Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina women's basketball returns to the road for a two-game weekend as the Catamounts face the Samford Bulldogs and the Mercer Bears in Southern Conference action. Tip-off at Samford is set for 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT on Thursday (Feb. 5) in Birmingham, Ala., with the Catamounts set to take on the Bears on Saturday, Feb. 7, in Macon, Ga., at 2 p.m.
WCU (3-18, SoCon 0-7) is amid the longest road stretch of the conference season after most recently taking on UNCG in Greensboro. Samford (8-16, SoCon 1-6) is on a five-game skid after downing the Catamounts in Cullowhee, while Mercer (12-9, SoCon 2-4) has cooled off after a hot start in the non-conference season and has lost three straight SoCon matchups. The Bears host UNCG at Hawkins Arena before the Catamounts visit on the weekend.
Both games will be livestreamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with fans also able to follow along through the live stats link on CatamountSports.com.
Thursday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (3-18, 0-7 SoCon) at Samford (8-16, 1-6 SoCon)
Feb. 5, 2026 | Pete Hanna Center | Birmingham, Ala. | 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/y6nsche8
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/y2f6mtms
Saturday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (3-18, 0-7 SoCon) at Mercer (12-9, 2-4 SoCon)
Feb. 7, 2026 | Hawkins Arena | Macon, Ga. | 2 p.m.
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/yfms58t2
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/37vxkx9b
Full Court Press:
Beginning the wraparound of the SoCon season, the Catamounts and Bulldogs meet for the second time this season and the 39th time overall. Samford holds a 33-5 record over the Catamounts, though WCU claimed the last meeting in Birmingham 76-69 in the regular-season finale a year ago. That win in Birmingham was only the second for WCU and the first since 2009 (W, 55-53).
In their previous meeting, the Catamounts leapt out to an 11-2 lead early in the first quarter. The Bulldogs rallied, eventually holding a 35-34 halftime lead. The Catamounts closed to within nine in the fourth quarter, but Samford posted a 5-0 run to stretch its lead for the 73-62 win.
Samford and WCU share similar records through the SoCon schedule, with Samford's sole conference victory being the 73-62 decision in Cullowhee in January. The two teams are tied for the seventh-best defense in SoCon play, with both squads allowing an average of 67.9 points per game. Samford's point differential is marginally better than WCU's in SoCon play, with a -9.9 to the -12.4 for the Catamounts.
The Catamounts and Bears meet in a series controlled by Mercer, which holds a 31-1 record over WCU. The Catamounts are still searching for their first road win in series history, with last year's 51-49 battle marking the first in Macon decided by one possession since 2013 (L, 67-64).
Following a back-and-forth opening 10 minutes, the Catamounts posted a 24-point second quarter to take a 39-32 halftime lead over the Bears in the matchup earlier this season. in Cullowhee. However, Mercer rallied with a 52-point second half to take the 84-75 win.
Mercer entered SoCon play tied for the best record in the conference, but currently sits sixth in the standings after a 2-4 first half of conference play. Their two wins are against WCU in the SoCon opener (84-75) and Samford (76-67). The Bears have lost two straight home conference games entering the week, falling to Furman (60-49) and Wofford (67-64). Mercer hosts UNCG on Thursday before WCU visits on Saturday.
Players to Watch:
Ally Hollifield led the Catamounts in scoring against Samford in the first matchup, with Grace Pack posting a team-high 21 points against Mercer. Hollifield went for 30 total points against both opponents and chipped in 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and six steals in the two games.
Taj Hunter leads WCU in scoring against conference opponents as the sophomore averages 10.9 points per game. Hollifield ranks second with a 10.4 mark as the only other Catamount to average double figures so far this season. Tina Bowers closed the fourth quarter against UNCG in impressive fashion, notching 12 points on a 3-for-3 from deep performance in the final frame.
Kaylee Yarbrough leads Samford in scoring and led the Bulldogs with 23 points against the Catamounts last month. Sierra Godbolt ranks second on the team in SoCon scoring with a 10.9 average, though she scored eight in the first meeting.
Mercer had five players score in double figures in the 84-75 win over the Catamounts, with Ariana Bennett posting 18. She was followed in scoring order by Rania Curry (15), Talia Kemp (14), Nahawa Diarra (13), and Abigail Holtman (13). Holtman, Diarra, and Bennett average double-digit points per game, with 11.0, 10.0, and 10.0 marks, respectively.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU returns home to host the Furman Paladins on Feb. 12 and the Wofford Terriers on Feb. 14. Tip against Furman is set for 6 p.m., with the game against the Terriers scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
