Cullowhee, N.C. – Taj Hunter banked home a go-ahead, buzzer-beating 3-pointer before the break that sent Western Carolina to the locker room with the halftime edge for the fourth time through its first five Southern Conference games. However, mountain-rival East Tennessee State used a strong defensive effort in the closing 20 minutes to rally past the Catamounts 62-50 on Thursday night on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.
Aided by her highlight-reel half-court heave, Hunter and Ary Dizon led the Catamounts with a pair of double-digit scoring efforts, both scoring 11 points in the league battle with the Buccaneers. ETSU erased WCU's 32-30 halftime edge by outscoring the home squad 32-18 in the second half in earning its first league victory.
In addition to pacing the squad in scoring, Hunter also led the team with three assists, while Tina Bowers, Ally Hollifield, and Betsey Burnett each posted six rebounds apiece. Grace Pack hit an early 3-pointer and recorded a game-high three blocks in the loss.
ETSU was led by post Meghan Downing, who scored 17 points with six rebounds. Carmen Richardson also posted a productive day for the Bucs, recording seven points, six rebounds, five steals, and three assists.
WCU (3-16, SoCon 0-5) is back in home action on Saturday morning as the Catamounts host the Chattanooga Mocs for the first half of a home doubleheader at 11 a.m. ETSU (8-11, SoCon 1-3) stays on the road to face the UNC Greensboro Spartans.
How it Happened:
Grace Pack got things going early for the Catamounts, connecting on her first 3-point try of the night only 20 seconds into the game. The Catamounts then rolled to a 9-2 advantage over the first several minutes as the two squads secured their offensive footing. ETSU rallied with a 7-0 run to tie the game. The lead then changed three times over the final 2:30 minutes in the frame, with the Bucs leading by a pair, 16-14, after one.
ETSU built up four separate four-point leads in the second quarter, but the Catamounts responded each time to cut the deficit. WCU scored the final five points of the half, including Hunter's buzzer-beating 3-pointer as the Catamounts claimed a 32-30 lead at the break.
Out of the halftime locker room, though, the Bucs went on a 10-0 quarter-opening run to take a 40-32 lead with 4:35 to go in the frame. Five quick points that included a Dizon lay-up followed by a steal on the subsequent inbounds play and an and-one bucket by Tina Bowers, pulled WCU within three, 40-37, and halted a seven-minute scoring drought. But ETSU narrowly edged the Catamounts 6-3 to close the quarter with a 46-40 lead.
Ally Hollifield nailed a quarter-opening 3-pointer to pull WCU within three once again, but ETSU responded with 12 unanswered points to take a 15-point lead with 3:30 to play. Dizon and freshman post Riley Price recorded back-to-back buckets with Betsey Burnett connecting on a deep ball late, but the Bucs held on for the 62-50 win.
By the Numbers:
The Catamounts and Buccaneers posted efficient first-half efforts, with both teams shooting 40 percent or better in the first 20 minutes (WCU – 52.2%; ETSU – 40%). However, that number dropped to 25 percent in the second half, including a 15.4 percent shooting effort in the third quarter for the Catamounts. ETSU maintained its shooting efficiency, connecting on 43.3 percent of its shots from the floor.
As a part of that efficiency, ETSU consistently pounded the paint in the second half. The Bucs narrowly won, scoring under the basket 14-12 in the first half, but pressed the advantage in the second, recording 26 points in the paint to WCU's eight.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
The Catamounts are back at home on Saturday, Jan. 24, to host the Chattanooga Mocs with an updated 11 a.m. tip-off. The women's game is the first half of a home doubleheader, with the WCU men's team hosting the VMI Keydets at 1:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required).
WCU then has the midweek off before hitting the road to battle the UNC Greensboro Spartans on Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.
