Knoxville, Tenn. – Western Carolina's AC Carter recorded her fourth consecutive double-figure scoring game with a team-high 18 points but it was not enough to overcome an aggressive Tennessee Lady Volunteers squad, falling at the SEC foe 102-50 on Tuesday evening at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
 
WCU dropped to 5-3 overall on the season, while Tennessee improved to 5-0. The 5-3 start is the best for the Catamounts since the 2014-15 season, though three of those wins came against non-NCAA Division I opponents while the 2024-25 Catamounts have earned four victories over like competition.
 
Carter led the Catamount offense on the road as the Georgia Tech transfer posted the second-most points of her career with 18 points. Jada Burton dished out eight assists for the second time this season, matching her single-game career high mark and is the most assists allowed to a single player by the Lady Vols defense this season. On the glass, Tyja Beans led the Catamounts with eight boards in the road battle, notching her 11th consecutive game with at least five rebounds dating back to last season.  
 
After the Catamounts took an early 2-0 lead, WCU weathered an early storm in the first quarter. Tennessee outshot the Catamounts 11-5 through the first five minutes of play. However, WCU was efficient in limited opportunities early with Jada Burton going 2-for-2 in the opening five for an early four points, keeping Tennessee's lead within reach.  
 
The Lady Vols came out of the media break hot from beyond the arc, hitting their first two threes of the game en route to building a 13-point lead with 46 seconds to go in the quarter. Taj Hunter fired a 3-pointer of her own off the inbounds play but came up short. Luckily, the shot fell into the waiting arms of Tyja Beans who finished off the play with a layup.
 
Following a traveling violation by Tennessee's Kaniya Boyd, the Catamounts held possession with 20 seconds to go. Burton worked to grind away the clock in the frame before finding Beans who made a step-back floater with two seconds on the clock to cut the home team's lead to nine going into the second.  
 
Tennessee pushed their advantage in the second quarter, outscoring the Catamounts 31-14 to take a 54-28 edge into halftime. The half opened with a 26-6 run for the Lady Vols which stretched into the 1:35 mark before AC Carter capitalized on an and-one opportunity before Grace Pack knocked down all three of her free throw attempts after a shooting foul beyond the arc by Tennessee's Avery Strickland to cap off a 5-0 Catamount run.
 
The home team continued to build its lead in the third quarter as the Catamounts battled against the aggressive defensive play by Tennessee. The Catamounts' first 3-pointer of the night came courtesy of Hunter with 2:08 to go in the third which sparked a 7-2 spurt by the Purple & Gold to close out the quarter. Tennessee's offensive efficiency slowed in the third, as the Lady Vols connected on under 40% of their shots for the only time in the night. The Catamounts shot an efficient 60% in the third, but the volume of shots favored the home team in a 26-5 advantage.  
 
Carter led the offensive effort for the Catamounts in the fourth quarter, accumulating seven of WCU's 13 points in the frame though the Lady Vols pulled away with 25 in the final 10 for the 102-50 victory.  
 
Catamount Notables: 

• The Catamounts and Lady Vols met on the hardwood for the 21st time in series history ... Tennessee now leads in the all-time series 11-10 between the two programs for the first time since the Catamounts took a 44-36 win to open the series in 1968; 
• WCU had eight Catamounts shoot 50% or better in the road matchup, with the Purple and Gold shooting an even 50% as a team; 
• The Catamounts have recorded 50 points or more in eight consecutive games to open the season, their longest such streak since doing so in nine straight games in the 2020-21 campaign.

 
Up Next for The Catamounts: 
The Catamounts return to Cullowhee for some rest before hosting Gardner-Webb on Dec. 6 for its Education Day game. They'll then host West Georgia on Dec. 8 before returning to the road to face the Queens Royals on Dec. 14.