Jan. 28, 2011

Box Score |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina broke open a one-point game with a 23-to-3 first half run and never looked back, holding Furman to just 27-percent shooting from the floor in the convincing 65-41 win over the Paladins Thursday night in the Ramsey Center. The win snaps a two-game slide for the Catamounts while also halting Furman's four-game winning streak.

Three Catamounts scored in double figures with seniors Richie Gordon and Mike Williams pacing the way with 12 points apiece. Gordon was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line and pulled down six rebounds with a pair of steals and two blocks while Williams added three assists.

Redshirt freshman Trey Sumler capped the double-digit scorers with 11 points, adding a game-high eight rebounds as the Catamounts outrebounded Furman, 43-to-37. Junior Keaton Cole chipped in nine points off the bench including a pair of 3-pointers while Harouna Mutombo scored eight in the win.

WCU, which won its eighth-straight home game, took a commanding 34-16 lead into the halftime locker room after limiting Furman to 6-of-24 shooting from the field in the in opening 20 minutes including a dismal 1-for-12 performance behind the 3-point arc. The Paladins entered the game ranked second in the SoCon in 3-point field goal percentage (39.7%).

The Paladins closed to within 16 on three separate occasions in the second half, the final of which coming at the 17:16 mark on a free throw by Brandon Sebirumbi. WCU responded with eight-consecutive points to push the lead back over 20 which is where it would stay the remainder of the night.

The Catamounts took a game-high lead of 32 points twice on free throws by Gordon and a jumper by Greenville, S.C., native Brandon Boggs with five and a half minutes remaining in the game. Freshman Ishmael Hollis made a free throw in the closing moments to provide the final tally, 65-41.

Furman (15-6, 7-3 SoCon) was held without a double-digit scorer with 11 of the 12 players that saw the court recording points. Amu Saaka, who came into the contest ranked fourth in the league at 17.2 points per game, led the Paladins with seven while Charlie Reddick added six off the bench.

The Paladins finished just 2-for-21 from beyond the arc, a season-low. WCU commanded the three-second area, outscoring Furman in the paint, 30-to-18 in the win.

Western Carolina plays the first of back-to-back road games this Saturday, Jan. 29 as it travels to the Benjamin Johnson Arena in Spartanburg, S.C., to face the Wofford Terriers. Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm. WCU won the only regular season meeting between the two a year ago in Cullowhee, but was bounced from the SoCon tournament by the eventual champion Terriers in Charlotte.

Post-Game Notes:
- Western Carolina won its fifth-straight game over Furman marking the program's longest consecutive winning streak over the Paladins ... WCU leads the all-time series 16-12 including four consecutive wins in the Ramsey Center;

- WCU has won eight-straight home games in the Ramsey Center dating back to last season ... All told, the Catamounts have won 33 of their last 38 home games including 22 of the last 25 SoCon games in Cullowhee ... Over the past three seasons, WCU is 31-4 (88.6-percent) at home ... During Larry Hunter's tenure, the Catamounts are 54-19 (74-percent) at home in his six seasons;

- Western Carolina held Furman to 41 points on Thursday night ... It was the lowest point total by a WCU opponent in the Ramsey Center since Atlanta Christian only scored 40 points back on Nov. 20, 2006 ... WCU also limited Toccoa Falls to just 37 points in 2005, the record for fewest points by an opponent in facility history;

- Furman's 41 points were the fewest allowed by the Catamounts to a Southern Conference opponent in Ramsey Center history (opened in 1986-87) ... the previous facility low was 42 by The Citadel during the 2008 season;

- According to Furman Sports Information, the 41 points were the fewest for the Paladins in 10 years ... It was the fewest points for a FU team since scoring just 37 in a 61-37 loss at College of Charleston on February 10, 2001;

- Thursday night's 41 points by Furman were the fewest allowed by WCU to a Southern Conference team ever since joining the league in 1976 ... the previous total was 42 twice to The Citadel (2008) and Appalachian State (1980);

- It is the 12th-time under head coach Larry Hunter that a Catamount basketball team has held an opponent under 50 points including the third-time this season ... WCU held William & Mary to 39 points, the fewest allowed to a NCAA Division I team since the Catamounts moved to D-I in 1976 ... WCU also limited Warren Wilson to 47 points; 

- With two blocks against Furman, senior Richie Gordon has 101 for his career to currently rank third in the record books ... Gordon is just 11 shy of second-place Tommy Lavelle (1961-64) ... WCU's all-time leader in blocked shots - Rans Brempong (2001-05) - blocked 308 career shots during his four years;

- Redshirt junior Harouna Mutombo scored eight points against Furman to give him 925 for his career, 75 shy of 1,000 for his WCU career ... He is vying to become the 39th different Catamount to score over 1,000 points.