Cullowhee, N.C. – Closing the regular season with a three-game road swing, the Western Carolina women's basketball team returns to action after an open midweek by visiting in-state rival UNC Greensboro on Saturday. Tip is set for 2 p.m. in UNCG's Flemming Gymnasium as the Catamounts square off against the current Southern Conference leader.
Saturday's game will be available on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network and live stats links online at CatamountSports.com.
The Catamounts enter Saturday's game after most recently routing the Furman Paladins 70-57 on Senior Day in Cullowhee to close out the 2025 home schedule. UNCG (19-6) is riding an eight-game win streak in conference play and claimed a 55-51 win over the Paladins and a 68-60 win against Wofford last week.
Saturday's Women's Basketball Matchup:
Western Carolina (12-14, 2-9 SoCon) at UNC Greensboro (19-6, 10-1 SoCon)
Feb. 22, 2025 | Flemming Gymnasium | Greensboro, N.C. | 2 p.m.
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/57hesth4
Listen to CSN: https://stream.prestosports.com/wcu
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/3dvb4xrb
Full Court Press – About the Teams:
The Catamounts and Spartans meet for the second time this season and for the 85th time overall with the all-time series knotted at 42 wins and losses apiece. UNCG claimed a 66-58 win in Cullowhee earlier this season. The last WCU win in Greensboro came during the 2020-21 season with a 49-42 win.
The two teams only played two common opponents in the nonconference season as they both battled a pair of Big South representatives in the USC Upstate Spartans and the UNC Asheville Bulldogs. Both teams went 2-0 in those matchups with the Catamounts claiming an 80-52 win at USC Upstate and a 77-64 win at Asheville. UNCG earned home wins against both foes, taking down Upstate 62-54 and the Bulldogs 59-48.
Currently sitting atop the SoCon standings, the Spartans are 10-1 this season with their lone defeat coming to Wofford in a 62-39 decision. Since their loss, they've gone on an eight-game run in conference play – but have had a handful of close calls as of late. In the first round with the Spartans, the Catamounts held a six-point lead in the fourth quarter before a tremendous rally lifted UNCG to the win late.
Players to Watch:
Just as she has done for much of the 2024-25 season, AC Carter led the Catamount offense in the first meeting with UNCG, scoring a game-high 19 points on an efficient 8-of-10 shooting including a pair of 3-pointers. It marked the SoCon season-high shooting percentage for the graduate student. Grace Pack made her SoCon debut in the game, scoring 10 points in a limited-minute performance. Additionally, Tyja Beans neared a double-double in the matchup posting 10 points and seven rebounds.
The only player in the SoCon to average more than 13.5 points per game to date at a league-leading 15.1 per contest, AC Carter continues to lead the Catamount charge as she's totaled 392 points on the season. She and Tyja Beans are the only players in the SoCon to have more than 300 points and 150+ rebounds, with Beans being the only player in the conference to have 300+ points and 200+ rebounds.
Jada Burton leads the Southern Conference in assists with 133 and an average of 5.1 per game. She's one of only two conference players to record triple-digit assists so far this season. Outside of Burton and Carter, Tyja Beans holds strong on the glass as she ranks fourth in rebounds per game with 8.0 and second in total boards with 209.
The Spartans are led offensively by Jayde Gamble and Nya Smith who average 12.3 and 11.4 points per game, respectively. Jaila Lee sits just outside the double-figure average as she puts up 9.8 points per outing for UNCG. Saturday's matchup will see the top two rebounders in the Southern Conference go at it as Khalis Cain leads the SoCon with 210 rebounds.
Outside of the constants for UNCG, the Spartans received a 20-point contribution from Makiyah Anderson in their 68-60 win over Wofford. The sophomore guard has gone for double digits in five of her last six outings.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
The Catamounts continue their road swing to close out the 2025 regular season as they head to Macon, Ga., to face Mercer (Feb. 27) for a 7 p.m. tip before closing the pre-tournament swing in Alabama to close out the 2025 regular season with a 3 p.m. ET tip with the Samford Bulldogs on March 1.
