Final Stats |   

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Led by five double-digit scorers, the Western Carolina men's basketball team cruised by visiting Warren Wilson College Thursday night inside the Ramsey Center, 96-45. Freshman Elijah Pughsley led all scorers with 18 points while fellow freshman Marc Gosselin grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to help the Catamounts dominate the glass 57-26.

The win keeps the Catamounts perfect at home this season (3-0) and improves their overall record to 3-4 while the loss gives the Owls a 5-7 start to the season.

WCU never trailed in the game as senior Justin Browning hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the first half. Browning ended the night with 11 points, six rebounds and a team-high three steals. Senior Torrion Brummitt and sophomores Devin Peterson and Aaron Williams all added 10 points. Williams scored his 10 points in an impressive seven minutes late in the game including hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Brummitt added five boards to his total while Peterson tied for the team-lead with four assists.

Gosselin had six points and tied for the team-lead with four assists to go along with his first career double-digit rebound game.

Senior Mike Brown and sophomore Ashley Williams each added seven points to the Catamount total. Brown also had seven rebounds while As. Williams pulled down three boards and picked up a pair of steals. Junior Kyle Rhoades came off the bench to grab seven rebounds in the game while scoring four points while freshman Jesse Deloach added seven boards, five points and a pair of blocks.

The Catamounts dominated every phase of the game Thursday night including a 31 rebounding advantage on the glass, a 28-point advantage in the paint and a 46-point advantage in bench scoring. WCU had just six less turnovers than the Owls but led 31-7 in points off turnovers.

The Catamounts were nearly perfect from the free throw line in the opening half going 9-for-10 but struggled in the second half hitting just 14-of-22 attempts. WCU hit 47.1 percent (33-70) of its shots in the game including 45.5 percent (15-33) in the opening half and 48.6 (18-37) in the second.

The Catamount lead was just seven with 4:26 to play in the first half but a 17-2 run gave the Catamounts a commanding 44-22 lead at the break. Brown scored seven of the 17 points which were his only points of the game.

The lead never dropped below 19 points in the second half as the Catamounts continued to expand their advantage. The final basket of the game by Aa. Williams proved to be WCU's largest lead of the game at 51 points.

WCU will now turn its focus on Big Ten member Illinois who welcome in the Catamounts on Saturday. The Catamounts are 0-2 all-time against the Fighting Illini and look to pick up the program's second win over a Big Ten school and first since a 74-72 win over Nebraska on Dec. 3, 1999.