Feb. 19, 2007

Final Stats

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina's Freshman of the Year candidate Nick Aldridge scored nearly at will on Monday night, finishing with 29 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. However, Appalachian State had an answer, shooting 54-percent from the floor for the game to down the Catamounts, 76-65, in Southern Conference action in the Ramsey Center.

Aldridge could not be stopped anywhere on the court, shooting 11-of-24 from the field, including knocking down both of his 3-point attempts. The South Webster, Ohio, native collected his second double-double of the week - and fifth of the season. He posted his 24th double-digit scoring performance this year, including an active streak of 17-straight games in double digits. Aldridge also added a game and career-high six steals.

A jumper by freshman Brandon Giles gave Western a 6-4 edge, with 16:27 on the clock. But, as it would turn out, that was the last lead of the game for the Catamounts. The Mountaineers went on a 25-to-11 run in the last 12:45 of the first half to take a 15-point, 39-24, advantage into the locker room. Appalachian State shot a blistering 68.4% from the field in the opening half, including 6-of-9 (66.7%) from beyond the arc, while WCU countered with 12-more shots than the Apps, but only connected on 11-of-31 (35.5%).

The Catamounts came to play in the second half, but ran out of gas in the end. Each of Western's five starters that were on the floor as the second half opened played the first 14:15 without a substitution. Down by 17, 41-24, with17:45 on the clock, WCU embarked on a 22-to-10 run over the next 9:13 to cut the lead to five points, 53-48, igniting the 3,237 fans in attendance with 8:32 remaining in the contest. However, after an ASU 30-second timeout, the Mountaineers answered with two 3-pointers and a pair of lay-ups by Donte Minter to extend the lead back to 12.

Giles scored in double figures for the third-straight game, adding 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, a career-high two blocks, and a pair of steals and assists. Junior Eric Wilson added a spark of the bench playing 18 minutes of the second half, scoring nine of his 11 points after halftime while also grabbing four boards.

Senior Nathan Cranford led a trio of Mountaineers in double figures, tallying 16 points, including four treys. His classmates Demetrius Scott and D.J. Thompson added 13 and 10 points, respectively, and combined for nine assists.

The loss for Western was its fourth-straight despite out-rebounding three of the last four opponents. The Catamounts pulled down 35 rebounds, including 19 on the offensive end, as compared to ASU's 34.

Western concludes the regular season this Thursday, Feb. 22 as the Catamounts travel to Elon to take on the Phoenix at 7:00 pm. The game will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network and can be heard in Western North Carolina on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 in Cullowhee.