SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Senior
Matt Halvorsen led four Western Carolina players in double figures but the Catamounts were unable to overcome a hot-shooting Wofford team in a 91-78 loss to the Terriers at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Wofford improves to 9-4 overall and 6-1 in the SoCon while WCU drops to 7-7 and 0-5.
Halvorsen's 19-point performance marked the 13th time this season the Kingsport, Tenn., native hit double figure scoring. He went 6-for-16 from the field with five 3-pointers.
Cory Hightower (15),
Marcus Thomas (14), and
Xavier Cork (13) each finished in double figures. For Thomas, the 14-point effort is a season-high.
Mason Faulkner grabbed a game-high seven rebounds and dished out eight assists to go along with seven points.
Murphy paced Wofford with 28 points. Tray Hollowell (18) and Morgan Safford (15) also finished in double figures.
Wofford opened the game on a 10-3 run capped by a Hollowell layup with 17:12 remaining. After a Hightower layup brought the Catamounts within one, 12-11, the Terriers pushed their lead back to 21-14 thanks to a Murphy jumper with 11:39 to play in the first half. WCU answered with an 11-4 run as Halvorsen gave the Catamounts their first lead of the game, 25-24, with just over eight minutes remaining in the frame.
The teams traded the lead on five straight possessions before the Terriers edged ahead 34-29 thanks to a pair of Godwin free throws with just under five minutes left before the break. Wofford led 45-38 with 49 seconds left in the half, but a Hightower layup and two Faulkner free throws down the stretch sent the Catamounts into halftime down by three, 45-42.
A Hightower layup brought WCU within one, 48-47 with 17:11 to play in regulation before Wofford went on a 12-4 run as a Murphy jumper gave the hosts a 60-51 lead with 14:04 remaining. WCU answered with a 9-2 run as a Cork jumper brought the Catamounts within one, 62-60. Wofford went on a 9-0 run for a 71-62 lead and led by no fewer than six points for the rest of the game.
The Terriers finished the game 32-for-53 (60.4 percent) from the field and went 13-for-29 (44.8 percent) behind the 3-point line. WCU went 31-for-60 (51.7 percent) from the field and 7-for-21 (33.3 percent) behind the arc. Wofford held a slim 24-23 edge in rebounds.
Western Carolina remains on the road, heading to Lexington, Va., to face VMI on Wednesday, Jan. 27 for a 7 p.m. tip-off at Cameron Hall.
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).
