MACON, Ga. - For the second-straight season, the Western Carolina men's basketball team swept the season series over the Mercer Bears with a 72-65 victory Thursday night in Macon, Ga. It marked just the second loss at home for the Bears this season and the first that occurred in regulation. WCU's two Georgia natives led the Catamounts as Columbus, Ga., product Torrion Brummitt turned in a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while Milton, Ga., native Devin Peterson started at point guard and scored 11 points, dished out three assists and came up with three steals.

WCU used a swarming defense in the second half to limit the Bears to 30.8 percent shooting after they lit it up in the first half at 54.2 percent. The Catamounts also controlled the boards 32-27 and limited the Bears to just 10 second chance points off of eight offensive boards.

The Catamounts had balanced scoring with seven players reaching at least seven points in the game. WCU also had seven players knock down at least one 3-pointer in the game.

The win improves the Catamounts' record to 12-16 overall and 7-8 in Southern Conference play while the Bears dropped to 18-10 overall and 8-7 in league action.

Senior Justin Browning added 11 points, three assists and three steals to match Peterson's stat line while senior Rhett Harrelson continued his strong sixth man play as he came off the bench to hit two huge 3-pointers in the first half to give WCU the lead and hit key free throws down the stretch to keep the Bears at bay. Harrelson finished with 10 points and three assists.

Senior Mike Brown was limited due to foul trouble but was able to score eight points, grab five rebounds and hand out three assists in just 26 minutes of action. Freshman Marc Gosselin contributed a solid performance in the post as he scored seven points, including a 3-pointer, and pulled down five rebounds.

Sophomore Haboubacar Mutombo played 28 minutes off the bench and scored seven points while grabbing four rebounds. He was 3-4 from the field including 1-2 from 3-point range.

The Catamounts went 10-12 from the free throw line in the second half to hold off the Bears as they tried to work their way back into the game.

The Bears opened the game with an 8-0 run before they missed their first shot. The lead would eventually move to nine points at 12-3 before a 9-0 run powered by a pair of threes from Harrelson gave WCU its first lead of the game at 16-15 with 12:11 left in the first. The Catamounts would lead most of the rest of the first half until a 6-0 run by the Bears gave Mercer a 34-31 lead with 18 seconds remaining. Gosselin would hit a put back layup with one second remaining to cut the halftime deficit to just one, 34-33.

Gosselin picked up where he left off in the second as he hit the opening basket of the second half off an offensive board to give WCU back the lead. The two teams would trade baskets over the next couple of minutes before a layup by Browning with 16:04 remaining gave WCU the lead for good. The basket started a 14-4 run by the Catamounts that opened up a 10-point lead with just over 10 minutes remaining. Mercer cut the lead to five but that was as close as the Bears came as WCU held an eight to 10 point lead the rest of the way.

The Catamounts will now travel to Charleston, S.C., to take on The Citadel in WCU's final regular season road contest of the season. The game is scheduled for 1 pm on Saturday, Feb. 20.