March 1, 2009

Box Score |  Notes |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina made its first five 3-pointers Saturday night in staking itself to a double-digit lead it held for a combined 30 minutes, and then withstood a feverish Chattanooga second half rally to finish the regular season with back-to-back home wins and claim a share of the 2008-09 Southern Conference North Division title.

Led by four-straight treys by junior Brigham Waginger to open the game, the Catamounts (16-14, 11-9 SoCon) raced out to a 20-point, 22-2, lead inside the opening five minutes of the game. The Catamounts built a game-high 22-point lead late in the first half, carrying an 18-point edge into intermission. However, Chattanooga chipped away at the deficit, dipping it below double-digits with seven minutes showing on the clock and closing to within three, 74-71, with three minutes remaining.

Western recovered, though, to outscore the Mocs 12-to-6 over the closing two minutes including 6-of-6 from the free throw line to avenge a Jan. 17 road loss with an 86-77 victory Saturday night

"My first reaction is just that I'm so happy for these kids," said WCU coach Larry Hunter. "They finally got a little bit of a reward for hanging tough. I thought their character came through late in the ballgame. I'm just really happy for them."

Even though WCU and UTC finished with identical 11-9 conference records, the Mocs garner the division's top seed because of their head-to-head sweep of Samford. However, with its third-straight coming loss at WCU on Saturday, it allowed the Catamounts to share the divisional crown - Western's first since winning the 1995-96 South Division title.

Western Carolina claims the second seed in next week's SoCon tournament in Chattanooga and will play the winner of the No. 3 South (either The Citadel or College of Charleston) vs. No. 6 UNC Greensboro first round game on Friday, March 6.

Junior Brandon Giles finished with a game-high 23 points off the bench for WCU, while Waginger torched the Mocs with seven 3-pointers for a career-best 22 points. The South Webster, Ohio, native, who made his first six long range shots, added four assists and four of the Catamounts 10 steals.

A third junior, Canton, N.C., native Jake Robinson, added nine points off the bench on three made 3-pointers, while sophomore Richie Gordon and freshman Keaton Cole each tallied eight in the win. The duo also hooked up for an alley oop slam dunk as a part of WCU's 22-2, game-opening run. Gordon added a game-high eight rebounds and dished out four assists.

SoCon Freshman of the Year candidate, Harouna Mutombo was held to just five points on 2-of-10 shooting, but dished out a career-high tying five assists.

All 11 Catamounts that saw playing time on Saturday scored points, capped by lone senior Tim Magowan, who was honored in a pre-game ceremony. The Elkton, Md., native received a long pass from three-quarter court inside the closing seconds and converted it into two-points on a lay-up helping ice the victory.

Chattanooga put four players in double figures led by 19 from post Nicchaeus Doaks, including a pair of 3-pointers. Forward Kevin Goffney added 16 points and seven defensive rebounds, while Khalil Hartwell chipped in 15 and Keyron Sheard scored 11 in the loss.

WCU held Chattanooga's Stephen McDowell - who entered the game second in the SoCon and 42nd nationally with an 18.7 ppg average - to just five points on 2-of-8 shooting.

With Western's 22-point lead whittled to just three on a Hartwell lay-up with 3:09 remaining, the Catamounts responded with consecutive made free throws by Cole following the final media timeout to spark an 8-0 spurt that pushed the lead back into double figures. Magowan's lay-up and another dunk by Gordon answered UTC's late-game baskets to help secure the win.