CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Winners of three-straight in Southern Conference play, Western Carolina men's basketball puts its streak on the line Wednesday as the Catamounts venture to McKenzie Arena to face Chattanooga with a 7 p.m. tip-off.
 
Wednesday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live Catamount Sports Network coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. Free live stats will also be available via CatamountSports.com.
 
WCU enters the contest with a 10-7 overall record and a 3-1 league mark as the streaking Catamounts won their third straight game with a convincing 73-45 home victory over Mercer on Saturday to move into a tie for second place in the early-season conference standings. Russell Jones Jr. surpassed the 20-point mark for the second straight game, eclipsing his previous career-high of 21 points with a career-best 23 against the Bears. Jones Jr. finished 9-for-13 from the field and 4-for-6 behind the 3-point line. He also snagged four rebounds and swiped three steals in sparking the Catamounts. Tyzhaun Claude also finished in double figures with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Vonterius Woolbright contributed nine points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
 
Claude leads four Catamounts inside the Top 26 in the SoCon in scoring, ranking 10th with a team-best 14.5 points per game as he has scored in double-digits in all but one game for WCU this season. The Morehead State transfer post also ranks second in the league in rebounding at 8.2 boards per game which includes a SoCon-best 3.2 offensive rebounds per game. Sharp-shooting Tre Jackson (13.8 ppg) ranks 12th in the league in scoring while pacing the SoCon with 3.7 made 3-pointers per outing.
 
Much like Claude, Woolbright is among the SoCon leaders in scoring (12.3 ppg, 21st) and rebounding (7.1 rpg, 4th), while ranking second in assists with an average of 4.5 helpers per game. Jones Jr. also averages in double-figures in scoring at 10.6 points per game while leading the conference with 1.9 steals per game.
 
Picked fourth in the preseason coaches poll and second by the SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA), Chattanooga is 10-7 overall and 2-2 in league play after defeating VMI 85-78 at home last Saturday. Preseason SoCon Player of the Year Jake Stephens led the Mocs with 37 points and 15 rebounds to help defeat his former school. Stephens was tabbed as the league's Player of the Week for the sixth time this season on Monday afternoon and is averaging a SoCon-best 21.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Jamal Johnson is also averaging double figures with 13.7 points per game.
 
The Mocs are the SoCon's second-best scoring team with an average of 78.8 points per game, averaging a league-best 12.2 3-pointers per game on the SoCon's second-best 3-point field-goal shooting percentage (38.6%). Defensively, UTC limits opponents to 41.7-percent from the floor – second in the SoCon – that includes a conference-best 4.4 blocks per game as Stephens paces the league at 2.4 blocked shot per outing.
 
The Mocs and Catamounts have met 99 previous times with Chattanooga holding a 69-30 lead in the all-time series. The teams split the two regular season matchups last season with WCU earning a 70-59 win in Cullowhee on Jan. 12 and Chattanooga protecting its home court with a 65-47 victory on Feb. 9. Despite dropping its last two visits to the Scenic City – one in overtime in 2021 – WCU has won in three of its last five trips to Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena.
 
WCU remains on the road on Saturday, heading to The Citadel for a 1 p.m. tip-off before returning to the friendly confines of Ingles Court in the Ramsey Center on Wed., Jan. 18 for a "Blackout Game" where WCU will wear its alternate black uniforms. Fans are encouraged to wear their black WCU gear to the game with the first 400 students receiving a free Blackout game T-shirt. At halftime, the ever-popular Zooperstars will perform.
 
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