Boiling Springs, N.C. – The Western Carolina women's basketball team recorded one of its best shooting performances of the season, connecting on a season-high 49 percent of its shots against Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon. However, the Runnin' Bulldogs used a strong performance from beyond the arc to come away with the 77-62 victory in non-conference action.
Ally Hollifield returned to double-figure scoring, posting a team-high 13 points, recording her final points in the closing seconds of the game to put her just ahead of Taj Hunter's 12. Hollifield also dished out a team-high four assists, while Justice Zimmerman led the Catamounts with six rebounds as the two teams matched with 31 boards apiece.
Gardner-Webb saw four players hit at least two 3-pointers, with Aniya Harris scoring a game-high 18 points. She was followed in scoring order by Makayla Legette with 16, with both Amina Gray and Amira Ofunniyin finishing with a dozen. Legette and Ofunniyin nearly came away with double-doubles, posting nine and seven rebounds, respectively.
How it Happened:
Gardner-Webb opened on a slow-moving 4-0 run, netting the first points of the game off an Amira Ofunniyin free throw before Amina Gray connected on a 3-pointer with 7:42 in the frame. Ary Dizon scored WCU's first points of the day, cutting the deficit to two early. Kehinde Obasuyi pulled the Catamounts within one on the first Purple and Gold 3-pointer of the day, but the Runnin' Bulldogs finished scoring four of the last six points of the quarter to claim a 12-9 lead at the break.
Five quick points by the home team put Gardner-Webb ahead by eight early in the second, before the Catamount offense answered. Justice Zimmerman notched WCU's first points of the frame before Ally Hollifield connected on back-to-back three-balls to bring the Catamounts within three.
Zimmerman scored again to make it a two-point game before the Runnin' Bulldogs sparked a 12-3 sprint to finish the half up 33-22.
The 3-pointer was a big storyline of the third quarter as Gardner-Webb put up a nearly perfect, 6-of-7 performance from beyond the arc in the frame. The home squad totaled 31 points in the quarter to take control of the game. WCU had a strong shooting performance as well, hitting on 41% of their shot attempts in the quarter to post 15 points.
The Catamounts won the fourth quarter, 25-13. WCU connected on 11-of-19 shots in the final frame, though the Runnin' Bulldogs came away with the 77-62 victory.
By the Numbers:
The Catamounts connected on 25 shots against the Runnin' Bulldogs, a season-high total against an NCAA Division I opponent, while also recording a single-game best shooting percentage of 49%. The 3-point percentage of 43% was the second-highest of the season as the Catamounts had an efficient shooting outing against the Big South opponent.
Turnovers, though, were an issue in Boiling Springs, as the Catamounts turned the ball over 24 times, with Gardner-Webb capitalizing for 31 points in the 15-point loss. WCU forced 19 turnovers, scoring 15 points.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU remains on the road as it faces the Indiana Hoosiers on Sunday, Dec. 21, for a 1 p.m. tip in Bloomington, Ind. The Catamounts return home to close out the nonconference season against the Montreat Cavaliers on Dec. 30 and the South Carolina Central Christian College Gladiators on Jan. 3. Tip-off against the non-Division I opponents is set for 2 p.m. on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.
