March 5, 2011

Box Score |   

Chattanooga, Tenn. - Harouna Mutombo led four Catamounts in double figures with 20 points as North Division top-seed Western Carolina advanced to Sunday's semifinal round with a 77-66 victory over the North's sixth seed UNC Greensboro on Saturday afternoon at the McKenzie Arena.

Western Carolina (18-14) led from start-to-finish, breaking open a one-point ball game in the first half with a 12-to-0 spurt to grab a double-digit advantage. After rebuilding a double-digit lead midway through the second half, the Catamounts led by 10-or-more until late when the Spartans closed the margin to within seven, 69-62, with three and a half minutes to play. However, back-to-back buckets by senior Mike Williams pushed the margin back to double-figures with the Catamounts holding on for the 11-point victory.

Western Carolina will face the south's second seed, Wofford, in a re-match of last year's semifinal meeting as the Terriers downed North Division No. 3 Appalachian State, 69-56, on Saturday evening.

Sunday evening's game will be televised on SportSouth beginning at 6:00 pm, with the Catamount Sports Network broadcast slated for a 5:30 pm pregame show. Fans can hear the game locally on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 in Cullowhee, 680 AM WRGC in Sylva and 920 AM WPTL in Canton as well as online at www.CatamountSports.com.

"I am really proud of our team," WCU sixth-year head coach Larry Hunter opened during his post-game press conference comments. "I did not think that Mike Williams or Trey (Sumler) were particularly good today; either one of those guards has really carried us most of the year. We had Richie (Gordon) in foul trouble early, but we got really good play from our guys off the bench."

He added, "Harouna (Mutombo) was really terrific against their zone, especially. Our defense is where we hang our hat and it was fairly solid as well."

Mutombo shot 9-of-12 from the floor, scoring 15 of his 20 points in the second half while also leading the squad with eight rebounds. He was joined in double figures by Williams with 13, while SoCon Freshman of the Year Trey Sumler added a dozen points, all coming on his four made 3-pointers. Williams dished out five of the Catamounts' 17 assists while also recording four steals while Sumler had three helpers in the winning effort.

Junior Keaton Cole came off the WCU bench to score 10 points including a pair of 3-pointers, with senior Richie Gordon scoring all eight of his points in the second half, adding five boards, a block and a steal.

UNCG (7-24) finished with four players in double figures as freshman Trevis Simpson scored 17 while Brandon Evans tallied a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Rounding out the double-digit scorers were Aloysius Henry and Aaron Brackett, both with 10 points apiece.

The Catamounts were deadly from long-range, knocking down 9-of-17 (53 percent) from behind the three-point arc. WCU also turned 21 UNCG turnovers into 29 points.

Post-Game Notes:
- Western Carolina won for just the third-time ever inside the McKenzie Arena, moving to 3-23 all-time ... It was WCU's first victory in Chattanooga in the three years the tournament has been played at McKenzie, moving to 1-2 all-time ... the win was also WCU's first-ever over UNC Greensboro in SoCon tournament play - WCU had lost the previous three tournament head-to-head meetings with the Spartans;

- WCU has won nine of its last 10 games - and 10 of its last 12 games overall ... the Catamounts are 14-4 during the calendar year 2011;

- Western Carolina advances to the semifinal round for the second-consecutive season - and for the ninth-time since joining the Southern Conference in 1977 ... Prior to last year's semifinal appearance, WCU had not advance passed the quarter finals since 1999;

- Western Carolina will face Wofford on Sunday evening in the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament ... Wofford won the only regular season meeting between the two schools this year in Spartanburg, making it two-straight losses in the series ... WCU and Wofford have met three times previously in SoCon tourney play with the Terriers holding a 1-2 overall record - the Catamounts won the initial tournament meeting in Greensboro in 1999 before falling in Charleston in 2008 and in Charlotte a year ago.