Cookeville, Tenn. – Redshirt junior
Mason Faulkner finished three assists shy of a triple-double as Western Carolina scored a season-best 46 first half points in an 89-76 victory over Tennessee Tech at the Eblen Center on Saturday afternoon. The Catamounts did not trail at any point during the contest.
Western Carolina improves to 8-3, surpassing its win total from the 2018-19 season. Tennessee Tech drops to 3-9.
Faulkner, who recorded the first triple-double in Western Carolina history with 13 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds against North Carolina A&T last month, finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Junior
Matt Halvorsen tallied 15 points followed by sophomore
Kameron Gibson with 13 points. Halvorsen finished with five 3-pointers to move him into ninth place on WCU's all-time made 3-point field goal list with 166. Senior
Carlos Dotson was the final Catamount in double figures with 11 points.
Jr. Clay paced Tennessee Tech with a game-high 17 points. Larry Kuimi tallied 14 points followed by Keishawn Davidson with 11. The Golden Eagles had five players finish with three rebounds each.
Halvorsen opened the scoring with a 3-pointer 48 seconds into the game before the Golden Eagles pulled within a point with a Clay layup on its next possession. WCU extended its lead to 12-4 after a pair of Faulkner free throws before a Jared Sherfield free throw brought the hosts within four, 14-10, with just over 13 minutes left. WCU answered with a 16-5 run capped by a
Marcus Thomas 3-pointer to lead 31-15 with 7:37 remaining in the frame. Tennessee Tech trimmed the WCU lead to seven, 31-24, thanks to a Darius Allen 3-pointer at the 6:03 mark only the see the Catamounts answer with a 9-0 run which gave them a 40-24 lead at the 3:42 mark of the first half. WCU led 46-32 at halftime.
Clay opened the second half scoring before the Catamounts pushed their lead to 20, 56-36, on a Gibson 3-pointer with 16:46 remaining. The Golden Eagles pulled within 12, 63-51, with a Vick jumper with just over 11 minutes to play but the Catamounts pushed their lead back to 15 with three Steger free throws on its next possession. Faulkner's 3-pointer at the 6:38 mark elevated the Catamount lead back to 20, 80-60 before a pair of Tujautae Williams free throws brought the Golden Eagles within 13, but Tennessee Tech would get no closer the rest of the way.
WCU shot 60.4 percent (32-for-53) from the field, its second-highest shooting percentage of the year. Additionally, the 14 made 3-pointers by WCU trail only 15 made 3-pointers against North Carolina A&T for its season-high. Tennessee Tech finished with a 42.9 field goal percentage (27-for-63). The Catamounts outrebounded Tennessee Tech 38-23.
The Catamounts return to the Ramsey Center next Saturday, welcoming Piedmont College for a Noon tip-off.
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