Box Score Nov. 20, 2006
Final Stats
Cullowhee, N.C. -
Western Carolina tied a school and facility record Monday night in the Ramsey Activity Center by making 15 3-pointers en route to a 105-40 victory over Atlanta Christian. The Catamounts, under the direction of second-year head coach Larry Hunter, also made 15 3-pointers in a home contest last season, defeating Chattanooga 74-56 on Jan. 14, 2006.
Also, Western (2-1) had 31 assists, with just 14 turnovers, on its 40 made baskets on the evening, thanks to a career-high six assists from junior forward Negus McKenna. Eric Wilson added five with Kyle Greathouse, Antonio Russell and Brigham Waginger each handing out four. On the other side, Atlanta Christian (2-6) only had six assists and was forced into 27 turnovers, while shooting just 28 percent (14-of-50) from the field. Part of the Chargers' 27 turnover came from WCU's 15 steals, thanks to a career-high six from Greathouse.
The Catamounts approached another Ramsey Center record, shooting 62.5 percent from the field with the WCU record being 64.4 set in 1996.
Although he did not contribute to the school-record from beyond the arc, freshman Nick Aldridge led the Catamounts with his first career double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in just 26 minutes of play. The South Webster, Ohio, native made 8-of-9 shots from the field and all four of his free throw attempts. Aldridge was one of five from Western who scored in double figures with Brandon Giles scoring 19, McKenna 16, Greathouse 14 and Jake Robinson 13.
Joe Rawlings was the only Charger in double figures. However, the freshman from Haddock, Ga., accounted for nearly half of his team's points, pumping in 18. He made six field goals, all from 3-point range, and added three steals.
Western took control early, taking an 8-0 lead. Atlanta Christian only got as close as five points, trailing 10-5, before Giles converted an ally-oop dunk. Soon after, Western's Robinson hit a 3-pointer to push the Catamount lead to 11 (20-9) and Western would maintain a double-digit cushion the remainder of the contest.
The 65-point victory was the Catamounts' largest since handing Averett a 120-46 setback on Dec. 17, 2003.
McKenna keyed Western's record-setting performance by making 4-of-7 from long range. Giles and Robinson each went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while Greathouse and Waginger each made 3-of-5 3-point attempts. Josh Dees, who scored his first collegiate points, was 1-of-1, hitting a trey in the left corner as the first half drew to a close. Tonight also marked the first time in three game that Waginger had scored, finishing with eight points and three steals.
Western Carolina will have a week off before returning to host Toccoa Falls on Monday (Nov. 27). Tipoff in the Ramsey Center is set for 7 pm.
