Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina turned a one-point halftime edge into an 11-point second half lead, 52-41, six minutes into the final frame on Wednesday night. However, using it's full-court defense UNCG mounted an 18-3 run over the final 6:36 of regulation to rally, handing WCU just it's second home defeat this season, 72-58, in Southern Conference action.

Turnovers and its lowest scoring output from beyond the 3-point arc with just five made 3-pointers combined to limit WCU's high-powered offense to a season-low 58 points.

Carlos Dotson posted his fourth straight and 11^th double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead Western Carolina (13-7, 5-4).

Isaiah Miller tallied a game-high 23 points for UNCG (17-5, 7-2) with Kyrin Galloway also finishing in double figures with 15 points. James Dickey grabbed a game-best 12 rebounds.

The Catamounts opened the game on a 7-2 run and pushed their lead to 11-4 following a Faulkner jumper with 15:18 remaining in the opening half. UNCG strung together five straight points to cut the WCU lead to 11-9 before the Catamounts extended their advantage back to five, 14-9, after a Tyler Harris layup with just over 12 minutes to play. Following a Miller free throw that brought the visitors within one, 16-15, at the 10:56 mark, WCU answered with a Travion McCray 3-pointer on the next possession to push the lead back to four points at 19-15. The Spartans answered with seven of the next nine points, taking their first lead of the game on an Angelo Allegri bucket with 8:38 remaining in the period.

Xavier Cork put the Catamounts back on top on the next WCU possession with a layup only to see the Spartans regain the lead, 30-29, thanks to a Galloway 3-pointer at the 5:19 mark. WCU used a McCray 3-pointer for a 37-32 edge with just over two minutes left, but the Spartans knotted the contest at 39 on an Allegri 3-pointer with 41 seconds to play. McCray was fouled on the next Catamount possession and knocked down one of two free throws to send the hosts into halftime with a 40-39 lead.

Matt Halvorsen opened the second half scoring with a 3-pointer 19 seconds into the stanza as the Catamounts took an 11-point lead, 52-41, after Cork's slam dunk with just under 14 minutes to play. Mohammed Abdulsalam made baskets on consecutive UNCG possessions to cut the Catamount lead back to seven, 52-45, before Harris drained two free throws to extend the Catamount lead back to nine, 54-45, at the 10:33 mark. UNCG tied the game at 54 with 7:23 to play thanks to a 9-0 run capped by a pair of Malik Massey free throws. Dotson made one of two free throws at the 6:56 mark to put the Catamounts back ahead by a point, 55-54, but WCU would make only one field goal for the remainder of the game as UNCG went on its run to secure the victory.

UNCG outrebounded WCU 40-36 but had a 16-9 advantage in offensive rebounds while the Catamounts held a slim 27-24 edge on the defensive glass. The Catamounts went 14-for-26 (53.8 percent) from the field in the first half and 6-for-23 (26.1 percent) in the second half for a game total of 20-for-49. WCU made a season-low five 3-pointers. UNCG shot 40.3 percent from the field, converting 29 of 72 attempts.

The Catamounts hit the road Saturday, traveling to Chattanooga for a 2 p.m. tip-off.

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