Jan. 25, 2010

Box Score |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - Richie Gordon led five Catamounts in double figures with a season-high 19 points as Western Carolina handed the College of Charleston its first Southern Conference loss of the season, 100-90, Monday night in the Ramsey Center, snapping the Cougars seven-game unbeaten streak.

In addition to keeping the Catamounts perfect at home this season at 11-0 and extending the home consecutive win streak to 14, WCU's victory also end CofC's run of 13-straight SoCon regular season victories which dated back to last season. The 11 home victories match a school record for WCU which was set last season (11-2).

On a night that pitted the two SoCon divisional leaders in their lone regular season meeting, the contest was dominated by the 3-point shot. The two squads combined for 30 made 3-pointers, each shooting over 50-percent from beyond the arc.

WCU senior Jake Robinson broke the school's 14-year old career record for 3-pointers made, connecting on all four of his long-range shots in the game. Robinson, who finished with 16 points off the bench for WCU, stepped back and drained a jumper from the left wing at the 12:16 mark of the first half to claim the school sharp-shooting record.

On the opposite end, the Cougars broke their school benchmark for triples made in a single-game while also established a Ramsey Center record by burying 19 treys in the losing effort.

Making his first career start for WCU (16-4, 6-2 SoCon), Mike Williams joined Gordon and Robinson in double digits with 14 points while also dishing out four assists. Keaton Cole, earning his first starting nod of the season, added 11 points including three 3-pointers, with Brigham Waginger finishing with 10 points, six assists and four steals to round out the double-digit scorers.

Brandon Giles had his five-game, double-digit scoring streak snapped, finishing with nine points and a game-high six rebounds.

College of Charleston (13-7, 8-1 SoCon) matched WCU's five players in double figures led by 24 from Andrew Goudelock, who added 11 assists for a double-double. Tony White, Jr., added 23 points with Casaan Breeden, Willis Hall and Donovan Monroe each scoring 10.

Spurred by the largest Ramsey Center crowd since 1996, Western Carolina blitzed the Cougars out of the gates, racing to a double-digit lead less than five minutes into the contest. The Catamounts made three of their first four shots from the floor for a 9-0 lead and pushed it to double figures with two more made field goals before going ahead 12, 15-3, at the 16:52 mark.

The Cougars would answer, though, trimming the WCU advantage and forcing the game's first tie at 27 with nine minutes remaining before half on a 19-to-7 spurt. During the run, CofC made five 3-pointers including the game-tying triple by Goudelock.

Western Carolina was unable to pull away the remainder of the half as the Catamounts were only able to generate a lead of five points before taking a two-point, 47-45, edge into the locker room.

The Cougars used consecutive hoops coming out of the half to take their first lead of the night at 49-47 and eventually lead by as many as four points at 60-56. With CofC holding a slim 65-64 advantage, Western Carolina took the lead for good with a 9-to-3 run that started with a runner in the lane by Williams and included consecutive dunks by Giles and Adrian Gailliard that gave the Catamounts the lead at 73-68.

Charleston managed to close to within four points, 88-84, inside the final five minutes on Goudelock's sixth 3-pointer of the night. However, the Catamounts used consecutive inside buckets by Gordon to end the Cougars threat as CofC missed five of its final six shots including four 3-point attempts. Robinson made all four free throws inside the final minute to seal the win as Western Carolina shot a seasonal-high, 92.9-percent (13-of-14) from the charity stripe.

All told, WCU outscored Charleston, 38-to-18, in the paint with the Catamount bench adding 40 points in the win.

Western Carolina hits the road for back-to-back games away from the Ramsey Center in North Division play beginning on Thursday, Jan. 28 at defending tournament champion, Chattanooga (11-10, 3-5 SoCon). The road swing continues on Saturday (Jan. 30) at Samford.

Post-Game Notes:
- Western Carolina improved to 11-0 at home this season, matching a school Ramsey Center record for home victories in a single-season while also extending its home court winning streak to 14-straight games which includes seven-straight against Southern Conference foes ... All told, WCU has won 24 of its last 26 home games in the Ramsey Center and 15 of its last 16 SoCon matchups in Cullowhee;

- WCU hit the century mark for the second time this season, both wins ...the 100 points also represents the first time the College of Charleston has surrendered triple digits since January 7, 2009 when eventual national champion North Carolina defeated the Cougars 108-70 in Chapel Hill, N.C.;

- Western Carolina handed the College of Charleston its first Southern Conference defeat of the season while also snapping the Cougars' seven-game winning streak ... the loss for CofC was their first in 2010, while it also kept WCU perfect at 4-0 in games following a loss this season ... WCU has won three of the last five meetings with the Cougars after a nine-game CofC win streak;

- The College of Charleston set a Ramsey Center record with 19 made 3-pointers on Monday night ... the record was 17 set twice earlier this season by Western Carolina in homes win over Duquesne and Berea (Ky.) College ... the 19 made treys was also a CofC single-game school record;

- Western Carolina shot a season-high 92.9-percent (13-of-14) from the free throw line and also edged its seasonal best from beyond the 3-point by shooting 68.8-percent (11-of-16) - just ahead of the 68.0-percent (17-of-25) against Berea (Ky.);

- Western Carolina improved to 15-0 when leading at halftime this season - the Catamounts held a slim, two-point, 47-45, lead over the Cougars at intermission;

- Monday night's announced attendance of 4,765 was the most to see a Western Carolina basketball game since 1996 when 4,577 were on hand when the Catamounts clinched the SoCon South Division title and Anquell McCollum broke the school's 3-point shooting record;

- Western Carolina's 16 seasonal wins matches the most under fifth-year head coach Larry Hunter ... WCU finished 16-15 in 2008-09;

- Senior Jake Robinson became Western Carolina's all-time career 3-point leader, supplanting former Catamount standout - and current assistant coach - Anquell McCollum (1993-96) ... Tied with McCollum at 245 entering the game, Robinson drained the record-setting trey at the 12:16 mark of the first half from the left wing after stepping back to bury the contested shot ... With four made treys, Robinson currently has 249 career 3-pointers - he is just six shy of tying for 10th-place on the Southern Conference's career 3-pointers made ledger;

- For the first time since the season opener, WCU head coach Larry Hunter tinkered with his starting five ... Mike Williams made his first-ever start in a Catamount uniform with Keaton Cole making his first start of the season - Brandon Giles and Harouna Mutombo were pulled from the starting rotation ... With Mutombo not starting, it snapped his string of 50-straight starts which included every previous game he has played for the purple and gold;