Jacksonville, Fla. – Trailing by 22 points with 6:16 remaining in regulation, Western Carolina stormed back to force overtime and claimed a 96-94 double-overtime win over Jacksonville University on Thursday night at Historic Swisher Gymnasium.

Reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week Mason Faulkner scored a game-high 28 points, 10 of which came in the extra sessions. Marcus Thomas tallied a season-high 21 points, followed by Matt Halvorsen with 17 points and Carlos Dotson finished with 13 points. Dotson grabbed a team-best nine rebounds. Onno Steger had five points but made his presence known on defense with seven rebounds and a career-high four blocks.

Destin Barns paced Jacksonville with 20 points. David Bell had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Aamahne Santos (16), Kevin Norman (11) and Deanthony McCallum (11) also finished in double figures.

Jacksonville opened the game on an 11-3 run capped by a Barnes 3-pointer at the 15:03 mark. WCU answered with five straight points from Thomas to make the score 11-8 with just over 14 minutes to go in the opening half. The Dolphins answered with a 12-0 run, taking a 23-8 lead on a three-pointer by Norman with 11:34 left.  Jacksonville led by as many as 18 points in the frame and took a 42-27 lead into halftime.

Following an Arnold 3-pointer that opened the second half scoring, Western Carolina went on a 9-2 run capped by a Thomas triple that brought the Catamounts within 11, 47-36, with 15:42 remaining. The Dolphins responded with an 18-6 run, taking a game-high 22-point lead (65-43) after a Barnes 3-pointer with 7:48 to go.

Santos sank a pair of free throws for a 67-45 Dolphin lead with 6:16 left before the Catamount went on an 11-0 run capped by a Halvorsen 3-pointer with 3:23 left to bring the Catamounts within 11, 67-56. WCU trimmed the deficit to nine, 72-63, with 1:37 and was down by five, 76-71, following the second of two Santos free throws with 38 seconds remaining. Halvorsen hit a 3-pointer on the next Catamount possession with a Dotson layup evening the score at 76 with just under 10 seconds left. Jacksonville turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, but the Catamounts were unable to attempt a shot before time expired. The 49 points scored by the Catamounts in the second half are the most by the team in any half this season.

Jacksonville scored the first five points of the first overtime period before Faulkner drained a 3-pointer with 2:06 left which gave the Catamounts an 84-83 lead, their first of the game. Barnes made one of two free throws to knot the score at 84 before a Faulkner layup that put WCU back on top. Barnes was fouled on the next Jacksonville possession and made two free throws to even the game at 86 with 1:31 left in the first overtime. Neither team scored for the remainder of the frame to force a second overtime.

Faulkner broke a 92-92 tie with a layup at the 1:29 mark of the second overtime period and the Catamounts went ahead 95-92 on the second of two Xavier Cork free throw attempts with 67 seconds to play. Santos brought the visitors within one thanks to his jumper with 13 seconds left. The Dolphins fouled Faulkner on the next WCU possession, sending him to the free throw line where he made one of two shots. Norman's go-ahead jumper was off target and time expired before the rebound was corralled.

WCU held a 47-41 edge on the glass and outshot Jacksonville 45.7 percent to 43.9 percent.

The Catamounts travel to Stetson on Sunday, facing the Hatters at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with free live stats available on www.catamountsports.com.

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