Spartanburg, S.C. – Despite a career-high 23 points from AC Carter and a strong performance from Jada Burton, Western Carolina women's basketball fell on the road at Wofford 66-53 on Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference action at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.

Carter was one of two players to break the 20-point plateau in the game as her career-high of 23 was just one shy of Wofford's Helen Matthews, who scored a game-best 24. The strongest all-around performance of the night belonged to the Terriers' Evangelia Paulk, who finished with a double-double on a 17-point, 15-rebound performance. WCU's Jada Burton was the only other Catamount to reach double figures in the 13-point loss, scoring 14 points with six rebounds and a pair of assists. 

Neither team produced much offensively early as the Catamounts took a 4-2 lead with 8:10 to go in the first quarter. The home team then began stringing successful possessions together, going on a 9-0 run to take a seven-point lead before Burton knocked down a 3-pointer to break up the Terrier attack. Wofford's Molly Masingale answered with a three of her own, sparking seven straight points by the Terriers for an 11-point, 18-7, lead. Burton and Tyja Beans clawed WCU back to within seven before Wofford pulled back out to a 12-point edge and led by 10 after the first quarter.

Wofford (11-5, 3-0 SoCon) slowed in the second quarter offensively, but managed to outpace the Catamounts by a basket, 12-10, before halftime. Carter scored six of WCU's 10 points with Burton and Nicole Azar putting in two apiece as the Catamounts went 4-of-16 from the field and trailed at the half, 35-23.

Down by 13 a minute into the second half, Carter and Burton scored the next six points to close the deficit to seven at the seven-minute mark. However, the Terriers found seven of the next eight points to regain the 13-point cushion midway through the frame. WCU (11-8, 1-3 SoCon) ultimately won the third quarter 17-13 with Burton and Carter combining for 14 of WCU's 17 points in the quarter. Carter capped the quarter with an and-one to trim the Wofford lead to just eight heading into the final quarter.  

A jumper from Carter cut the fourth-quarter deficit to seven, but Matthews responded with a bucket in the paint on the ensuing possession and WCU was unable to get any closer as Wofford turned in an efficient 7-of-15 performance from the field in the fourth to close out the night. The Terrier lead grew to as much as 18 with two minutes to go, but Chelsea Wooten, Zanoria Cruz, and Carter ended the game by combining with five unanswered points to provide the final tally, 66-53.  

Catamount Notables: 

• AC Carter posted a career-high 23 points in the road loss … She's now eclipsed the 20-point mark twice this season, having last done so against Campbell (22); 
• The Catamounts have had a 20-point scorer in each of their last three games as Zanoria Cruz and Chelsea Wooten registered 20+ points against ETSU and Furman, respectively. Cruz, Wooten, and Carter are the only Catamounts to post more than one 20-point game this season; 
• Jada Burton scored in double figures for the third straight game and has recorded at least five rebounds in her last four games. 

Up Next for The Catamounts: 

WCU returns to action in a week on Saturday, Jan. 25 as the Catamounts host instate SoCon foe UNC Greensboro on National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Tip-off with the Spartans is set for 2 p.m., with a special clinic for youth from 6th grade and younger to be hosted in WCU's auxiliary gym in the Ramsey Center from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Student-athletes from WCU's volleyball, women's golf, women's soccer, cheerleading, dance team, track & field, cross country, and softball teams will participate in the National Girls and Women in Sports Clinic, presented by First Bank.

WCU women's basketball remains at home on Jan. 30, to host the Samford Bulldogs with a 6 p.m. start.