Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina women's basketball closes out the home portion of its 2024-25 regular season on Saturday in the front half of a Catamount hoops doubleheader on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center, hosting chromatic rival Furman on Senior Day with tip-off at 1 p.m.
Ahead of Saturday's tip, Nicole Azar (who graduated last spring), Reagan Trumm (who is on pace to graduate this spring), seniors Jada Burton, Chelsea Wooten and fifth-year product Zanoria Cruz, along with graduate transfer AC Carter who finishes her collegiate eligibility this season will be honored in a special on-court, pregame ceremony.
WCU's men host The Citadel in the backend of the twin bill looking for back-to-back seasonal wins while also trying to sweep the regular-season series with the Bulldogs with tip at 3:30 p.m.
Saturday's game will be available on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with a free live audio broadcast available from the Catamount Sports Network and live stats online at CatamountSports.com. Advance ticket sales are available online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.
The Catamounts (11-14, 1-9 SoCon) enter the game after putting together a furious second-half rally on Thursday night, overcoming a 12-point four-quarter deficit to take a late lead over Wofford. However, the Terriers found the game's final points on a last-second bucket to escape Cullowhee with the 70-68 decision. On the heels of a dramatic double-over team win over the same Terriers, Furman (13-12, 3-6 SoCon) likewise suffered a close defeat their last timeout, falling 55-51 on the road to league-leading UNC Greensboro.
Saturday's Women's Basketball Matchup:
Western Carolina (11-14, 1-9 SoCon) vs Furman (13-12, 3-6 SoCon)
Feb. 15, 2025, | Ramsey Center | Cullowhee, N.C. | 1:00 p.m.
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/82ffwrhf
Listen (CSN): https://tinyurl.com/8c642zsk
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/yzx5bwn4
Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/y68h8vzf
Full Court Press – About the Teams:
The second meeting between the Catamounts and Paladins represents the 95th time in series history. Furman took the first meeting this year in a high-scoring 82-73 decision played at North Greenville University. The two squads again meet as the top-scoring teams in the Southern Conference with the Catamounts averaging 72.2 points per game and the Paladins averaging 69.4.
The two squads battled five common opponents in the nonconference season, both going 4-1 against USC Upstate, Campbell, Georgia State, UNC Asheville, and Southern Wesleyan. Both SoCon teams were undefeated against Big South and non-NCAA DI opposition, but they split their results against Campbell (whom the Catamounts defeated 73-72) and Georgia State (whom the Paladins defeated 85-74).
In conference play, Furman has wins over the Catamounts, Mercer, and most recently Wofford. The Paladins needed extra time to down their in-state rival, claiming a 93-88 victory over the Terriers in double overtime. WCU is the only one of the two to have a win against ETSU, thanks to a 64-60 win over the Bucs in Cullowhee. Furman fell 72-22 to the Bucs at home to close out January.
Players to Watch:
Four Catamounts recorded double-digit scoring efforts in the first round with Furman back in January as Chelsea Wooten led the Catamount offense with an even 20 points on a 6-of-12 shooting including a 5-for-11 showing from beyond the arc. Jada Burton scored 17, Tyja Beans chipped in 14, and Zanoria Cruz finished with 12 to round out the Catamount attack. Beans went for a double-double in the game with 11 rebounds.
Burton is coming off a 22-point eruption against the Terriers on Thursday night and look to leave her mark on Saturday's contest as well. Carter – the SoCon's leading scorer – posted her second double-double in her last four games, with Nicole Azar providing a much-needed spark for the Catamounts offensively as both Beans and Cruz were sidelined with foul trouble. Azar scored 12 points, a career-high against an NCAA DI team over 23 minutes of playing time.
Furman's Tate Walters had a tremendous performance against the Catamounts earlier this season, going for a career-high 30 points on a 10-of-17 shooting with four made 3-pointers. Sydney Ryan had a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double as well with Raina McGowens going for 13 points.
The third leading scorer in the SoCon with an average of 13.0, Walters stumbled with just four points in Furman's battle with UNCG – the leagues toughest scoring defense – on Thursday night. Walters was just 1-for-11 from the field. The four-point effort snapped a streak of seven consecutive double-figure scoring games for the graduate student. The Paladins have been dominant on the glass this season, with Clare Coyle, Sydney Ryan, Kate Johnson, and Walters all recording over 100 rebounds.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
The Catamounts will have the midweek off before closing out the 2025 regular season with three consecutive road games, beginning Feb. 22 at UNCG. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. before the Catamounts close the regular season at Mercer (Feb. 27 | 7 p.m.) and at Samford (Mar. 1 | 3 p.m. EST).
