Boiling Springs, N.C. – Trailing by 10 points inside the game's final three minutes, Western Carolina clawed back to make it a one-possession game late and had a look at a would-be game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds. However, the attempt beyond the arc just missed and Gardner-Webb iced the win from the free throw line as the Catamounts suffered their first defeat of the season, falling to the Runnin' Bulldogs 82-77 at Paul Porter Arena.
 
Vonterius Woolbright tallied his team-best fifth double-double with a career-high 35 points and 14 rebounds, besting his previous career-high of 30 accomplished twice a season ago. For Woolbright, Saturday marked both his fourth 20-plus point scoring and double-digit rebounding performance of the year. DJ Campbell was the only other Catamount to score in double figures, scoring all 10 of his points in the second half.
 
Tre Jackson and Corneilous Williams both chipped in eight points apiece, with Russell Jones Jr. finishing with seven points for WCU.
 
Gardner-Webb (4-5) put three players in double figures led by the double-double effort of Caleb Robinson who finished with a team-best 29 points and 13 rebounds. DQ Nicholas scored 13 points with Julien Soumaoro chipping in a dozen. Lucas Stieber just missed double digits with nine points in the win.
 
Western Carolina pulled out to a 14-point first-half lead on the strength of a 14-to-1 run, breaking open a one-point game at 16-15 to lead 30-16 with seven minutes remaining before the break. But a late scoring run by the Runnin' Bulldogs coupled with a nearly five-minute drought from the floor by the Catamounts allowed the hosts to whittle WCU's lead to seven, 37-30, at intermission.
 
Out of the halftime locker room, Western Carolina managed to maintain hold of its multi-possession advantage. The Catamounts built back an eight-point lead, 49-41, at the 14:37 mark of the second half. Gardner-Webb then twice pulled to within a bucket at 51-49 and 53-51 before the home squad eventually pulled back even at 57-all with eight and a half to go in regulation.
 
Gardner-Webb then broke a 59-59 tie with a 14-to-4 run to take its largest lead of the game at 10, 73-63, with just 2:20 remaining. The Catamounts would not go away, though, as Woolbright took over in scoring 12 of WCU's final 14 points, closing WCU to within two, 79-77, with 15 seconds remaining with his second of two old-fashioned three-point plays. After GWU made one of two free throw attempts to keep it a one-possession, three-point game, the Catamounts got a look at a contested 3-pointer that would have tied the game, but the shot missed the mark with the Runnin' Bulldogs finishing the game at the charity stripe.
 
Combined, GWU connected on 7-of-10 free throw attempts inside the final minute to help seal the victory, snapping WCU's streak.
 
All told the Runnin' Bulldogs made as many free throws – 29-of-48 – as WCU attempted, finishing 23-of-29 as the two squads combined for 77 attempts from the line. The home squad capitalized on 11 WCU turnovers for 14 points while the Catamounts managed seven off just five Gardner-Webb miscues.
 
Western Carolina (6-1) concludes its three-game nonconference road swing on Tuesday (Dec. 5) evening as the Catamounts travel to High Point for a 7 p.m. date against the Panthers (6-3), who enter the game riding a three-game win streak. Tuesday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network and live stats available online at CatamountSports.com.
 
Also on Tuesday, Catamount fans are invited to a special Catamount Alumni Central Pregame Party scheduled beginning at 5 p.m. at the Claddagh Irish Pub (130 E. Parris Ave., High Point). Click HERE to RSVP.
 
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