Jan. 26, 2012

Box Score |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - Three Catamounts scored in double figures including the first career double-double by sophomore post Tawaski King, but Western Carolina had no answer for Elon's Jack Isenbarger as the Phoenix escaped the Ramsey Center with a 71-63 Southern Conference victory Thursday night. Isenbarger knocked down five 3-pointers including four in the first half as a part of his 26-point performance as Elon picked up back-to-back wins for the first time since the beginning of December.

Elon (10-9, 5-3 SoCon), which had only won once prior in the Ramsey Center - WCU's home since 1986 - snapped a three-game slide to the Catamounts in the overall head-to-head series while also halting a four-game drought in games played in Cullowhee. WCU dropped its fourth-straight in league play and second-consecutive home game.

"I thought we had good energy. Guys were competing pretty well, we just really struggled to put the ball in the basket all night long," said WCU head coach Larry Hunter during post-game comments.

Redshirt sophomore Trey Sumler led the Catamounts with 18 points, adding seven rebounds and four assists. King finished with 14 points - just two shy of his career-high set earlier this season in a road win over Presbyterian - and pulled down 11 rebounds including seven on the offensive end. The Dublin, Ga., native added a career-best four steals and a pair of blocked shots.

Senior Keaton Cole rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points off the bench, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers on 2-of-9 shooting and matched his career-high with four steals. Sophomore Preston Ross added eight points and eight rebounds.

In addition to Isenbarger's 26 points - 16 of which came in the first half alone - Elon guard Austin Hamilton scored 13 including six from the free throw line while Sebastian Koch chipped in a dozen for the Phoenix. Ryley Beaumont pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds for Elon.

Western Carolina (9-12, 3-5 SoCon) took an early six-point lead on six points in the paint between Ross and Mutombo, twice scoring on offensive rebounds. However, 3-pointers by Isenbarger quickly melted that advantage with Drew Spradlin knotting the game for the first time at 10 apiece at the 12:48 mark of the first half.

Midway through the opening stanza, Elon erased a seven-point deficit with 10-straight points including five by Isenbarger to rally from down 22-15 to take a three-point, 25-22, edge with four and a half minutes remaining before the break. Isenbarger added his fourth 3-pointer of the opening 20 minutes with 14 seconds showing on the clock to stake Elon to a three-point, 29-26, lead at intermission.

The Phoenix led at the break despite being outshot by WCU. The Catamounts hit 40-percent of their field goal attempts while the Phoenix was just 38.5 percent from the floor. However, WCU was held without a first half 3-point field goal (0-for-5) while Elon was able to take the lead by tallying 15 points from long range.

In the second half, Western Carolina went nearly four minutes between field goals after King completed an old-fashioned three-point play two minutes into the session. Sumler added three free throws during the drought from the floor with Cole breaking the slump with a steal and lay-up at 13:20. Despite the cold shooting out of the locker room -- missing six of its first seven shots after the break - the Catamounts trailed by just three after Cole's theft and transitional bucket.

Later in the half, a second lengthy drought between field goals lasted nearly a five minutes, bookended with 3-point field goals from Cole and Sumler. Amidst the cold shooting, though, the Catamounts were within one point after a pair of Cole charity tosses, trimming Elon's edge to 42-41 at the 10:16 mark. However, the Phoenix slowly pulled away as the Catamounts shooting woes continued, slipping away to a 10-point lead with 3:22 to play on the strength of a 17-to-8 run.

Elon built a game-high lead of 12 points with two minutes to play. WCU was able to work its way back within seven points, but the Phoenix secured the win by connecting on eight of 12 free throws inside the final minute to provide the final tally.

All told, WCU's struggles from the floor in the second half included having recorded only four made field goals in the first 16 minutes of the frame. The Catamounts managed just 30-percent (9-of-30) from the floor after intermission with four made 3-pointers.

The Catamounts held a slim 45-44 advantage on the boards but was more opportunistic with its offensive rebounds, outscoring Elon 18-9 on second chance points.

Western Carolina travels to Greensboro this Saturday for the first of back-to-back road games in SoCon play. The Catamounts first visit red-hot UNCG in the Greensboro Coliseum on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2:00 pm and then will face Wofford on Monday, Jan. 30, in Spartanburg, S.C. WCU defeated UNCG earlier this season in Cullowhee, 73-69. However, the Spartans enter Saturday's game having won five-straight in league play since a coaching change, and downed Appalachian State at home on Thursday night in overtime.

Saturday afternoon's game will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network and can be heard locally on 920 AM WPTL in Canton and online at CatamountSports.com.