Box Score Jan. 16, 2006
Final Stats
Greensboro, N.C. - Western Carolina junior guard Kyle Greathouse made a career-high seven 3-pointers (on nine attempts), made all six of his free throws and scored a career-high 29 points to lead his Catamounts to an 87-76 victory at UNC Greensboro Monday night at Fleming Gymnasium. With the win, Western improves to 9-10 overall and 3-1 in the Southern Conference, the school's best start in conference play since starting the 1994-95 season 4-0. The Cats' have surpassed its overall win total from last season and already matched its league win total of a year ago.
In addition to Greathouse, David Berghoefer, who led WCU with seven rebounds, came up big on both ends of the floor. On offense, he scored 23 points, making 10-of-15 field goals. On the defensive end, he played a key role in Spartan star Kyle Hines committing nine turnovers.
The Catamounts, who established a school record with 15 3-pointers in its last game, missed its first five treys of the game and trailed most of the first half. However, Negus McKenna got Western on track and, including that trey, the Cats would make 13 of its final 17 beyond the arc. More impressively, Greathouse made seven straight 3-pointers after missing his first two attempts beyond the arc. Also, WCU shot an impressive 78.0 percent from the field, making 15-of-19 shots overall and 6-of-8 from 3-point range.
Western started the game with an early turnover and UNCG's Ricky Hickman scored the basket of the game, draining the first of his five 3-pointers on the evening. The Spartans kept the lead for the first nine and a half minutes until Berghoefer knotted the game at 21-21 at the 10:48 mark. Hines answered with a layup, giving UNCG a two-point cushion once again. In the ensuing possession, Greathouse drained a 3-pointer and Western took a one-point advantage, a lead Western would not surrender the remainder of the half as it took a six-point cushion (41-35) at intermission. It marked the first time this season that the Spartans had trailed at halftime in their home gym.
UNC Greensboro was able to cut in to its deficit to start the second half, taking a two-point lead (46-44) after Dwayne Johnson sank a 3-pointer with 15:04 left. Once again, WCU countered with a Greathouse trey, putting Western back on top by one and giving the Cats a lead they would hold on to the remainder of the contest.
Leading by just three at the 10:21 mark, Western pushed its advantage to 11 (68-57) with 7:12 left. McKenna played a key role in the spurt, scoring five points with a rebound and a steal. The Spartans used an effective trapping press to force some turnovers late and got to with five on several occasions inside the final four minutes. Western was able to respond each time, making its final eight free throws inside the final minute to preserve the win. Greathouse capped the 11-point victory with a long rebound and layup with 13 seconds left.
McKenna finished with 13 points, making 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and three steals. Eric Wilson, who made two key free throws down the stretch, only scored four points, but had six rebounds and five assists in 16 minutes off the bench.
The Spartans put four players in double figures, including Hickman (26 points), Hines (19), Kevin Oleksiak (14) and Johnson (10). Hines also had eight rebounds, while Johnson added six assists.
Western Carolina will stay on the road, returning to the Triad area next Saturday (Jan. 21) to face Elon at 7 pm. The game will be a key, early-season matchup and the Phoenix, picked second-to-last in the preseason polls, lead the SoCon North Division with a 4-0 record, while Western, a consensus last-place pick in the preseason, is currently second in the North Division with its 3-1 league scoresheet.
