Box Score Feb. 5, 2009
Box Score |
Cullowhee, N.C. -
Sophomore forward Richie Gordon capped a career night by converting a Brigham Waginger steal into the game-winning lay-up with 15 seconds showing on the game clock as Western Carolina rallied to knock off the College of Charleston, 70-68, in Southern Conference action Thursday night in the Ramsey Center.
With Western leading by three with just under two minutes to play, Charleston's Andrew Goudelock buried his fourth 3-pointer of the night from the left wing to knot the game at 68 inside the final minute. As the shot clock wound down on the ensuing possession, Waginger missed a long 3-pointer with the rebound cascading off to the right of the rim where the Cougars' Tony White, Jr., corralled the ball.
However, Waginger crashed the boards and ripped the ball away from White, then flipped it to a flashing Gordon from the right wing who canned the runner for a two-point Catamount advantage.
Following a timeout, the College of Charleston set up for the last shot against an extended Catamount defense. Dustin Scott took the final offering with WCU freshman Greg Avery boarding the miss at the buzzer for his eighth rebound of the night to secure the win.
"It's a big win for us here at home. You've got to defend your home court. We were fortunate enough to hang in there and get it done here," said fourth-year WCU head coach Larry Hunter who's team won its eighth-straight SoCon home game dating back to last season. "We beat an awfully good basketball team tonight. Charleston came in here with great focus and got us down. We just kept scratching and clawing until we were able to get the lead."
He added, "Our guys, the whole second half, in time outs and on the court, it wasn't coming from the coach. The guys on the floor kept talking about, 'Hey, we haven't got the lead yet. We've got to get the lead. We've got to fight 'til we get the lead, get stops.'"
Gordon led all scorers with a career-high 22 points - doubling his previous career-high of 11 - on 10-of-11 shooting from the field. The Atlanta, Ga., native added seven rebounds, including five offensive boards, and a pair of blocked shots in the win. Waginger returned to double figures with 10 points and a game-high six steals.
Red-shirt freshman Harouna Mutombo scored 14 points for the Catamounts, including a highlight-reel slam, with junior Brandon Giles, who was riddled with foul trouble, reaching double-digits for the sixth-straight game with 10. Classmate Adrian Gailliard poured in seven points for WCU off the bench, with Avery tying a career-best with five assists to accompany his game-high eight boards.
Goudelock led three Cougars in double figures with 18 points while Dustin Scott had an all-around solid night with 16 points, seven boards, five assists and five blocked shots. Jermaine Johnson rounded out the double-digit scorers with 15 points.
Tony White Jr. missed his first free throw, ending his school-record streak of 30 straight.
Western's victory, coupled with Chattanooga's come-from-behind win at Wofford, keeps the two deadlocked atop the SoCon's North Division with identical 7-5 league marks. Third-place, Samford, fell on the road at Furman to drop two games back at 6-7 in the race for the north championship.
The same two teams will meet next Wednesday (Feb. 11) at the brand new Carolina First Center in Charleston.
With seven points at the half, Gordon helped ignite the Catamounts after the break with slam dunks on consecutive possessions. First, with the Cougar defense lagging, Mutombo lofted an alley oop pass to Gordon who flushed it through for two. On the ensuing possession, Waginger came away with a steal and made an outlet pass to Giles who found a sprinting Gordon who beat the defense for the slam.
Although the tide and momentum were seemingly swinging in favor of the home team, Charleston (16-6, 8-4 SoCon) was able to maintain its advantage on the scoreboard, building it back to an eight-point edge, 51-43, on a dunk by Scott.
With Western down five, Mutombo split the Cougar defense and land a one-handed tomahawk jam to Western to within three, 62-59, with Waginger converting one of his six steals into a 3-pointer to knot the game at 62 with six and a half to play. The Catamounts claimed their first lead since early in the first half on a jumper by Gordon at the 5:32 mark of the second.
The Catamounts were able to claw out a three-point lead inside the final two minutes setting up Goudelock's heroics and the frantic finish.
Western Carolina (12-10, 7-5 SoCon) rallied from an early 11-point deficit as both teams opened up the game red-hot from the floor. The Cougars erupted for a 10-0 run midway through the opening stanza, ballooning a one-point lead the 11-point cushion before the Catamounts were able to counterpunch.
The lead held between four and seven points much of the opening 20 minutes with the Cougars taking a four-point, 37-33, edge into intermission.
The Catamounts return home this Saturday, Feb. 7 to host The Citadel - two-point winners over Appalachian State on Thursday in Boone. The Bulldogs have won six-straight, a streak which began against Western in Charleston back on Jan. 22. Saturday's game is the night cap of a WCU hoops double-header. The Lady Catamounts host arch-rival Appalachian State at 4:00 pm, with the men's game to tip at 7:00 pm.
Western Carolina will recognize both its men's and women's basketball alum this Saturday, with a special reception between games for alum and Catamount Club members. At half time of the men's game, there will be a special recognition of the 50th anniversary of the 1958-59 Catamounts which won the school's first conference championship in the North State Conference.
Immediately following the men's game Saturday night, comedian Buzz Sutherland (www.buzzsutherland.com) will perform free of charge.
