Feb. 24, 2011

Box Score |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - Cameron Wells scored a game-high 21 points and post Mike Groselle recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds as The Citadel Bulldogs erased a 21-point second half deficit in handing Western Carolina a 70-62 setback Thursday night in Southern Conference action in the Ramsey Center.

The loss was WCU's first this season inside the Ramsey Center, and the first since Feb. 13, 2010, halting a 12-game home winning streak. It also ended the Catamounts seven-game seasonal win streak - all coming in the month of February. WCU, which has already secured a bye in next week's SoCon tournament, dropped back into a tie with Chattanooga atop the North Division at 11-6 in league play with one game remaining.

Western Carolina (16-14, 11-6 SoCon) led by as many as 19 in the opening 20 minutes, beginning the game with a 21-to-2 run over the first seven and a half minutes capped by a 3-pointer by SoCon Freshman of the Year candidate, Trey Sumler. The Citadel managed to keep pace with the Catamounts the remainder of the half, though, outscoring WCU by two, 18-16, over the final 11:24 to trail at the break by 17, 37-20.

The Catamounts extended the lead to a game-high 21 points just two and a half minutes into the second half, but could never put the Bulldogs completely away. A 19-to-5 run by the Cadets over an eight minute span pulled The Citadel to within seven, 50-43, with nine minutes to play in regulation.

Freshman Brandon Boggs converted an offensive rebound into a lay-up at the 5:28 mark to give WCU a six-point edge - 57-51 - but would unfortunately also represent the lone points for the home squad nearly over the next five minutes as The Citadel used a 15-to-0 run to erase the final six points of the Catamount lead and take a nine-point edge with under a minute to play. During the Bulldog run, WCU was 0-for-6 from the floor and 0-for-1 from the free throw line.

Senior Mike Williams was one of two Catamounts in double figures, scoring 20 points with four steals to accompany his three assists. Classmate Richie Gordon just missed a double-double with 13 points and eight boards, blocking two shots to move into a tie with Tommy Lavelle (1961-64) for second on the school's all-time career blocked shots list with 112.

Harouna Mutombo finished with nine points and five boards, while Sumler scored seven with four assists.

Wells scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half as the Bulldogs shot 61.5-percent from the field after intermission. Joining him and Groselle in double figures was Bryan Streeter with 15 off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting, adding nine rebounds.

Western Carolina shot a sizzling 68-percent (15-of-22) from the floor including 5-of-9 (55.6%) from the beyond the 3-point arc in the first half while playing solid defense that restricted the Bulldogs to just 20 points.

Despite 13 offensive rebounds, the Catamounts lost the battle of the boards, 39-30, to the Bulldogs and gave up a 19-to-5 advantage in second-chance points.

Western Carolina hosts the College of Charleston on Saturday afternoon in the second half of a hoops double-header on Senior Day in Cullowhee. The WCU women's squad hosts Chattanooga at 2 pm where it will honor seniors Emily Clarke and Kendra Carroll, with the men battling the South Division-leading Cougars at 4:30 pm. Prior to the game, WCU will honor seniors Blake Gallagher, Richie Gordon, Anthony Phillip and Mike Williams in a special ceremony.

Post-Game Notes:
- Western Carolina lost for the first time in the month of February, snapping a seven-game winning streak ... the loss also ended a 12-game unbeaten streak in games played in the Ramsey Center ... Despite the loss, WCU has won 24 of the last 27 home games played in Cullowhee;

- The Catamounts dropped their fifth-straight game to The Citadel dating back to the 2009 season ... WCU has dropped back-to-back home games to the Bulldogs ... The Citadel snapped a seven-game losing skid with the win over the Catamounts;

- WCU lost for just the second-time this season after carrying a lead into the halftime break ... the Catamounts are 13-2 this season when leading at intermission with the losses at UNC Asheville (led 30-29) and The Citadel (led 37-20);

- Mike Williams scored 20-or-more points for the eighth-time this season and for the ninth-time in his Catamount career ... Williams has been in double figures in 26 of the 30 games this year including eight-straight games with double-digit points;

- Senior Richie Gordon blocked two shots on Thursday night to give him 112 for his career, moving him into a tie with Tommy Lavelle (1961-64) for second on the school's blocked shots chart;

- WCU missed an opportunity to lock-up at least a share of the Southern Conference's North Division crown on Thursday night: For WCU to win the SoCon divisional title outright, it would need Samford (12-17, 4-13 SoCon) to upset Chattanooga (15-15, 11-6) while the Catamounts would need to defeat the College of Charleston (22-8, 14-3) in Cullowhee on Saturday ... If both WCU and UTC mirror each other - either both win or both lose - the two would finish tied atop the SoCon North standings, sharing the divisional crown with WCU earning the No. 1 seed by virtue of its sweep of third-place Appalachian State ... A UTC win coupled with a WCU loss would relegate the Catamounts to second in the division, giving the Mocs the North Division title and division's No. 1 seed in the tournament.