Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina mounted a furious late-game rally behind a 14-point fourth-quarter effort from graduate transfer AC Carter, but ultimately fell to the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs 73-65 in nonconference women's basketball action Friday on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.
The Catamounts move to 5-4 on the season and 2-1 in Cullowhee while the Runnin' Bulldogs advance to 3-7 on the year.
Carter led the Catamounts with 18 points while adding seven rebounds and was joined in double figures day by Zanoria Cruz with 10. Tyja Beans pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds, just missing double digits with nine with Chelsea Wooten scoring eight including two of WCU's six made 3-poiners.
Preseason Big South Player of the Year Ashley Hawkins led Gardner-Webb with a game-high 25 points, adding eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals to complete her busy stat line. Elze Motekaiyte posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, with Elle Blatchford and Lauren Bailey also reaching double figures with 13 and 12, respectively.
After an initial bucket from Gardner-Webb's Motekaityte to open the game at the 8:35 mark, WCU responded with a 6-0 stretch consisting of a Jada Burton layup and free throws by Wooten and Cruz to take a 6-2 lead. However, Gardner-Webb responded with a 10-2 run to pull in front 12-8 going into the first media timeout. GWU built on that lead heading into the quarter break, finishing the opening frame on a 9-2 run and holding a 22-13 advantage going into the second quarter.
The visitor's lead grew to as much as 14 in the second quarter, though the damage was mitigated by a 0-for-6 shooting from the perimeter for GWU. However, the Catamounts could not capitalize on the opportunity, going 1-for-7 from 3-point range in the second quarter with Chelsea Wooten draining the sole shot from beyond the arc by either team. Both sides combined to shoot 11-of-40 from the floor in the second quarter, but the Runnin' Bulldogs grew their lead to 13 before halftime.
Gardner-Webb stretched its lead to 15 after the first minute of play in the second half before the Catamount offense responded with its longest scoring run to that point. Wooten sparked the seven-point flurry with her second 3-pointer of the game with Kehinde Obasuyi notching a steal on GWU's Elle Blatchford and driving home the layup right after. Cruz and Beans finished off the run with a layup and a free throw, respectively, before Gardner-Webb answered with a 12-4 run to retake a 15-point lead.
Hoping for another fourth-quarter comeback at home, the Catamount offense roared to life to close the game with a 25-point final 10 minutes. Gardner-Webb's lead ballooned as high as 18 before WCU started its march forward. Carter erupted for 14 of her 18 points in the final quarter including a 10-0 run on her own to open the frame as WCU shot a game-high 47% to finish the game.
WCU trimmed the margin down to six, 67-61, with a minute to play. Unfortunately, though, for the Catamounts, Gardner-Webb took advantage of their trips to the charity stripe, going 8-of-11 on free throws as part of its 16-point fourth to hold off the comeback push to take the 73-65 decision.
Catamount Notables:
- The Catamounts are now 10-5 all-time against Gardner-Webb, with the Runnin' Bulldogs earning five consecutive wins in the series after WCU won the first 10 head-to-head meetings;
- The 47 rebounds by the Catamounts were their second-most in a game this season while the 48 rebounds allowed to Gardner-Webb were also the second-most in a game this season;
- WCU went 19-of-22 from the free-throw line in the home loss, posting their most successful free-throw percentage of the season (86.4%);
- As a team, the Catamounts blocked five shots against the Runnin' Bulldogs, their most since blocking six in a road win over UNC Wilmington last season;
- AC Carter posted her sixth-consecutive double-figure scoring game, notching 18 in the loss to Gardner-Webb;
- Tyja Beans collected a career-high 16 rebounds, the most in a single game since Nadia Marshall collected the same total against Winthrop on December 4, 2021.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
The Catamounts have a quick turnaround as they host a surging West Georgia team that is in its first season of NCAA Division I play on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m. on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. The Wolves are 4-3 thanks to a four-game winning streak after dropping their first three games of the season. Sunday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network and live stats both available online at CatamountSports.com.
