Final Stats

BOONE, N.C. - Despite scoring just 58 points, the Western Carolina men’s basketball team won a defensive battle with longtime rival Appalachian State, 58-53, Saturday afternoon. The meeting marked the 190th meeting between the two mountain schools. Junior Haboubacar Mutombo led the Catamounts with 13 points while classmate Devin Peterson added 11.

Both teams struggled to shoot the ball as the Catamounts finished at 32.2 percent from the field including just 24.1 percent in the second half while the Mountaineers finished at 26.5 percent with a dismal 14.3 shooting percentage in the second half.

The Catamounts held Appalachian State to just three made field goals in the final period while the Mountaineers connected on 15 of their 20 free throws in the half as they spent the majority of the time in the bonus.

The win improves WCU’s record to 3-5 on the season while the Mountaineers drop to 2-5.

Mutombo added four rebounds and a team-high two steals to his stat line while Peterson had a team-high four assists and three rebounds. Sophomore Marc Gosselin nearly had a double-double but had his day cut short due to foul trouble. The Lyon, France native finished with nine points, 12 rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block.

Sophomore Elijah Pughsley chipped in nine points, three rebounds and three assists as he returned to the starting lineup for the first time since the season opener at Miami (Fla.). Freshman Adam Sledd had a tremendous 11 minutes off the bench as he finished with seven rebounds and three points including one crucial free throw late in the contest that helped solidify the victory.

Senior Deriece Parks returned after missing a game due to injury and came off the bench to play 24 minutes while scoring six points, grabbing three rebounds, dishing out three assists and picking up a steal. Three of Parks’ six points came in the final 40 seconds at the free throw line as he helped hold off the surging Mountaineers.

Appalachian State was led by Ronshad Shabazz who poured in a game-high 17 points while Tyrell Johnson scored six points and ripped down 11 rebounds.

Neither team led by more than five points the entire game as both teams battled for the victory.

The early minutes of the game saw Appalachian State hold the slight lead but a 6-0 run by the Catamounts starting with just under nine minutes to play in the half gave WCU a four-point advantage. Junior Charlendez Brooks, Peterson and Mutombo each scored two points in the run. WCU would hold onto the lead until the 3:37 mark when a ASU free throw tied the game at 28. The Mountaineers retook the lead with a layup at the 2:52 mark but a 3-pointer by Pughsley with just over a minute left in the period game WCU the 31-30 lead. Neither team scored in the final minute of action as the Catamounts carried the lead into the halftime break.

It took just four minutes into the second half for the Mountaineers to claim their largest lead of the game at 38-33 as ASU opened the period with an 8-2 run. A 3-pointer by Parks stemmed the tide the cut the deficit to just two for the Catamounts.

WCU would eventually tie the game at 40 as Peterson hit a jumper with 11:49 left in the game. Peterson would be the next athlete to score as he was fouled on a 3-point attempt nearly three minutes later and sunk all three free throws to give the Catamounts a 43-40 lead.

The Mountaineers would tie the game on two more occasions but the Catamounts would never trail the rest of the way. The contest was close throughout but late free throws proved to be the difference. Mutombo hit a 3-point play as he was fouled on a layup and hit the free throw to give WCU a five-point lead with 1:21 left in the game. After a pair of empty possessions, ASU’s Shabazz was fouled an hit two free throws to cut the lead to three. Peterson would respond with a layup to put the Catamounts back up five but Shabazz would not go away quietly as he nailed a 3-pointer to make the score 53-51 with 38 seconds remaining.

Parks was fouled on the next WCU possession and hit one of two free throws to put the advantage back at three. Shabazz once again drove to the basket and was fouled and hit his two free throws to cut the lead to just one with 23 ticks left on the clock. WCU found Parks on the inbound and he delivered at the line hitting both free throws to push the lead back to three.

ASU was able to get to the rim on its next possession but the layup was off the mark. Sledd collected the defensive board and was immediately fouled. The Roanoke, Va., native sunk one of the two free throws to make it a two possession game. ASU once again came up empty as Shabazz missed an off-balance 3-pointer and the ball went out of bounds. WCU inbounded the ball to Pughsley who iced the game by hitting one of two free throws to secure the 58-53 victory.

The Catamounts will now travel to Charleston, W.Va., to take on arguably their stiffest competition of the season as WCU plays No. 25/19 West Virginia in a neutral site contest. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 7 pm inside the Charleston Civic Center.