CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina men's basketball opens a three-game homestand on Wednesday as the Catamounts welcome VMI to the Ramsey Center for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance online at catamountsports.com or by phone at 800-34-GOWCU to secure the best seats and avoid lines on game day. The Ramsey Center Ticket Office and doors open at 6 p.m. The first 240 students through the doors will receive free pizza courtesy of Ferrara Pizza and Pasta in Sylva. All fans can dine on $1 hot dogs courtesy of Aramark.
WCU is 16-9 overall and 8-6 in the Southern Conference after completing the season sweep of Wofford with an 80-74 triumph in Spartanburg last Saturday night. Senior
Carlos Dotson posted his 15
th double-double of the season with a game-high 25 points and 12 rebounds, 10 on the defensive glass. Redshirt junior
Mason Faulkner tallied 23 points, his 11
th game this season with 20-plus points. Senior
Onno Steger (12 points) and freshman
Travion McCray (10 points) both finished in double figures.
Dotson claimed his second SoCon Player of the Week honor of the season earlier Tuesday as selected by SoCon staff. The Riverdale, Md. native finished with 57 points and 24 rebounds in a pair of games last week including a career-best 32-point output at UNCG on Wednesday.
VMI is 7-20 overall and 2-12 in league games after a 72-67 home loss to SoCon frontrunner ETSU. The Keydets had three players finish in double figures, led by freshman Travis Evee with 23 points. Two additional freshmen, Sean Conway and Kamdyn Curfman, finished with 12 and 10, respectively.
Wednesday's game matches two of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country against each other. VMI leads the SoCon and is fifth nationally with 10.6 3-point field goals per game. WCU ranks second in the league and 15
th nationally with 9.8 per game. The Catamounts counter with the SoCon's second-best 3-point field goal defense at 29.7 percent, ranking 37
th among NCAA Division I schools.
The Catamounts lead the all-time series 35-26 following a 97-85 victory in Lexington, Va. on Jan. 8, snapping a three-game slide. Dotson, Faulkner and junior
Matt Halvorsen each finished with 20 points in the victory. WCU is 19-10 overall against VMI in games played in Cullowhee.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount men's basketball and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts) and Twitter (@catamounts, @wcu_mbb).
