JOHNSON CITY, TENN. – Vonterius Woolbright paced Western Carolina with a career-high 20 points, but ETSU used a pair of scoring runs in both halves to separate themselves from the Catamounts to earn an 87-69 win in Southern Conference play Monday night at Freedom Hall.

Woolbright surpassed his previous high of 17 points, accomplished on three occasions earlier this season. He is fourth Catamount to surpass the 20-point plateau this season. The Albany, Ga., native also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Nicholas Robinson finished in double figures for the ninth straight game with 16 points and Tyler Harris concluded three in double figures with 12.

Jordan King paced ETSU with a career-high 23 points. Ty Brewer tallied 14 points and a team-best eight rebounds followed by David Sloan with 12, Mohab Yasser with 11, and Jaden Seymour with 10.

Ledarrius Brewer opened the scoring with a 3-pointer 42 seconds into the game before Robinson evened the score with a 3-pointer at the 17:35 mark. After the Catamounts pulled within three, 9-6, at the 14:18 mark, the Bucs used a 15-3 run to take a 24-9 lead after a King 3-pointer with just under nine minutes remaining. The Catamounts battled back, forcing turnovers while trimming the deficit to 10 points, 31-21 after a Woolbright with 4:31 to play before the break.

However, ETSU closed the half on an 11-to-4 run and led 42-25 at halftime.

Ty Brewer's layup at the 18:35 mark gave ETSU a 48-27 lead before a 6-0 WCU over the next two minutes capped by a Woolbright layup brought WCU within 15, 48-33. Yasser's dunk at the 7:38 mark gave ETSU a game-high 29-point lead, 79-50, but the Catamounts continued to battle as a 17-2 run capped by a pair of Madison Monroe free throws made the score 81-67 with just over two minutes left. Gilmore's layup with under a second remaining capped the scoring.

ETSU held a 43-38 rebounding edge. The Bucs finished 34-for-59 (57.6 percent) from the field, 8-for-21 (38.1 percent) from the field and 11-for-15 (73.3 percent) at the free throw line. WCU was 21-for-72 (29.2 percent) from the field, 7-for-41 (17.1 percent) behind the arc and 20-for-26 (76.9 percent) at the free throw line. The 20 made free throws for the Catamounts are the second-most for the Catamounts this season.

The Catamounts return to Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center on Wednesday, hosting Chattanooga at 7 p.m. Wednesday's game is a Blackout Game and fans are encouraged to wear black. The first 375 WCU students through the gates will receive a FREE Blackout game T-shirt.

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