Jan. 24, 2009

Box Score

Boone, N.C. - Red-shirt freshman Harouna Mutombo pulled Western Carolina to within a point of arch-rival Appalachian State, 70-69, with a minute and a half remaining in regulation on a runner in the lane. However, it was as close as the Catamounts could pull as the Mountaineers converted on all six free throw attempts inside the final minute to secure a 76-70 win before a live television audience on SportSouth.

ASU senior Kellen Brand scored a career-high 31 points to lead three Mountaineers in double-figures in the win at the Holmes Convocation Center.

The Mountaineers snapped a five-game seasonal losing skid, while the Catamounts (9-9, 4-4 SoCon) were relegated to their fourth-straight road loss and fourth defeat in the past five outings overall. The game saw nine ties and seven lead changes, with the Apps holding the lead the final ten and a half minutes.

Mutombo led a pair of Catamounts in double figures with 16 points, including 14 in the second half. The Pickering, Ontario, native also added a career-high five assists and three boards. Junior Brandon Giles tallied 12 of his 14 points after intermission while leading WCU with eight rebounds, four on both ends of the court.

Junior Brigham Waginger just missed double figures with nine points including a pair of 3-pointers and two steals, while true freshman Keaton Cole scored a SoCon career-best with eight points. Both junior Richie Gordon and sophomore Richie Gordon finished with six points and four rebounds apiece.

After the fifth tie of the opening six minutes (11-11), Western Carolina surged ahead for the first sizeable lead of the game for either side. Using a 7-0 spurt, the Catamounts built a seven-point lead, which they ballooned to nine at the 9:26 mark on a Cole jumper, 22-13.

Cole buried one of his two 3-pointers at the four and a half minute mark to push the advantage to 12, WCU's largest lead of the contest, 32-20, with junior Jake Robinson matching the 12-point cushion with a jumper at the 3:11 mark. However, that would prove to be Western's final field goal of the opening stanza as the Catamounts missed their final four shots from the floor while the Mountaineers trimmed the deficit to three, 34-31, at halftime with a 9-0 run.

Appalachian State (7-10, 4-5 SoCon) opened the second half on a 12-to-2 run to erase the halftime deficit and build a seven-point advantage on a Donterious Hughes lay-up, 43-36. Yet, the Catamounts counter-punched with eight unanswered points, capped by Cole's second triple of the night, to reassume the lead, 44-43. WCU would lead one additional time, by two at 48-46, before the Mountaineers took the lead for good after the ninth tie of the game, 50-50.

The Mountaineers were only able to pull ahead by seven down the stretch. Western closed to within a point on three occasions, but ASU retained the lead and answered each time, closing the game with six-straight free throws.

"I thought Appalachian's run at the end of the first half really gave them some momentum. We had a 12-point lead, but they took a bite of that going into the locker room," said WCU head coach Larry Hunter. "I didn't think we were able to get many consecutive stops in the second half. They did a nice job of either getting to the foul line or scoring in the second half."

He added, "I also thought that Kellen Brand was a good basketball player tonight; he made a lot of big baskets for them tonight."

In addition to Brand's career night, post Josh Hunter added 11 points and guard Donald Sims chipped in 10

Western managed to out-rebound the Mountaineers, which came into the game leading the SoCon in rebound margin. The Catamounts had 31 boards, including 13 on the offensive end, while the Mountaineers finished with 27 with only seven offensive. The Catamounts also posted a season-high free throw percentage, connecting on 15-of-17, including their first 14-in-a-row.

Western Carolina returns home where it will play four of its next five games over the next 11 days. The Catamounts host Upstate foes Furman and Wofford beginning this Thursday night, Jan. 29 in the Ramsey Center. WCU downed Furman in Greenville, 68-57, back on Jan. 3 in the team's first-ever win at Timmons Arena.

At halftime of Thursday's game, WCU Athletics will unveil a new-look "Paws the Catamount" mascot, as well as debut the "Purple Thunder" drum line.