Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina women's basketball rode a 14-0 run to open the second quarter as part of consecutive 20-point frames in both the second and third as the Catamounts downed West Florida 72-58 on Thursday night on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.
Kate Hollifield and My'Asia Young scored 14 points apiece, and Ally Hollifield finished just shy of a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Ellie Richardson and Camri Hobbs both scored eight, with Hobbs matching Ally Hollifield's nine boards.
Finley Kennedy led West Florida with 16 points, shooting 6-of-8 from the floor. She was one of three Argonauts to score in double figures, with Janai Jordan and Nia Coleman recording 11 and 10 points, respectively.
West Florida emerged from a see-saw first quarter with a two-point 16-14 lead. The Argonauts pulled out to an early 9-5 edge despite Kayla Mount's presence in the paint. Tina Bowers came off the bench to tie the game at nine before Ally Hollifield briefly gave WCU a 14-13 lead. UWF's Sinaya Gibson closed the quarter with a 1-for-2 effort from the line to give the Argonauts the advantage back.
Freshman Hannah Moss tied the game at 16 in the opening minute of the second quarter before Ally Hollifield ignited the Catamount offense with WCU's first 3-pointer to give the home squad a lead it would never relinquish.
The 14-0 run stretched six minutes into the quarter with WCU taking a 28-16 lead before West Florida scored back-to-back buckets for their first points of the frame. Kate Hollifield sank consecutive 3-pointers to balloon WCU's lead to 17 before a West Florida run tightened the spread, with the Catamounts leading 40-28 going into the locker room.
The Catamounts maintained their lead throughout the third quarter, outpacing West Florida 23-14 to open the half. WCU shot 9-of-19 in the quarter, keeping West Florida's 50% shooting effort at arm's reach thanks to a large volume of attempts. The lead stretched to 19 twice before Ally Hollifield connected on a last-second basket to give the Catamounts a 21-point, 63-42 lead going into the final 10 minutes.
West Florida maintained its efficiency into the second half in the fourth quarter as the Argonauts shot 46.2% from the floor and outscored the Catamounts 16-9 to close the night. Finley Kennedy sparked West Florida's offense at the 6:20 mark, connecting on a 3-pointer before Kate Hollifield answered with her fourth and final triple of the night.
UWF closed to within 13 points with just under two minutes to go, but a final layup by Hobbs helped WCU secure the 72-58 win.
By The Numbers:
- WCU shot 40.3% from the floor in the 14-point win with a 27-of-67 performance. The Catamounts have shot over 40% in both of their games this season and have made at least 27 field goals.
- Shifting gears from their 96-31 season-opening win over Carolina U, the Catamounts pushed the paint for 42 points against West Florida while connecting on five 3-pointers for 15 points. In contrast, 39 of WCU's 96 points in the season-opener came from the deep ball, with the Catamounts scoring 36 points in the paint against the Bruins.
- The Catamounts committed 11 turnovers in the win, their lowest total against an NCAA DI opponent since committing nine in a 76-69 win over Samford in the 2024-25 season.
- WCU entered the fourth quarter with only five turnovers, before turning it over six times in the final 10 minutes
- My'Asia Young has enjoyed a fast start to her collegiate career, posting double-digit points in both of WCU's games this season.
- The Hollifield sisters paired for another 3-point shot in the win, with Ally Hollifield recording an assist on Kate Hollifield's third-quarter three-pointer.
- Kate Hollifield made four 3FGs for the second consecutive game.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU closes its season-opening three-game homestand on Sunday, returning to Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center to host the Johnson (Tenn.) Royals at 2 p.m. The Catamounts then hit the road for the first time this season, visiting the UNC Asheville Bulldogs on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 6:30 p.m., before returning home to host the VU Lynchburg Dragons on Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.
