Nov. 20, 2007

Box Score |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - Trailing by a game-high 18 points with just less than seven minutes remaining on the clock, Western Carolina drained five-consecutive 3-pointers as a part of a 15-1 run to slice mountain-rival UNC Asheville's lead to just four, 70-66, with three minutes to play. However, the rally fell just short as the Catamounts only connected on two of their final seven field goals while the Bulldogs made 9-of-10 from the free throw line to outscore WCU, 13-7, down the stretch in an 83-73 loss Tuesday night at the Ramsey Center.

The loss is Western's first at home in the series since 2001 and also snaps its two-game winning streak over the `Dogs. UNC Asheville remained perfect on the season moving to 5-0 for the first-time ever in school history. The Bulldogs also earned their first point in this season's 2nd Annual Parkway Series to trail 4-1. WCU had earned four-straight points in the head-to-head athletic competition with wins in volleyball, women's soccer and both men's and women's cross country.

"This is the third game in a row we have not come out of the locker room and been really sharp at the start of the ball game. We got down early and I thought (UNC Asheville's) execution was much better in that first half than ours," said WCU head coach Larry Hunter who suffered his first defeat to the Bulldogs. "I told our guys in the locker room it was a struggle to play good defense and score. I think our youth really showed. I didn't like our body language - our heads were dropping and we just did not show that good Catamount fight tonight."

Sophomore Jake Robinson found his stroke from long-range in the second half, connecting on five of his game-high six 3-pointers after intermission to lead the Catamounts with 19 points. Front court classmate Nick Aldridge stretched his consecutive double-figure scoring outings to 25 with his fifth-straight double-digit performance of the season finishing with 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Freshman Michael Porrini, who was saddled with early foul trouble, rounded out WCU's leading scorers with 12 points and three assists, while sophomore swing man Brandon Giles chipped in nine.

Western held one lead in the game as Porrini stripped Bulldog senior point guard K.J. Garland and raced in for a lay-up one minute in for the early, 2-0, advantage. However, the Bulldogs responded with a 14-0 run, including three 3-pointers, to grab a 14-2 lead they would never relinquish. The first half deficit for WCU ballooned to as many as 14 with four and a half minutes to play before the break and was sustained at 11, 44-33, at intermission.

Out of the halftime locker room, Western was able to trim the margin into single digits twice before the Bulldogs steadily increased its lead to 18 on a three-point play by junior Reid Augst. Yet, over the next four minutes, the Catamounts - spurred by a raucous Ramsey Center crowd - splashed in five-straight 3-pointers to pull the game to within four points.

The first triple came at the 6:10 mark as Robinson took a feed from Porrini and canned a shot from the left wing. An Aldridge steal set up a second Robinson trey, while a defensive rebound by the Canton, N.C., set up the first of two Giles' trifectas that trimmed things to six before the final media timeout. After the stoppage, Garland made one of two free throws to push the lead back to seven, 70-63, but a Porrini trey on an assist from Robinson closed the gap to four, 70-66.

On the ensuing possession, UNCA's Vincent James, who led the Bulldogs with a game-high 22 points, committed a turnover giving the ball back to the purple and gold. However, Porrini was short on a 3-pointer that would have sliced the deficit to a single point and started the Bulldog's dance at the charity stripe that eventually put the game away.

Aided by Robinson's six triples, Western Carolina (2-3) tied both a school and a WCU Ramsey Center record with 15 made 3-pointers on a record 34 attempts. WCU connected on 15-of-32 last year against Atlanta Christian exactly one-year to the date - on Nov. 20, 2006 - and attempted 34 against conference-foe, Chattanooga, on Feb. 12. Davidson holds the Ramsey Center record for made treys in a single-game with 16 last season.

The Bulldogs put three players in double figures, each finishing reaching the 20-point plateau. Senior Vincent James led the way with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Garland and Augst each finished with 20 points.

UNC Asheville shot 55.3-percent from the field, including a sizzling 59.3-percent in the opening stanza. WCU shot consistently in each half, finishing at 36-percent in the first 20 minutes and 35 in the second half. Despite surrendering height advantage to the Bulldogs - namely in the form of 7-foot, 7-inch center Kenny George - the Catamounts managed to out rebound the Bulldogs, 39-to-37. George finished the game with four points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots.

The Catamounts will break for the Thanksgiving holiday before returning to the hardwood next Tuesday, Nov. 27 as it opens Southern Conference play on the road against North Division foe, Elon. Tip-off from Alumni Gymnasium is set for 7:00 pm. The game will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network and can be heard locally in Cullowhee on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 or online at www.WWCUFM.com.