CONWAY – The Coastal Carolina women's basketball team will travel to Cullowhee, N.C. to take on the Western Carolina Catamounts on Sunday, Nov. 24. WCU will be the third-straight team from the Southern Conference for Coastal to open the 2019-20 season.
 
CCU is undefeated at 3-0 on the season while Western Carolina currently sits at 1-6 with the lone win coming at home in the Ramsey Center against UVA-Wise of the South Atlantic Conference.
 
ABOUT COASTAL
 
The Chanticleers are averaging 72.3 points per game while allowing 65.3 points per game. Junior transfer Zacharyia Esmon is averaging 17.0 points per game to pace the offensive attack while getting help from senior DJ Williams (15.0 ppg) and sophomore Aja Blount (13.3 ppg) who are also averaging in double figures.
 
In all three games to open the season, CCU has had three different players lead the team in scoring. In the first game, senior Naheria Hamilton opened the season with a double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds against Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Esmon totaled 20 points in the win over UNCG while Blount scored a career-high 30 points in the come-from-behind win over Wofford.
 
COASTAL'S LAST TIME OUT
 
The Chanticleers had to come from behind to keep their record unblemished over the Wofford Terriers last Sunday, Nov. 17. Blount was 9-of-14 from the field and a perfect 12-of12 from the charity stripe for a game-high 30 points and was aided by Williams' 21 points in the win.
 
Coastal took an early lead in the first quarter before Wofford would take control and lead until Chants' senior guard Caitlin Roche hit a three-pointer to put CCU in front at 68-66 lead with 5:10 remaining to play.
 
The Terriers would even the contest twice more before junior forward Janae Camp would give Coastal the lead for good on a layup with 1:22 remaining on the game clock. Blount converted on a layup and two free throws for the final score of 78-73.
 
ABOUT WESTERN CAROLINA
 
Western Carolina is averaging 49.0 points per game while allowing 73.0 points per game under first-year head coach Kiley Hill. Sophomore guard Jewel Smalls leads the Catamounts averaging a double-double. The Roswell, Ga., native, is averaging 13.1 points per game and 10.7 rebounds per game.
 
WCU opened the 2019-20 season, picking up a nine-point 64-55 win over SAC member UVA-Wise on Nov. 5 before dropping six straight contests.
 
WESTERN CAROLINA'S LAST TIME OUT
 
On Wednesday, Nov. 21, the Catamounts fell to the Davidson Wildcats 101-51 at the Belk Arena in Davidson, N.C.
 
Davidson outscored Western Carolina 31-9 in the first quarter, hitting five three-pointers and shooting 55 percent in the opening 10 minutes of the contest. Overall, the Wildcats outscored Western 56-21 in the first half.
 
The Catamounts were led by the double-double of Jewel Smalls, who finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Smalls was aided in scoring by Lauren LaPlant and Andrea Martin Ruiz with 11 points each.
 
For the game, WCU shot at a 33.3 percentage clip while the Davidson was on fire shooting  53.7 percentage.
 
COASTAL vs. WESTERN CAROLINA SERIES
 
Coastal and Western Carolina have played 12 times dating back to the 1986-87 season with each team having won six games apiece. The series has been one of swings with WCU picking up the first two victories and the Chants getting the next two to even the series. The Catamounts would win the next four before CCU would get four straight of their own.
 
In the 2018 meeting, Torrie Cash had a game-high 17 points to lead the Chants to a 77-59 win. Cash was aided in scoring from Roche (16 points), Breelyn Blanding (14 points), and Camp (10 points), with all reaching double figures in the contest.
 
The Chants outscored the Catamounts 42-26 in the paint and recorded 29 points off turnovers. CCU would shoot 47 percent while holding Western to 35 percent shooting for the game.
 
WCU's Angel Allen and Tembre Moates would combine for 26 points to lead the Catamounts offensive attack. Allen finished with 16 points, while Moates recorded 11 points in the contest.
 
For complete coverage of CCU women's basketball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalWBB (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at goccusports.com.