CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Behind career nights from Marlow Gilmore and Cam Bacote who both eclipsed the 20-point plateau, the Western Carolina men's basketball team got off to a torrid start in the opening half and then withstood a comeback by VMI for an 82-73 win over the Keydets in the 2021-22 regular season finale on Saturday on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.
 
WCU, which outscored VMI 46-to-18 in the paint, improves to 11-20 overall and 5-13 in the Southern Conference while VMI drops to 16-14 and 9-9.
 
Gilmore tallied a career-best 25 points, going 12-for-13 from the field and 1-for-3 at the free throw line. He logged the first double-double of his WCU career with 14 rebounds with seven each on the offensive and defensive glass. Gilmore eclipsed his previous career-best of 19 points against Mercer last Saturday.
 
Bacote tallied 23 points, going 9-for-16 from the field and 2-for-5 at the free throw line. He also distributed a game-high seven assists and pulled down four rebounds. He edged his previous career-best of 21 points against ETSU on Feb. 2.
 
After missing the previous two games due to injury, Nicholas Robinson returned to the lineup and contributed 12 points with six rebounds. Robinson was honored before the game during Senior Night ceremonies. Also finishing in double figures was Marvin Price with 11 points off the bench.
 
Trey Bonham led VMI with 14 points followed by Kamdyn Curfman with 12 and Honor Huff with 11. Bonham pulled down a team-best seven rebounds. VMI played its second game without leading scorer and rebounder Jake Stephens.
 
A Bacote layup at the 16:44 mark gave the Catamounts an early 10-2 lead before the Keydets used an 8-0 spurt to even the contest with just over 15 minutes remaining before halftime. Marcus Banks' layup on the next WCU possession gave the Catamounts a lead they wouldn't relinquish the rest of the night as WCU built a 25-15 advantage following a Bacote 3-pointer at the 8:46 mark. After Curfman hit a 3-pointer on ensuing VMI possession, a Gilmore dunk sparked a 13-0 run as WCU enjoyed a 38-18 advantage following a Joe Petrakis triple with 4:21 to play in the first half.
 
The Catamounts enjoyed a 43-28 advantage at halftime after shooting 51.4 percent from the floor and converting eight VMI turnovers into 14 points.
 
Bonham was fouled after sinking a 3-pointer at the 17:42 mark and made the ensuing free throw for a four-point play as the Keydets cut the WCU lead to 13, 53-40. WCU responded with five straight points to push its lead back to 18, 60-42 with 15:21 remaining. The Catamount lead remained in double digits for the next five minutes before the Keydets cut the WCU advantage to single digits, 64-55, following a Brennan Watkins free throw with just under 10 minutes to play. Gilmore got the Catamount faithful out of their seats with a high-flying dunk to put the hosts ahead by 17, 72-55, with 8:15 to go as WCU continued to lead by double digits for the next six minutes.
 
VMI made one final push, trimming the Catamount lead to 79-71 with 1:55 left but would get no closer.
 
WCU finished the game 33-for-65 (50.8 percent) from the field, 9-for-30 (30 percent) behind the 3-point line, and 7-for-14 (50 percent) at the free throw line. VMI went 23-for-61 (37.7 percent) from the field, 13-for-39 (33.3 percent) behind the arc, and 14-for-17 (82.4 percent) at the free throw line. WCU outrebounded VMI 39-30.
 
The Catamounts will play Mercer (8-10 SoCon), which dropped its finale at Wofford on Saturday, in the first round of the Ingles Southern Conference Tournament at the Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
 
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