Dec. 3, 2005

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina set a school record by making 14 3-pointers, including 10 in the first half, and five Catamounts scored in double figures to defeat mountain rival UNC Asheville Saturday night at the Ramsey Activity Center. The previous WCU record for 3-pointers in a game was 12, which had been done on six occasions.

Antonio Russell led all scorers with 20 points, making 8-of-9 at the line and 2-of-3 from 3-point range, while Corey Muirhead provide a spark off the bench, scoring 18 points with six rebounds and a career-high six assists. The 6-6 senior made 6-of-9 shots from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the 3-point arc, and 3-of-3 at the free throw line. However, Western's main gun from long range was junior Kyle Greathouse, who was 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Not only was it a good night for the Catamount players, but first-year Western Carolina head coach Larry Hunter picked up career win 514 (with just 229 losses) in this his 26th year as a head coach. Already 13th among active NCAA Division I coaches in wins, he moves into a tie for 97th on the NCAA all-time, all classification list with a minimum of 10 years as head coach at an NCAA Division I school. Ironically, he ties former Catamount head coach Jim Gudger for the spot, along with longtime Evansville coach Arad McCutchen. (Gudger, who coached all of WCU's four All-Americans and led the Cats to the 1963 NAIA championship game, was 311-222 in 19 years at WCU (1950-69) and was 203-229 at Texas A&M Commerce from 1970-83.)

Although Western (5-5) struck first with an Eric Wilson 3-pointer to start the game, the Bulldogs (0-4) jumped out to an early five-point lead (11-6) on a Reid Augst layup at the 14:19 mark. Western answered with an 8-2 run, capped by a Greathouse 3-pointer, to take a 14-13 lead, an advantage the Cats would not relinquish the remainder of the evening. With Western clinging to a seven-point lead at the 6:15 mark, the Catamounts went on a 14-4 over the next five minutes, including 3's from Greathouse and Wilson, to take its largest lead of the first half, 17 points (43-26), with 1:38 remaining before the break. The Bulldogs answered with a Joey Harrell layup and a 3-pointer by Omar Collington at the buzzer to provide the 43-31 halftime score.

UNCA built on its momentum from the first half to start the second, as Joseph Barber scored the first five points of the second period and Chad Mohn added two more, making the score 43-38 and forcing a WCU timeout. Catamount senior David Berghoefer got his team back on track with a layup. Barber responded with a jumper in the lane to keep it a five-point game. However, the Cats made another run, this time a 13-4 spurt, thanks to four points by Berghoefer and a pair of 3's by Russell to go up 14 points. UNCA's Brett Warner answered with a jumper at the 12:30 mark to cut the Bulldog deficit to 12, but that is as close as they would get the remainder of the contest.

Western did allow UNCA to shoot 48.9 percent from the field. However, the Bulldogs were just 6-of-18 (.333) from 3-point range. The Catamounts, on the other hand, shot 50.9 percent from the field, including 54.4 in the second half, and were 53.8 percent (14-of-26) for the game from beyond the arc. Western also out-rebounded UNCA, 29-22.

In addition to Russell, Muirhead and Greathouse, Western was led by Berghoefer's 13 points and seven rebounds, while Wilson added 11 points. Jared Outing came off the bench to register six rebounds with two assists and two steals.

The Bulldogs were led by Barber's 14 points, followed by Harrell's 12 points and Reid's 10. Mohn, who scored eight points and had five assists, led the Bulldogs with five rebounds, while Oliver Holmes dished out six assists.

Western Carolina will return to action next Wednesday (Dec. 7) to face the 20th-ranked Maryland Terrapins in College Park. Tipoff is set for 8:00 pm.