CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina men's basketball plays its third straight Wednesday home game on Feb. 1 as the Catamounts host Samford in the first of consecutive home contests. Tip-off of the crucial Southern Conference match-up on Ingles Court in the Ramsey Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
Tickets for Wednesday's game can be purchased in advance online at CatamountSports.com, by phone at (828) 227-2401, or at the Ramsey Center box office. As a reminder, WCU Athletics continues to adhere to a clear bag policy for all home men's and women's basketball games in the Ramsey Center. Only standard clear bags, 12-inches by 6-inches by 12-inches in size, small purses approximately 4.5-inches by 5-inches not including the strap, and clear gallon-size storage bags are permitted. Diaper bags (child must be present upon entry) and any medical-related bags will be allowed.
 
Wednesday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live audio coverage on the Catamount Sports Network beginning at 6:30 p.m. Free live stats will be available via a link on CatamountSports.com.
 
Winners of three of its last four home games, WCU enters the week at 12-11 overall and 5-5 in SoCon games after a 71-65 road win at VMI last Saturday. Vonterius Woolbright led the Catamounts with 19 points and a career-best 11 assists, just missing the triple-double with seven rebounds. Tyzhaun Claude tallied 18 points and 13 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the year with DJ Campbell (14 points) and Tre Jackson (10 points) also finishing in double figures. The Catamounts scored the road victory to halt a three-game slide away from Cullowhee despite a season-low made 3-pointers in a winning effort, sinking just five in Lexington, Va.
 
Samford is 14-9 overall and 8-2 in league games after a pair of road losses to Furman and Wofford last week. The consecutive losses are the first for the Bulldogs since a seven-game slide in nonconference play that spanned the end of November through before the Christmas holiday and was followed by an eight-game SoCon win streak. Samford dropped an 85-77 decision at Wofford on Saturday in a nationally televised contest. Junior Ques Glover, who began his collegiate career at Florida, led the Bulldogs offensively with 20 points – his second, 20-point game since returning from injury three games ago against WCU in Birmingham. He was joined in double figures by VMI and Georgia Tech transfer Bubba Parham with 11 points.
 
Samford enters the week amidst a three-way tie for first place in the SoCon standings just past the regular-season mid-point, knotted with Furman and UNCG at 8-2 overall. WCU is in a two-way tie for fourth with Wofford at 5-5, though the Catamounts hold the initial head-to-head tie-breaker with the Terriers.
 
The Catamounts trail in the all-time series with Samford, 14-15, following a 74-65 setback in Alabama on Jan. 21. In that game, Glover paced the Bulldogs with 20 points and the hosts used a big second-half run to gain separation. Samford has won four straight in the series, though WCU holds an 11-3 mark in games played in Cullowhee.
 
The Catamounts remain at home on Saturday, hosting Chattanooga at 2 p.m. in the front end of a hoops doubleheader with the women's basketball team. Saturday's men's game will be televised over-the-air on the Nexstar family of stations (check local listings) and will be available through ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with audio on the Catamount Sports Network.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount men's basketball and WCU Athletics through our social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@catamountmbb @wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@CatamountMBB @catamounts).