Feb. 18, 2006

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - On Senior Night, Catamount senior Corey Muirhead scored 25 points and grabbed six rebounds, while sophomore Negus McKenna tied a career high with 24 points, as Western Carolina handed Southern Conference North Division, regular-season champion Elon an 85-78 overtime loss Saturday night at the Ramsey Activity Center. Overall, Muirhead (7-of-10 from the field and 11-of-15 from the line) and McKenna (9-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range) combined to score 20 of Western's final 29 points of regulation and overtime. On the other end of the floor, Elon's Scottie Rice and Colin Wyatt scored 16 of the final 20 points for the Phoenix.

Elon struck first in overtime as Wyatt made 1-of-2 from the free throw line to give the Phoenix (13-13, 9-4 SoCon) the early edge. However, McKenna answered with a 3-pointer and the Catamounts, who made all three of their 3-point attempts in overtime, kept the lead the rest of the way. The Phoenix kept the pressure on Western in the overtime period, getting to the free throw line and making 6-of-8 at the charity stripe over the first 2:30 in overtime. Eric Wilson and Antonio Russell each hit key 3-pointers to keep Western in control, while Muirhead converted an old-fashion 3-point play then sealed the win with a dunk.

Elon took control early in the game thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Chris Chalko and one by Rice. The Phoenix would lead by as many as eight (21-13) after a Michael Brandon 3-pointer with 8:29 left in the first 20 minutes before Western went on a 22-6 run to end the first period. Elon looked to take the momentum into the locker room, but Western's Kyle Greathouse drained a shot just beyond half court as time expired to put the Cats up 35-26 at the break.

Western (12-15, 6-6) looked to build on that momentum on the first possession of the second half on a McKenna 3-pointer. However, Elon held Western scoreless over the next six minutes, taking a 39-38 lead. Wilson broke WCU's drought with a 3-pointer with 12:56 left in regulation.

From that point, the lead bounced back-and-forth 10 times, including six ties, over the next nine minutes. With the score tied at 60-60 at the 4:19 mark, LeVonn Jordan's dunk, off a Rice assist, put the Phoenix up two and Elon would keep its advantage until 33 ticks were left on the clock in regulation. The final 3:05 featured some outstanding individual efforts by both teams. Elon's Colin Wyatt made an old fashion 3-point play, Rics drained a 3-pointer as the shot clock was running down. Muirhead, who scored a jumper between Wyatt and Rice's 3-pointers, made a jumper to trim WCU's deficit to three (68-65) and, after an Elon turnover, made another jumper to make it a one-point contest. Muirhead then got a steal and was fouled with 33 seconds left. He made 1-of-2 at the line to tie the game.

Elon's bid the end the game, a Chalko 3-pointer, failed. Wilson got the rebound and WCU called a timeout with 2.5 seconds left. Wilson lobbed a three-quarter court inbounds pass to Muirhead on the left baseline, but the jumper did not fall as time expired.

Western shot 51.9 percent from the field against the SoCon's leader in field goal percentage defense (Elon was holding opponents to just 41.8 percent shooting from the field coming into the game). The Catamounts made 12-of-25 (48 percent) from 3-point range. Prior to this season, the WCU record for 3-pointer made in a game was 12, a mark that has now either been tied or surpassed five times this season.

In addition to Muirhead and McKenna, each of whom tied to team high honors with six rebounds, Wilson scored 14 points and Russell added 12 to lead the Cats.

Wyatt paced the Phoenix, making 8-of-10 shots from the field and 5-of-8 from the line, while Rice added 14 and Chalko contributed 12. Jackson Atoyebi came off the bench to score 10 points and grab six rebounds, while Jordan gathered eight rebounds.

Western Carolina will complete its three-game home stand on Tuesday (Feb. 21), hosting UNC Greensboro at 7 pm.