CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina renews a mountain rivalry on Saturday afternoon as the Catamounts welcome UNC Asheville to Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center for a 2 p.m. tip-off.
Admission to the game between Catamounts and Bulldogs is $11 for adults and $6 for youth 12 and under. Kids 2 and under get in free. WCU students gain free admission to the game by showing their Cat Card at the Northwest Entrance and are encouraged to sit in the Cat Cage student section located in sections QR. Fans are encouraged to review WCU's Clear Bag policy and parking maps located in the right column.
Fans will be able to meet both Santa Claus and Santa Paws from 1:45-2:15 p.m. in the west concourse of the Ramsey Center. Children kindergarten through second grade can register for Saturday's "Pack the Presents" promotion where kids will be randomly selected to pick a present on the court at halftime, courtesy Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Heritage.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required) with live audio coverage on the Catamount Sports Network beginning at 1:30 p.m. Free live stats will also be available via a
link on CatamountSports.com.
WCU is 6-4 after a 74-69 overtime win at home against Tennessee Tech on Wednesday night. Including nailing a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation,
Nicholas Robinson led the Catamounts with 19 points and added 10 rebounds.
Vonterius Woolbright scored a career-best 17 points and pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds. Of Woolbright's 15 rebounds, 10 were on the defensive glass.
Marcus Banks (11) and
Cam Bacote (10) also finished in double figures in WCU's third-straight seasonal victory.
UNC Asheville is 5-4 following a 78-71 home loss to Chattanooga on Wednesday, the second defeat against the Mocs this season for the Bulldogs that halted UNCA's three-game win streak. Tajion Jones scored a team-high 22 points followed by Drew Pember with 19 and LJ Thorpe with 15. Pember pulled down a team-best seven rebounds. Jones, a redshirt senior, leads three Bulldogs in double-figures this season with 12.7 points per game as UNCA averages 73.7 points per game, currently fourth in the Big South Conference.
The Catamounts lead the all-time series 32-22 and have won four straight over the Bulldogs after an 83-81 overtime win at Kimmel Arena on Nov. 28, 2020. UNCA represents WCU's fourth opponent from the Big South this season with the Catamounts scoring road wins over Longwood and USC Upstate, with the lone loss coming at Gardner-Webb.
Following Saturday's game, WCU pauses for final exams until Dec. 20, when it heads to Georgia for a 7 p.m. tip-off. The game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus (
paid subscription required) with audio coverage on the Catamount Sports Network beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount men's basketball and WCU Athletics through our social media outlets on Facebook fb.com/catamountsports, Instagram @catamountmbb @wcu_catamounts, and Twitter @CatamountMBB @catamounts.
