CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Western Carolina men's basketball team makes the short trip to UNC Asheville on Saturday afternoon as the Catamounts battle the Bulldogs inside Kimmel Arena at 2 p.m.
 
Saturday's 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 are also available via catamountsports.com.
 
Winners of four straight, WCU (4-2) heads into Saturday's showdown having swept the McNeese State MTE in Lake Charles, La. last weekend. The Catamounts opened the weekend with an 88-69 victory over the Cowboys before earning a pair of overtime wins against Lamar and Lindenwood on Saturday and Sunday. Redshirt junior Tyzhaun Claude averaged a double-double at the event with 17.3 points and 10.3 rebounds over three games. Claude tallied 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win against McNeese State and closed out the tournament with 16 points and 13 rebounds in WCU's overtime win Sunday against Lindenwood. Classmate Tre Jackson led WCU offensively during the stretch with an average of 18.7 points including a career-best 21-point outburst against McNeese State and a team-leading 19 points in the win against Lindenwood.
 
UNC Asheville enters the contest with a 3-2 seasonal record after going 1-2 at the Capitol Classic hosted by Georgia State last weekend. The Bulldogs knocked off Texas A&M Commerce 72-64 in Friday's tournament opener before a 77-75 loss to Eastern Kentucky on Saturday and a 74-68 setback against Georgia State on Sunday. Preseason Big South Player of the Year Drew Pember leads the Bulldogs and ranks in the top 25 nationally with 21.6 points per game. Pember also leads the Bulldogs with an average of 8.4 rebounds per game and has a team-best 14 blocks. Taijon Jones is also averaging double figures with 15.6 points per game.
 
The Bulldogs and Catamounts have met 55 previous times with WCU holding a 32-23 advantage in the all-time series. In last year's meeting in Cullowhee, UNC Asheville emerged with a 73-72 victory to snap a four-game WCU winning streak. The Catamounts are 13-4 in games played in Asheville and have won in their last two visits to the Justice Center including an 83-81 overtime win in 2020.
 
WCU returns to Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center next week, welcoming Gardner-Webb on Wednesday at 7 p.m. before hosting USC Upstate on Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m. in the second half a doubleheader with the Catamount women's basketball team.
 
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