Radford, Va. – Tyja Beans converted an offensive rebound into the go-ahead bucket inside the game's final 20 seconds on Sunday afternoon as Western Carolina opened its six-game road swing with a 55-53 win over Radford at the Dedmon Center. The Catamounts had to survive a would-be game-tying jumper in the paint on Radford's final possession before celebrating the perfect start through three games.
 
The 3-0 start is WCU's best since winning three straight to open the 2015-16 season, though none of the trio of victories that year came against NCAA Division I opponents (Lees McRae, Brevard, Anderson). This season's 3-0 start with a pair of NCAA Division-I wins matches the 2007-08 Catamount squad which also opened perfectly three games into the schedule with NCAA D-I wins over Detroit Mercy and Clemson.
 
Western Carolina (3-0) trailed for the majority of its first game away from Cullowhee under first-year head coach Jonathan Tsipis with the squad's first lead not coming until 15 seconds into the fourth quarter. WCU enjoyed four one-point advantages in the final frame with its lone two-point edge coming inside the final 10 seconds.
 
With the Highlanders in front 53-52 in the closing seconds, guard Kehinde Obasuyi missed a jumper in the lane as WCU looked to reclaim the lead. Beans flashed to the missed shot, though, with her put-back falling to propel the Catamounts back in front 54-53 with just 16 ticks remaining.
 
On the ensuing possession, Radford's Cate Carlson missed a jump shot that was scooped up by Carter before she was fouled. The Atlanta, Ga., product hit 1-of-2 free throws for the two-point cushion. Radford then got a look at a game-tying basket, but Joi Williams missed a jumper in the paint leading to WCU's third-straight seasonal victory.
 
Beans was held to just four points with five rebounds in the win but came up clutch when the squad needed it the most. Carter led three Catamounts in double figures with 14 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. She was joined in double figures by Jada Burton with 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals in a heavy stat line with freshman Taj Hunter chipping in a career-best 11 points. Obasuyi scored eight points with a pair of 3-pointers.
 
Radford (1-2) put three players in double figures as Taylor Napper scored 21 points with seven rebounds to lead the way, while Williams finished with 13 points and a trio of assists. Carlsson scored 10 points with a pair of 3-pointers for Radford with the remaining nine points scattered between three players.
 
Western Carolina never led in the first half, falling behind 11-2 out of the gates after missing its first seven shots from the floor before Burton converted a layup over four minutes into regulation. Despite the early shooting woes, the Catamounts trailed by just seven after the first quarter.
 
In the second frame, neither side had an answer for the other as neither team scored over the first two-plus minutes. Radford's Taylor Napper broke the scoreless second with a pair of free throws as the home squad broke the ice. Radford's lead climbed to a game-high 13 points at 20-7. The Catamounts closed the half with a modest 9-4 edge in scoring to trail at intermission, 24-16.
 
WCU managed just five field goals (5-of-27) over the opening 20 minutes but still managed to trail by just single digits at the break.
 
Out of the halftime locker room, though, Radford again started fast by pushing its advantage to 10 points twice before the midway part of the quarter. Burton's offensive rebound and stick back with 3:34 to play in the quarter closed the gap to three, 34-31, before Erin Stack drained a 3-pointer in transition to make it a one-point affair, 40-39, after three complete.
 
In the fourth quarter, Taj Hunter sank a pair of free throws to tie things at 40 and then give WCU its first lead of the afternoon, 41-40, just 15 seconds in. Things remained tight throughout with the differential never more than three points for either side. Radford pulled ahead 45-42 for the largest lead in the quarter by either team, but WCU's sharp-shooting Chelsea Wooten canned a triple to tie the game at 45 near the midpoint. The two teams were tied a combined four times in the fourth quarter, the last coming at 47 all with just inside of five minutes to play.
 
The Catamounts took the lead for good on the Beans stick back with 16 seconds remaining on the way to earning the victory.
 
Western Carolina overcame a season-high 24 turnovers, forcing the Highlanders into 18 giveaways while the Catamount bench poured in 26 points to outscore Radford's reserves by 21.
 
Competition continues to ramp up for the Catamounts this week as the road swing continues on Wednesday, Nov. 13, as WCU travels to Norman, Okla., to face the nationally-ranked Sooners (2-0) at the Lloyd Noble Center. Tip-off of the first-ever meeting between Western Carolina and Oklahoma – the front end of a nonconference home-and-home added by Tsipis and staff – is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. CT on "Field Trip Day" in Norman. Wednesday morning's game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+ (a cable or paid subscription required) and through the Watch ESPN app with live stats linked online at CatamountSports.com.
 
WCU's November road show continues on Saturday, Nov. 16, at USC Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C., and includes stops at Georgia State (Nov. 19), Presbyterian (Nov. 22), and Tennessee (Nov. 26).
 
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