CULLOWHEE, N.C. – After opening the 2020-21 season with a convincing win over UNCW on Wednesday, the Western Carolina men's basketball team remains in Asheville this weekend as the Catamounts compete in the Mako Medical Asheville Classic against Troy and UNC Asheville.
The Catamounts battle the Trojans at 1 p.m. Friday before closing out the tournament against the host Bulldogs on Saturday at 4 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+ with Saturday's game also airing on WYCW-62 in the Asheville/Greenville/Spartanburg television market.
Western Carolina scored 98 points, the third-most in program history in a season opener, as the Catamounts used a 25-3 run in the second half to race past the Seahawks 98-76. Sophomore
Xavier Cork scored a career-high 22 points as redshirt senior
Mason Faulkner and senior
Matt Halvorsen also surpassed the 20-point mark with 21 and 20, respectively.
Troy plays its first game of the season against WCU after its season opener against Middle Georgia State was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns within the Middle Georgia program. The Trojans have 11 newcomers this season.
UNC Asheville opens its season Friday against UNCW. The Bulldogs were picked to finish second in the Big South preseason poll after an 11-win improvement during the 2019-20 campaign that saw the team finish at 15-16.
Friday's game is just the third all-time meeting between the Catamounts and Trojans and first since the 1971-72 season when the teams faced off as part of the Salisbury Civitan Club tournament in Salisbury, N.C. The series is tied at 1.
WCU leads the all-time series 31-22 against UNC Asheville and has won the past three meetings, and seven of the last 10, following a thrilling 78-77 victory at the Ramsey Center last season.
The Catamounts open the home portion of the 2020-21 schedule Monday morning against Piedmont College at 11 a.m. Monday's game will stream live on ESPN+.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount basketball and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountMBB)
