Nov. 22, 2010

Box Score |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - Richie Gordon recorded his first career double-double, leading a balanced Catamount attack with a career-high tying 23 points and career-best 10 rebounds as Western Carolina soared past Warren Wilson, 97-47, Monday night in nonconference action in the Ramsey Center.

All 11 Catamounts that saw action on Monday night scored points with 10 tallying points before intermission. Five players established career-highs for points in a game with two tallying their career bests in rebounds in the victory.

"I was proud of our guys. I thought we had really good energy all night long," said WCU head coach Larry Hunter during post-game comments on the Catamount Sports Network post-game report. "I felt Mike (Williams) and Richie (Gordon) in the first half really set the tempo. And we were able to let our freshmen play some, get a little confidence and to execute under game fire.

"I watched Warren Wilson on tape and they are very well coached. Coach (Kevin) Walden does a really nice job with his team. They were outmanned, obviously, but they really competed," Hunter added.

Gordon was joined in double figures by freshman Preston Ross with a career-best 12 points with four steals while redshirt freshman Trey Sumler poured in 11 points off the bench for WCU. Senior Mike Williams had his string of double-digit scoring games snapped at three, finishing with nine points while freshman Tawaski King was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor for eight points, adding a career-best eight rebounds.

Freshman Ishmael Hollis scored his first collegiate field goal in the win, posting a career-best seven points off the bench while redshirt sophomore center Sam Smithson established career benchmarks with six points and six rebounds.

All told, the Catamounts dominated the paint, outscoring the out-matched Owls, 66-to-10, while also commanding the glass to the tune of 51-to-32 with 20 offensive rebounds.

After Western Carolina (2-2) raced out to a 5-0 lead, the Owls connected on consecutive buckets to close back to within a point, 5-4, at the 16:35 mark of the first half. The Catamounts then scored nine-straight points as a part of a 24-to-4 run to push its advantage into double-digits which is where it would remain the rest of the ballgame.

WCU stretched its lead to as many as 29 in the opening half, leading 49-20 at intermission.

Harouna Mutombo's lay-up at the 16:42 mark of the second half ballooned the Catamount advantage over 30 points for good with WCU taking a game-high 50-point lead inside the final minute of regulation.

Warren Wilson (3-5) was paced by the double-double effort of Rashad Ali who finished with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Timur Oktay and Patrick Albright both added seven points for the Owls who were playing their third game in the past four days.

Western Carolina returns to action this weekend in the Legends Classic sub-regional hosted by William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. The Catamounts will face Mercer on Friday, Nov. 26 at 5:00 pm, Gardner-Webb on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 3:30 pm and the host Tribe at 4:30 pm on Sunday, Nov. 28.

All three weekend games will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network with air time 30 minutes prior to the scheduled tip-off time.

Post-Game Notes:
- Western Carolina won its seventh-straight home game against a nonconference opponent and has secured victories in 11 of the past 13 nonconference games played in the Ramsey Center ... Since 2003, WCU is now 28-5 against non-league foes at home including a 18-4 mark under head coach Larry Hunter;

- Dating back to last season, Western Carolina has won three-straight inside the friendly confines of the Ramsey Center ... All told, WCU has won 28 of its last 32 home games;

- WCU improved to 5-1 in home openers in the Ramsey Center under the leadership of head coach Larry Hunter winning the fifth-straight since dropping his home debut against South Carolina back in the 2005-06 season;

- For Gordon, his double-double performance was the first of the season - and the first of his career ... He matched his previous career-high of 23 points scored last year in a home win over Samford while surpassing his previous benchmark of nine rebounds established in that same game a season ago;