA Coaches poll. The matchup with the Tar Heels will be shown on ACCNX (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).
