Clinton, S.C. – Jada Burton erupted for a career-high 25 points to lead four Catamounts in double figures on Friday night as Western Carolina women's basketball halted a two-game series slide while bouncing back from Tuesday night's setback by throttling the defending Big South Conference champion Presbyterian, 71-41, at the Templeton Center.
The Catamounts improved to 5-2 to open the season, WCU's best start through seven games since the 2007-08 season.
Burton's 25 point effort represents the most by a Catamount in a game this season, surpassing Kehinde Obasuyi's 24-point effort against Campbell. Tyja Beans finished with 11 points and six boards while AC Carter and Chelsea Wooten both chipped in 10 points to round out WCU's double-figure scorers. Burton additionally tied for the team lead with seven rebounds on the night to match Zanoria Cruz, who added seven points and distributed a team-leading four of the team's 14 assists.
Kishyah Anderson led the Blue Hose with 12 points, joined in double figures by Paige Kindseth who just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, and Morgan Boyd who scored four of her 10 points from the free throw line.
Presbyterian (0-5) opened the scoring early as Anderson made the first bucket of the night from deep, giving the Blue Hose a 3-0 lead at the 9:44 mark. Jada Burton responded with a 3-pointer of her own just 20 seconds later before Tyja Beans capitalized on the tip-in layup to give the Catamounts the lead for what proved to be for good with 8:40 to go in the first quarter.
Burton stretched the Catamount lead to 10 at 15-5 with 4:10 left in the opening frame before the home team went on a quick run to cut into the deficit. Taj Hunter snapped Presbyterian's run with a 3-pointer to put the lead back at double digits, though a mid-range jumper by Paige Kindseth made it an eight-point Catamount lead at the end of one.
The Purple and Gold defense carried the middle quarters, holding the Blue Hose to a 6-of-26 shooting effort in the second and third. WCU opened the second quarter on a 12-0 run until the Blue Hose earned their first points of the quarter off a Kindseth putback layup with 2:51 to go before the break. The home team went on a 7-2 spurt to close out the half, though Hunter again snapped the scoring streak with the sole Catamount layup in the final two minutes of the half as WCU led at intermission, 34-19.
Burton carried the Catamounts in the third quarter, recording 10 of the team's 16 points in the frame thanks to a 6-of-8 shooting effort from the charity stripe. Presbyterian cut into the Catamount lead late in the quarter, finishing with eight of the last nine points on to close out the third before Kehinde Obasuyi closed it out with a layup to give the Catamounts a 21-point advantage.
WCU enjoyed its highest scoring effort of the night in the fourth quarter, notching 21 points in the final period of play. Wooten recorded the final five points of the night for the Purple and Gold, eventually hitting a contested fade-away 3-pointer with 42 seconds left to give the Catamounts the 71-41 victory.
Catamount Notables:
· WCU is 5-2 on the season for the first time since the 2007-08 season;
· The 30-point road win the largest win away from Cullowhee for the Catamounts since a 2009-10 69-39 victory over the Furman Paladins;
· The Catamounts are one of two Southern Conference teams with five wins on the season, joining UNC Greensboro ... the Spartans are 5-1 with two wins against non-Division I opponents and with five of their six games at home;
· Jada Burton posted a career high 25 points in the win at Presbyterian ... She is the fourth Catamount to post 20+ points in a game this season, joining Kehinde Obasuyi (24 vs Campbell), AC Carter (22 vs Campbell), and Chelsea Wooten (20 vs USC Upstate);
· Burton, Zanoria Cruz, and Tyja Beans all posted 6+ rebounds on the night;
· Four Catamounts scored double-digit points for the third-consecutive game and the fourth game this season.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
Western Carolina closes out its six-game road stretch in Knoxville on Tuesday, Nov. 26, as the Catamounts face the Tennessee Lady Vols. The tip-off with Tennessee is set for 7 p.m. WCU then comes back home for back-to-back games with the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs on Dec. 6 and the West Georgia Wolves on Dec. 8
