Nov. 26, 2011

Box Score |   

South Padre Island, Texas - Western Carolina used a balanced attack offensively including 14 points from countrymen Harouna Mutombo and Keaton Cole, while also controlling the boards at both ends to set the tone early en route to a 62-46 victory over Florida A&M in its finale of the 2011 South Padre Island Invitational. The win halts an overall three-game slide for the Catamounts.

Following Saturday afternoon's game, WCU sophomore Brandon Boggs was named to the South Padre Invitational All-tournament team for his performance including averaging 21.5 points per game including a career-best 35 to lead the Catamounts against Northern Colorado.

"Today was a good team win for us. I am proud of the way our guys responded to what went on in our team meetings last night - I challenged them pretty good," said WCU head coach Larry Hunter during post-game comments on the Catamount Sports Network. "I was really proud of our effort and our energy - I really didn't have to coach energy today. And, when I went to our bench, I got production - those were a couple of things I thought were really big for us."

Mutombo shot 5-of-9 from the floor including a pair of 3-pointers while Cole was 4-of-8 from beyond the arc with a pair of made free throws to account for his 14 points. Sophomore Preston Ross finished with 13 points including 10 in the opening 20 minutes to lead the Catamounts at the break, adding six rebounds.

Boggs chipped in eight points and six rebounds while Tawaski King recorded a very solid stat line. The second-year forward out of Dublin, Ga., scored seven points while pulling down a career-high 13 rebounds including six on the offensive end. King also dished out three assists and swiped two steals in an all-around performance.

After falling behind by two just a minute and a half into the contest, Western Carolina (3-4) used a 13-to-2 run to build a nine-point lead which it held the majority of the opening 20 minutes and would never trail again. WCU would manage an 11-point lead with four minutes to play before halftime on a Ross jumper, with Cole connecting on his two, first half 3-pointers in the closing moments of the stanza to give the Catamounts a 12-point, 35-23, lead at halftime.

WCU maintained the double-digit lead as the second half unfolded until five-straight points by the Rattlers erased a 13-point cushion, trimming the Catamount edge to just eight, 43-35, with nine minutes to play. However, Western Carolina responded with consecutive buckets by freshman James Sinclair and Mutombo in transition to push the margin back to double-digits where it would remain through the final gun.

The Catamounts took a game-high lead of 19 points inside the final two minutes on a pair of free throws by Cole, winning by 16, 62-46.

Florida A&M (0-6) put two players in double figures including a team-high 14 points from Reggie Lewis who was held to just three points after intermission. Post Yannick Crowder scored a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards, seven on the defensive end. The Rattlers' leading scorer entering the game, Avery Moore, was held to eight points on 3-of-12 shooting.

Thanks in part to King's career-day on the glass, WCU outrebounded FAMU, 43-to-32, including 16 offensive boards. The Catamounts shot 41-percent from the field including 35-percent (7-20) from beyond the 3-point arc while limiting Florida A&M to 33-percent from the field in the win.

Western Carolina opens Southern Conference play on the road next Thursday night as it visits divisional-foe, Samford, for a 8:00 pm ET / 7:00 pm CT tip-off against the Bulldogs. The Catamounts play just their second home game of the year in one week, hosting UNCG in the second half of a WCU hoops double-header with tip-off from the Ramsey Center at 4:30 pm.