Cullowhee, N.C. – The second half of Southern Conference play opens on Wednesday night for the Western Carolina women's basketball team as the Catamounts begin winding their way back through league battles, beginning with a road matchup in Johnson City against East Tennessee State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Brooks Gymnasium.
Thursday night's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with a free online audio broadcast provided through the Catamount Sports Network and live stats are available at CatamountSports.com.
Thursday's Women's Basketball Matchup:
Western Carolina (11-11, 1-6 SoCon) at ETSU (13-9, 4-3 SoCon)
Feb. 6, 2025 | Brooks Gymnasium | Johnson City, Tenn. | 7 p.m.
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/2p9357ew
Listen (CSN): https://tinyurl.com/8c642zsk
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/47c8tesc
Full Court Press – About the Teams:
The Catamounts and Buccaneers meet for the 84th time in series history on Thursday. WCU put the brakes on a six-game series skid with a 64-60 win in the last meeting and are looking for their first road win over ETSU since a 62-48 decision in 2021. Prior to that 14-point win, the Catamounts hadn't scratched a road victory in the series since notching two straight in 1997-98.
Both teams shared the floor with five common opponents in the nonconference schedule, going 4-1 in their matchups. The Catamounts earned a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Campbell in their first Division I game of the season, while the Bucs gritted out a tight 44-42 home win over Gardner-Webb. Conversely, WCU fell to Gardner-Webb 73-65 and Campbell earned a 58-51 win over the Bucs.
The two teams completed a run through the SoCon first half with WCU posting a 1-6 record and the Bucs going 4-3 their first time around. The Catamounts conference win came in a 64-60 victory in Cullowhee, as WCU fended off a furious fourth-quarter rally to secure the win. ETSU, however, has wins over Mercer, Samford, Furman, and Wofford, all of which have come by double figures. The Bucs most recently took a 13-point win over the Terriers, who were previously undefeated in league play.
Entering Thursday night, the Catamounts (11-11, 1-6 SoCon) are looking to snap a five-game skid in conference play while the Bucs (13-9, 4-3 SoCon) come in on a two-game run with wins over Furman (72-62) and Wofford (63-50).
Players to Watch:
Four Catamounts broke double-figures in the 64-60 win over ETSU earlier this season with Zanoria Cruz posting a game-high 20 points off seven made field goals. Tyja Beans, AC Carter, and Jada Burton all posted double-digit scoring as well, with Beans adding 11 rebounds in a double-double effort.
Two Bucs broke double-figures in the previous matchup as both Courtney Moore and Braylyn Milton went for 13 apiece and a combined six rebounds and three assists.
For much of the season – and highlighted lately – the Catamount offense has been led by graduate transfer AC Carter, who leads the Southern Conference with 338 points scored and a 15.4 point per game average. Carter has erupted in SoCon play, notching 123 total points and averaging 17.6 per outing. The Atlanta, Ga. native totaled 47 points in 86 minutes of action last week, connecting on 14-of-37 attempts and going 17-for-19 at the charity stripe in a pair of strong offensive showings. Additionally, she was effective on the glass as she collected 19 rebounds (8-11), going for a 21-point, 10 rebound double-double against Mercer.
Paige Lyons has taken command of ETSU's offensive effort since their loss to Western Carolina, going for double-digit points in four of five games and most recently erupting for 15 and 23 points, respectively in their wins over Wofford and Furman. The only Buccaneer loss during their recent run of success was a 48-46 defeat in Chattanooga, where Lyons only recorded six points.
While Lyons has come into her own recently, Braylyn Milton and Courtney Moore lead the team in points per game with 12.1 and 12.0 respectively. The upperclassmen duo broke double-figures in the previous matchup in Cullowhee, going for 13 each and combining for six rebounds and three assists.
Up Next For The Catamounts:
WCU remains on the road for the Tennessee league swing, traveling to Chattanooga to face the Mocs in the Scenic City on Saturday, Feb. 8, with a 2 p.m. tip at The McKenzie Arena. The Catamounts return to Cullowhee to host the Wofford Terriers on Feb. 13 before facing Furman to close out the home schedule on Feb. 15.
