Cullowhee, N.C. – The Western Carolina women's basketball team is back in home action for the final time in 2025 as the Catamounts host the Montreat Cavaliers. The final game of the year for the Catamounts is set to tip at 2 p.m. in the on-campus Ramsey Center.
The Catamounts (2-11) look to close out the 2025 calendar year with a home victory, while the NAIA-member Cavaliers (5-8) are battling WCU in an exhibition matchup that won't count against the Cavs' schedule.
Tuesday afternoon's game will be livestreamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with a live audio broadcast through the Catamount Sports Network and live stats links available online at CatamountSports.com.
Tuesday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (2-11, 0-0 SoCon) vs Montreat (5-8, 3-4 AAC)
Dec. 30, 2025 | Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center | Cullowhee, N.C. | 2 p.m.
Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/58ycwyc9
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/4u6eyvfb
Listen (CSN): https://tinyurl.com/4em59m6m
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/yc4n29ee
Full Court Press:
The Catamounts and Cavaliers meet for the 14th time overall and for the fifth season in a row, with WCU holding an unblemished 13-0 record against Montreat. Every contest since 1996 (W, 85-82) has been decided by double-figures, including a 94-54 win to open 2025 on January 2.
WCU enters the matchup looking to end an 11-game seasonal skid, with its last win coming against the Tusculum Pioneers. The Catamounts have won both of their game against non-NCAA opponents this season, including the victory over Tusculum (86-45) and the season-opening win against the Virginia University of Lynchburg (99-58).
Montreat enters the game on a three-game losing skid, most recently falling to Georgia Gwinnett College 69-50 on Dec. 16. The Catamounts are the second and final NCAA Division I opponent for the Cavaliers, who faced the USC Upstate Spartans and fell 96-37 in Spartanburg.
After finishing fifth in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) a season ago, Montreat was picked seventh out of the 14-team league entering 2025-26.
Players to Watch:
Ally Hollifield and Taj Hunter lead the Catamounts in scoring, posting 11.9 and 11.2 points per game, respectively. Transfer post Ary Dizon and guard Betsey Burnett are third and fourth on the team offensively, averaging 8.8 and 8.3 apiece. There is a significant jump to Kehinde Obasuyi, the fifth leading scorer on the team, who has posted 63 points and a 5.7 per game average thus far.
Hollifield also leads the team in total rebounds at 62, assists with 51, and steals with 26. Joyce Mulumba and Ary Dizon rank second and third with 56 and 55 boards, respectively, while Dizon leads the team with 23 blocks.
Montreat is led by junior Rymiah Sanders, who averages 18.6 points per game and is one of two Cavaliers to average double-figure scoring, with Sarah Williams being the other at 12.8 points per game. Sanders, who eclipsed the 1,000-career point plateau earlier this season, has scored in double-figures in 12-straight games. Bayleigh Winkler is close behind, averaging 9.8 ppg and is tied with Sanders for the team lead in rebounding at a 4.8 per game clip.
Winkler and Ayanna Varela led Montreat against the Spartans, both scoring seven points in the exhibition game. Sanders attempted six 3-pointers in that game, going 0-for-6 and connecting on only one of her 13 field goal attempts overall.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU stays at home to open 2026, hosting the South Carolina Central Christian College Gladiators to finish off the nonconference slate. The Saturday, Jan. 3, contest is set to begin at 2 p.m.
The Catamounts then open the Southern Conference schedule on Jan. 8, hosting the Mercer Bears for a 6 p.m. tip, before hosting the Samford Bulldogs on Jan. 10 at 2 p.m.
