Cullowhee, N.C. – Led by a 15-point performance from Ally Hollifield, Western Carolina bookended Thursday's game against the Furman Paladins by outscoring the visitors in the first and fourth quarters, including an 18-8 differential in the game's final 10 minutes. However, a strong close to the first half and start in the second gave the Paladins enough cushion, outlasting a late Catamount surge for the 60-51 victory.
Hollifield led the Catamounts across the board, adding seven rebounds, five steals, and four assists to her 15 points. Ary Dizon notched eight points and five rebounds, while Taj Hunter contributed seven points and three assists.
Alyssa Ervin led the Paladins in the road win, posting 20 points and four rebounds. Clare Coyle nearly finished with a double-double, chipping in 11 points and nine rebounds.
WCU (3-21, SoCon 0-10) remains at home to host the Wofford Terriers on Feb. 14, for its annual "Pink Zone" game to raise awareness for breast cancer. The Catamounts will also welcome home program alum for the mid-afternoon match-up. Furman (15-10, SoCon 7-3) hits the road to take on UNCG that same day.
How it Happened:
After weathering an early scoring flurry by the Paladins, who raced out to a 6-0 lead in the opening minutes, Taj Hunter scored WCU's first points just inside the seven-minute mark, which sparked an 8-1 run for the Catamounts. Furman reclaimed the lead on a pair of free throws, but Ary Dizon handed the Catamounts a 10-9 lead going into the second quarter.
Eight-straight points to open the second quarter by Furman gave the Paladins a 17-10 lead, forcing an early timeout from the Catamounts. The run capped at 10-0 with a pair of free throws, but was followed by a second spurt of eight-straight points, halted by a Tina Bowers layup that saw the Paladins ahead, 27-12. Furman's lead grew to as much as 16 in the first half, but WCU closed with five straight points to make it a 30-19 game at the break.
Furman opened the third on a 15-4 run before the Catamount offense consistently answered the Paladin scoring attack. WCU managed to close the quarter with 14 of the final 21 points to close the gap, though Furman entered the fourth quarter leading 52-33.
Western Carolina put together its best quarter of the night in the fourth, outscoring the Paladins 18-8 to trim the deficit back to single-digits. The Catamounts held Furman scoreless over the final 4:30 of the night, closing the night on a 9-0 run to make it a nine-point game, but Furman held on for the 60-51 win.
By the Numbers:
For the 17th time this season, Ally Hollifield scored in double figures, going for 15 against the Paladins. She has scored 12 or more points in six of WCU's 10 SoCon matchups.
The Paladins were held under 20% from the floor in the first quarter, hitting just two of their 14 attempts in the frame. Furman shot over 50% in the second and third quarters, going 15-for-26 from the floor in the middle half and connecting on six of eight 3-pointers.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU hosts the Wofford Terriers on Feb. 14 for the annual Pink Zone game. Tip vs the Terriers is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Catamounts are then scheduled to hit the road for the final time in the 2026 campaign, facing the Chattanooga Mocs on Feb. 19 and the ETSU Bucs on Feb. 21.
