CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina had three players finish in double figures but the Catamounts were unable to overcome turnovers and a stingy UNCG defense in a 77-56 setback on Monday inside the Ramsey Regional Activity Center in the frontend of a Southern Conference home-and-home.

Junior Cory Hightower led Western Carolina (9-15, 2-13 SoCon) offensively for the third straight game with 15 points. Hightower made four field goals and finished 6-for-7 at the free-throw line. Junior Kameron Gibson finished in double figures with 11 points and grabbed a team-best six rebounds while freshman Sin'Cere McMahon added 10 points.

Preseason SoCon Player of the Year Isaiah Miller and Kaleb Hunter led UNCG (17-7, 12-4 SoCon) both with 15 points. Keyshaun Langley added 11 points followed by A.J. McGinnis with 10 points off the bench.

After Xavier Cork opened the scoring with a layup 29 seconds into the game, the Spartans answered with an 11-0 run capped by a Hayden Koval layup at the 17:20 mark. The middle stages of the frame saw both teams go cold offensively before the Catamounts battled back within two points, 24-22, thanks to a Gibson 3-pointer at the 4:20 mark. UNCG made two buckets on consecutive possessions and led by three points, 28-25, following a Hightower 3-pointer with 2:55 to play before the break. However, UNCG closed the half on a 12-2 run as Miller made a turnaround jumper just outside the paint as time expired to give the visitors a 40-28 halftime edge.

Of UNCG's 40 first-half points, 21 were a result of 13 Catamount turnovers.

The Catamounts pulled within 11 points on three occasions in the first three minutes of the second half but were unable to get any closer during the frame. Freshman Josh Massey's jumper with 31 seconds left provided the final score.

WCU committed 17 turnovers that resulted in 27 Spartan points while UNCG had 14 giveaways that turned into eight Catamount points. UNCG finished 32-for-65 (49.2 percent) from the field and went 10-for-25 (40.0 percent) behind the arc, finishing one 3-pointer shy of tying a season-high. WCU was 20-for-50 (40 percent) from the field, 7-for-21 (33.3 percent) on 3-point attempts, and 9-for-12 (75 percent) at the free-throw line. UNCG held a 37-25 edge in rebounds.

The teams face each other in a rematch at the Greensboro Coliseum on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with Catamount Sports Network audio coverage starting at 6:30 p.m.

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