Feb. 13, 2014

Recap |  Box Score

Chattanooga, Tenn. - Western Carolina men's basketball team looks to continue its winning ways as the Catamounts can move into a tie for second in the Southern Conference standings with a win at Chattanooga Friday.

The two teams were originally scheduled to play Thursday, but Winter Storm Pax delayed tipoff until Friday at 7 p.m. in the McKenzie Arena.

The Western Carolina Review
- Western Carolina enters the game at 14-11 overall and 7-3 in the SoCon after n 83-75 win over Furman (02/10) ... The Catamounts have won three of their last four games including an overtime win, 84-75, over SoCon rival App State (02/08).
- WCU won eight straight in the Ramsey Center before falling to Davidson (01/23), 82-77... The Catamounts are 10-1 entering Monday in the Ramsey Center... WCU is 90-40 under head coach Larry Hunter at home.
- Trey Sumler, 18.3 points per game, leads three Catamounts in double-digits ... Sumler as notched back-to-back 20 point games after tallying 25 points against App State (02/08) and 24 points against Furman (02/10) ... Brandon Boggs and James Sinclair average 10.8 and 10.7 ppg respectively.
- Sumler is fourth in the SoCon in points per game and LEADS the league in assists at 4.35 per game;
- Sumler has scored 1,860 career points ranking him third on the WCU all-time scoring list ... Sumler is ranked tenth on the NCAA active career scoring lists ... He is third ranked player with over 1,500 career points and 350 career assists.
- WCU LEADS the SoCon in steals at 7.8, turnover margin at +1.76 and offensive rebounds at 13.6 per game.
- Head coach Larry Hunter is the 11th active winningest coach in the NCAA at 640 career wins over 33 seasons ... He has been a head coach in 1,016 career games.

WCU vs. Chattanooga: The Series History
- The Catamounts and Mocs have met 79 times prior to Friday night's contest ... UTC holds a 58-21 advantage in the series including a 47-18 mark in SoCon games;
- The Catamounts have only won three times as the visiting team playing in Chattanooga with the last win coming on January 19, 2013 a 90-81 WCU win ... The first road win for WCU came on January 3, 2000 -- a 75-68 Catamount win;
- The Mocs won the last meeting 81-72 between the two schools on February 28, 2013 in Cullowhee;
- The first meeting was in 1969, a 77-64 WCU win ... The series resumed in 1973-74 and has been played every year since.

Scouting the Mocs
- Chattanooga enters the game at 15-11 overall and 9-2 in the Southern Conference ... The Mocs are also 10-1 at home;
- UTC is on a two-game losing streak after falling,74-63, at Eastern Kentucky (02/04) and at Samford in overtime, 92-85;
- However, the Mocs have won the last eight games in McKenzie Arena ... Their last home loss came on November 19 an 83-81 decision against Kennesaw State.
- Z. Mason leads four Mocs in scoring with 17.7 points per game ... He also averages 9.6 rebounds per game leading the SoCon;
- Casey Jones follows with 12.0 ppg and Ronrico White averages 11.4 ppg ... Gee McGhee follows with 10.1 ppg.
- Will Wade is in his first season at the helm of the Mocs program.

What's Next for Western Carolina
- WCU then heads to UNCG Sunday, February 16 and at App State on Thursday, February 20 to wrap its current three-game road swing.
- The game at UNCG is set to tipoff at 7 p.m. ... The Catamounts defeated the Spartans 72-51 on January 2 in the first meeting between the two schools.