Cullowhee, N.C. – The Western Carolina women's basketball team returns home Thursday night to host mountain-rival, the East Tennessee State Buccaneers, in Southern Conference action. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. with fans encouraged to wear their black WCU gear for the annual "Blackout" game.
The Catamounts are then scheduled to complete the two-game Tennessee swing against Chattanooga on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. in the first half of a home doubleheader. The WCU men's team host the VMI Keydets at 3:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to check social media using @catamounts on Twitter/X and online at CatamountSports.com for potential weather-related schedule changes.
Western Carolina (3-15, SoCon 0-4) enters the week after most recently falling to Wofford and Furman on the road. WCU's wins this season have come at the Ramsey Center, with the Catamounts looking to get their first win of the conference season.
ETSU (7-11, SoCon 0-3) also enters looking for its first win in conference play as the Bucs have a trio of home losses to Furman (72-70), Wofford (61-57), and Chattanooga (53-41) in the first half of the SoCon slate.
Thursday's game will be livestreamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with a live online audio broadcast available through the Catamount Sports Network. Additionally, fans can follow along through the live stats link on CatamountSports.com.
Thursday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (3-15, SoCon 0-4) vs ETSU (7-11, SoCon 0-3)
Jan. 22, 2026, | Ingles Court at The Ramsey Center | Cullowhee, N.C. | 6 p.m.
Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/5ebbp2te
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/yew9msfe
Listen (CSN): https://tinyurl.com/4mjyntba
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/ypvr7ssp
Full Court Press:
The Catamounts and Buccaneers meet for the 85th time overall, with ETSU holding a 60-24 lead in the series. WCU battled for a 64-60 win over ETSU in Cullowhee last season, snapping a 10-game losing skid at home against the Bucs. The previous five matchups in the Ramsey Center have been decided by nine or fewer points, including a double-overtime affair.
WCU is on a four-game slide in Southern Conference play, despite having built halftime leads over Mercer (39-33), Wofford (40-31), and Furman (26-18). The Catamounts are outscoring SoCon opponents 139-116 in the first half, but are being outscored 181-101 in the second.
ETSU is amidst a three-game losing streak to open its conference slate after closing the nonconference schedule with three straight wins. All three of ETSU's conference losses have been at home in Johnson City, with two being decided by four or fewer points (L vs Furman, 72-70; L vs Wofford, 61-57). The Bucs are 1-4 in true road games this season, with their one win being against the Charlotte 49ers (W, 51-50). However, ETSU has two neutral site wins as well, downing Bellarmine (55-49) and Eastern Illinois (60-54) at the Louisville MTE in November.
The Catamounts and Bucs have faced two common opponents in nonconference play, with the two squads facing UNC Asheville and the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs. ETSU picked up a pair of double-digit wins at home over the Big South foes (W vs UNCA, 63-53; vs Gardner-Webb, 59-37).
Players to Watch:
Grace Pack again posted a strong performance for the Catamounts as the senior led the team in scoring, posting 25 points against Wofford and Furman last week. She's the only player in the conference to record two 20+ point games in SoCon competition this season. The 6-2 center was also WCU's leading rebounder in the week, picking up 14 boards.
Taj Hunter enjoyed an efficient week for the Catamounts, picking up 20 points and five assists with only a pair of turnovers for her efforts. Hunter recorded a clean nine-point, three rebound, one assist effort against Furman her last time out.
ETSU is led by senior Meghan Downing, who leads the SoCon in total blocks at 33 and ranks fifth in rebounding, recording 114 rebounds at a 4.6 per game clip. The New Madison, Ohio native ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 7.5 points per game overall but 12.0 in conference contests. Downing and Carmen Richardson were both preseason All-SoCon selections. Transfer guard Anala Nelson leads ETSU in scoring, posting 10.3 points per game this season.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
The Catamounts are currently set to host the Chattanooga Mocs for a 1 p.m. tip on Saturday, Jan. 24, as the first half of a home-doubler header with the WCU men's basketball team, who host VMI at 3:30 p.m.
WCU then has the midweek off before closing out the first swing around the SoCon with a trip to Greensboro, N.C., on Feb. 1 to face UNCG. They'll then continue the road swing on Feb. 5 and Feb. 7
Fans are encouraged to check with CatamountSports.com for any weather-related schedule changes for this weekend's scheduled hoops double-header.
