Greenville, S.C. – Senior Carlos Dotson scored a game-high 21 points, but Western Carolina was unable to hold off a late Furman run in an 83-79 loss to the Paladins at Timmons Arena on Wednesday night.  The loss snaps a five-game winning streak for Western Carolina (12-4, 4-1 SoCon) and is the first league loss for the Catamounts this season.

Dotson finished over the 20-point threshold for the third time this season, sixth in his career and second in as many visits to Furman. Of Dotson's 21 points, 19 came in the second half. Dotson had his eighth double-double of the year with a game-high 11 rebounds, 10 of which came on the defensive glass. Junior Matt Halvorsen and senior Onno Steger both scored 14 points as the duo combined to go 8-for-16 behind the 3-point line. Mason Faulkner posted his third double-double of the year with 12 points and 10 assists, which tied a career-high.

Furman (15-4, 5-1 SoCon) had six double-digit scorers led by Jordan Lyons with 20 points. Clay Mounce (15 points), Noah Gurley (13 points), Alex Hunter (13 points), Jalen Slawson (12 points) and Mike Bothwell (10 points) also finished in double figures. Slawson grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Paladins.

Furman opened the game on a 6-0 run before a Halvorsen layup got the Catamounts on the board with just over 17 minutes remaining. Gurley's layup pushed the Paladin lead to eight, 10-2, before Steger drained a 3-pointer to bring the Catamounts within four, 12-8, at the 14:24 mark. WCU took its first lead of the game, 17-15, as Tyler Harris drained a 3-pointer just before the midpoint of the first half. Furman answered with a 9-2 run, taking a 26-19 advantage following a Mounce layup with 7:31 to play. Gurley extended the Furman advantage to 32-21 thanks to a layup with just over four minutes left. Furman led 41-33 at halftime.

A Hunter 3-pointer kicked off the second half before a 12-0 run gave the Catamounts a 45-44 advantage with 15:43 remaining. Dotson contributed 10 of the 12 points during the run including eight straight points. The teams traded the lead on the next four possessions before Faulkner gave the Catamounts a six-point edge, 54-48, with 12:40 to play. Mounce put the Paladins back on top, 58-57, after a 3-pointer with just under 10 minutes left in regulation.

Dotson completed a three-point play for a 64-62 WCU lead at the 6:22 mark before the Paladins went back ahead, 67-64, thanks to a Gurley three-point play and a Mounce layup. Faulkner knotted the game at 69 with a pair of free throws with 4:37 to play before the Paladins used a 10-2 run capped by a Mounce free throw with 44 seconds left to take a 79-71 lead. Halvorsen drained a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left to bring WCU within five, 81-76. Hunter sank two free throws on the next Paladin possession before Faulkner hit a 3-pointer with three seconds left for the final points of the game.

WCU finished 30-for-63 (47.6 percent) from the field and 13-for-31 (41.9 percent) from behind the arc. Furman was 28-for-61 (45.9 percent) from the field but went 8-for-29 (27.6 percent) on 3-point attempts. The Paladins made 19 of 25 (76 percent) free throw attempts while WCU made six of eight (75 percent) shots at the charity stripe. The Catamounts outrebounded Furman 36-34.

WCU returns to the Ramsey Center on Saturday, hosting ETSU at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance in order to secure the best seats and avoid lines on game day. WCU students in attendance at Saturday's game who are seated in the Cat Cage student section will receive a free winter hat courtesy of Zaxby's. The Catamounts are a perfect 7-0 at the Ramsey Center this season.

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