Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina second-year head women's basketball coach Jonathan Tsipis and staff have rounded out their squad's 2025-26 schedule with the addition of two more home games on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. The Catamounts are to host the Tusculum Pioneers on Sunday, Nov. 9, with a 6 p.m. tip and the SC Central Gladiators on Saturday, Jan. 3, at 2 p.m.
The two additions to the schedule bring WCU's home slate to eight nonconference matchups, the most since having nine contests in the Ramsey Center in the 2023-24 season. In addition to the two non-NCAA Division I opponent additions to go along with the Nov. 6 opener vs Virginia University of Lynchburg, WCU's home schedule is highlighted by a Nov. 16th bout with the Oklahoma Sooners as well as home contests with UNC Asheville (Nov. 19), USC Upstate (Dec. 3), and Queens (Dec. 7).
Tusculum has seen improvement in each of its seasons under third-year head coach Roger Hodge, posting a 9-19 record in the 2024-25 campaign. Seven of the Pioneers' wins came in conference play, with Tusculum surpassing 80 points in five of their wins.
The Catamounts and Pioneers haven't met on the hardwood since 1987, when WCU claimed a 79-50 victory. WCU is 3-0 all-time against Tusculum, with all three of those matchups coming in three years from 1985 to 1987.
The January 3 matchup against SC Central is the first in program history for the Catamounts and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) representative. Led by first-year head coach Antonio Petty, the Gladiators will offer the opposition to close out the nonconference season for the Catamounts before WCU opens Southern Conference play with the Mercer Bears on Jan. 8.
Nine new Catamounts join four returners from last season for Tsipis and staff, who open the season at home on Thursday, Nov. 6, against Virginia University of Lynchburg in Cullowhee.
Fans across western North Carolina will have two opportunities to get a sneak peek at the Catamount men's and women's basketball teams with "A Night in the 'Whee," presented by Prospect Cullowhee on Monday, Oct. 20 (7:30 p.m., Ramsey Center), and the return of Catamount Basketball on the Boundary, two days later on Oct. 22, in Cherokee, N.C.
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