Feb. 25, 2010

Box Score |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - Senior Brandon Giles led three Catamounts in double figures with a game-high 19 points as Western Carolina held Samford to an opponent season-low 18 points in the second half to pull away for a 17-point home victory, 61-44, Thursday night in the Ramsey Center.

The win - which halted both a two-game seasonal slide and consecutive home losses - also propelled the Catamounts over the 20-win mark for the first-time in 38 seasons - and is the first since WCU moved to the NCAA Division I level in 1976-77.

Giles scored 11 of his 19 points after halftime with a combined four 3-pointers on the night, while sophomore Keaton Cole connected on three treys for 11 points for Western Carolina (20-10, 10-7 SoCon). Junior Richie Gordon finished with a solid stat line of 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, five rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots.

Brigham Waginger just missed double figures with seven points, five assists and a pair of steals in the victory.

Gordon bookended a 10-0 spurt for the Catamounts early in the second half, punctuating it with the first of two second half dunks as WCU reclaimed the lead it would not again relinquish in the second half, 39-30. The Bulldogs closed the gap to just four, 39-35.

However, the Catamounts used a 16-to-5 run over the next six minutes to build a game-high 15 point lead as the margin never dropped below double digits. During the decisive six minute stretch, 12 of WCU's 14 points were scored by seniors, with a Gordon steal and one-handed breakaway slam dunk representing the lone underclassmen points.

Samford (11-18, 5-12) put two in double figures as Josh Davis hit three, 3-pointers for 13 points and Trey Montgomery added 10 points and five assists for the Bulldogs, which lost for the eighth time in their past 10 games.

Cole gave WCU a nine-point edge - its largest of the opening 20 minutes - with a triple at the 7:29 mark of the first half as the Catamounts led, 21-12. However, Samford outscored the home squad by a 14-to-5 margin to close the half and knot the game at 26 headed into the halftime locker room. It was the first time that WCU has been tied at the break this season.

The Catamounts will wrap-up the 2009-10 regular season this Saturday, Feb. 27, as it hosts North Division rival, Chattanooga, on Senior Day in Cullowhee. WCU will honor its five senior basketball players - Adrian Gailliard, Brandon Giles, Jake Robinson, Kendall Russell and Brigham Waginger - and senior student manager, Derek Butler, in a special pre-game ceremony.

Saturday's game will also be televised live on SportSouth. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 pm.

Post-Game Notes: - Western Carolina snapped a two-game seasonal and two-game home losing skid with the win over Samford ... WCU has won just three of its last eight games in the month of February, but did eclipse the 20-win plateau;

- Western Carolina earned its 20th victory of the season, improving to 20-10 overall ... It is WCU's first 20-win season since becoming an NCAA Division I program back in 1976-77, and the first time the program has reached 20 wins since 1971-72 ... the Catamounts have won 20-or-more games in 10 seasons all-time in their history;

- The 20 wins are also the most for Western Carolina under fifth-year head coach Larry Hunter;

- The Catamounts completed the seasonal sweep on its second conference opponent, sweeping both UNC Greensboro and Samford this season - both of which are North Division foes;

- WCU made nine 3-pointers in the home win over Chattanooga to establish a new school benchmark for treys made in a single season ... Needing just two to break the previous record of 237 (2007-08), the Catamounts now have 245 with at least two games remaining ... Under head coach Larry Hunter, the Catamounts have re-written the school's 3-point record books now in four of his five seasons;

- Western Carolina has won a facility record 13 home games (13-2) in the Ramsey Center this season, improving to 47-19 (.712) at home during Hunter's tenure ... All told, WCU has won 26 of its last 30 home games in the Ramsey Center including 17 of its last 20 conference games;

- Appalachian State survived a late run by Chattanooga, holding off the Mocs for an 80-74 win over Chattanooga in Boone on Thursday night to win the SoCon North Division crown ... It is the second-straight year that a late season win over UTC has clinched the North Division as WCU defeated the Mocs a year ago to share the title ... WCU will finish second in the North Division and garner the No. 2 seed - and its first round bye - in next week's SoCon tournament.