Nassau, The Bahamas – Taj Hunter tied her career high with 18 points and was joined in double figures by Ally Hollifield with 11 in Sunday's consolation game finale at the 2025 Baha Mar Nassau Hoop Championship. However, the Western Carolina women's basketball team returns after falling to the Temple Owls 84-64, concluding its trip to the Caribbean.
Both Ally Hollifield and Ary Dizon were named to the 2025 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship Junkanoo Division All-Tournament Team. Dizon finished her run in Nassau tied with Taj Hunter for the team lead with 24 points, but also contributed five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Hollifield notched 22 points to go along with her 10 rebounds, 14 assists, and two steals.
Against Temple, Hunter shot 50 percent both from the field (6-of-12) and beyond the arc (3-of-6), while Hollifield just missed the double-double with seven assists and added a team-best four rebounds. Ary Dizon and Betsey Burnett both scored nine points, with Grace Pack adding eight on 4-of-6 shooting.
Temple was led by Kaylah Turner's game-high 23 points, spurred by five 3-pointers, while also adding five rebounds, four assists, and two steals for the Owls. Jaleesa Molina and Saniyah Craig recorded nine and eight rebounds apiece as Temple won the rebounding battle 41-19.
WCU (2-7) returns to Cullowhee to host the USC Upstate Spartans on Dec.3 on Education Day with an 11 a.m. tip. Temple (4-4) now looks to the Big 5 Championship, which is set to begin on Dec. 7.
How it Happened:
Temple opened the game on a strong 6-0 run before Betsey Burnett connected on a 3-pointer for WCU's first points of the game with 7:30 to go in the first quarter. The Owls then sparked an 11-4 run to take a 17-7 advantage. The Catamounts closed the opening 10 minutes with four of the final five points to make it an 18-11 game going into the second.
Both teams eclipsed the 20-point plateau in an offensive second quarter, though Temple kept the Catamounts at bay with a 26-20 frame. A seven-point run capped by an Ary Dizon 3-pointer pulled WCU within four, before a Taj Hunter three pulled the Catamounts within a single bucket with 5:04 to go. Temple closed the quarter on a 19-5 run to take a 44-31 lead into halftime.
Temple got hot from outside the arc in the third quarter, draining four 3-pointers to take a 65-45 lead going into the final frame. Dizon and Hunter pulled the Catamounts as close as 12, but Temple answered with a 15-5 run to create more distance.
The two teams were evenly matched throughout the fourth quarter, with both squads posting 19 points in the final 10-minute period. Burnett opened the frame with a triple, with Hunter following it up with a layup as the Owls kept pace. Temple's Ariana Meriedy hit the final bucket of the night to give the Owls the 84-64 win.
By the Numbers:
The Owls controlled the glass throughout the night, outrebounding WCU 41-19 through the full 40 minutes. WCU committed 12 turnovers, its second-lowest total of the season, but the opportunistic Owls translated that into 15 points off miscues in the 20-point win.
Ally Hollifield recorded her second consecutive game with seven assists, while Taj Hunter recorded her sixth double-digit scoring effort of the season. Hunter's 18 points are a career high against an NCAA Division I opponent, as she recorded the same total against the Tusculum Pioneers earlier this season.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
Western Carolina plays six of its next eight games at home on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. The Catamounts return home for their annual Education Day game, hosting the USC Upstate Spartans at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3. WCU then hosts the Queens Royals out of Charlotte on Sunday, Dec. 7, for a 2 p.m. tip in WCU's final home game before the holiday break.
