Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina men's basketball starts a busy stretch with three games in six days to close out nonconference play beginning on Saturday afternoon with a matchup against mountain rival UNC Asheville out of the Big South Conference. Tip-off from Asheville's Kimmel Arena is set for 2 p.m.
Saturday's tilt between the Catamounts and Bulldogs will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network and live stats are available at CatamountSports.com. Fans can also listen to the game locally on 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC, "The River" in Sylva (www.wrgc.com).
Matchup: Western Carolina (3-5) at UNC Asheville (5-4)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 14
Time: 2 p.m.
Site: Kimmel Arena (Asheville, N.C.)
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Live Video: ESPN+ (paid subscription required)
Live Audio: Catamount Sports Network
Radio: 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC "The River" (wrgc.com)
Twitter: @CatamountMBB
About Western Carolina:
Western Carolina closed out a brief two-game homestand last Saturday afternoon, falling to USC Upstate 74-68. The visiting Spartans used an 18-2 run out of the halftime locker room to down the Catamounts. Senior Bernard Pelote and redshirt sophomore Cord Stansberry both finished with 14 points as Pelote finished 5-of-8 from the field and Stansberry made a pair of 3-pointers and was 6-of-6 at the foul line.
Freshman guard CJ Hyland continues to rack up the numbers in recent games after his career-best 12 points against Bellarmine were preceded by a career-high five rebounds and six assists at nationally-ranked Marquette. In his past six games, the Loganville, Ga. native has average eight points per game on 18-of-42 (42.9%) shooting and 6-of-17 (35.3%) from beyond the arc. Hyland also averages 2.6 assists per game and just under a steal per contest.
The Catamount bench has filled the scoreboard throughout the start of the 2024-25 season as the group has averaged 28.13 points per game, which ranks third in the SoCon. Junior Vernon Collins leads the squad in bench scoring with 32 points over four games off the bench including 12 against Queens. Redshirt junior Chase McKey has scored 30 total points off the bench in four games with a high-mark of 13 against Bob Jones. WCU has seen a bench player with double-figures six times off the bench led by junior Ice Emery's 24 against Truett McConnell.
WCU has been well-tested to begin the 2024-25 season, the first under veteran head coach Tim Craft. Per the NET strength of schedule (SOS) rankings, the Catamounts have played the 68th toughest schedule with the next highest SoCon team in the latest ranking being Wofford at 105. The Catamounts are one of only seven teams to play a quadrant one game in the 2024-25 season, with a second one scheduled against Tennessee next Tuesday.
Western Carolina sits second in the SoCon with 40.75 rebounds per game over the first eight games, led by Pelote at 7.4 per game. He leads the league at 5.88 defensive rebounds per game. Redshirt sophomore Marcus Kell sits in a tie for sixth in the conference, averaging 2.2 offensive rebounds per game.
Stansberry paces the SoCon and is 11th in the nation with a 95.2% (20-of-21) at the free throw line. Collins leads the Catamounts with eight blocks, sitting in fifth as he's averaging a block a game, followed closely by Kell with seven rejections in a tie for sixth with 0.9 blocks per game.
Scouting the Opposition:
UNC Asheville enters Saturday's matchup with a 5-4 record after earning back-to-back wins over NAIA foes St. Andrews and, most recently, Bluefield (Va.) on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs have rebounded from an 0-2 start with wins in five of their last seven to move above .500. Asheville opened its season at then No. 2 ranked Alabama.
Fifth-year senior guard Josh Banks leads the Bulldogs, averaging 14.6 points per game. He has posted two 20-point games including a season-high of 23 against Southeast Missouri State. Banks is shooting 41.2 percent beyond the arc, connecting on 21 3-pointers as one of two in the Big South averaging three treys per game.
Senior forward Toyaz Solomon checks in averaging 14.4 points per game with eight double-figure scoring games already for the Bulldogs, and the senior sits fourth in the league with a 57.0% field goal shooting output. Sophomore guard Jordan Marsh sits at 13.7 points per contest as Marsh posted a season-high 23 points against Tennessee State and is shooting 41.2% from the field while leading the Big South from the free throw line (24-of-26, 92.3%).
Fifth-year senior guard Fletcher Abee rounds out the double-figure scoring for UNCA with 12.8 points per game as the sharp-shooter has connected on 46% (29-of-63) 3-pointers, including hitting nine against Central Arkansas. Solomon leads the Bulldogs on the glass with 7.4 boards per game, including 23 offensive rebounds and a pair of double-doubles. Marsh leads in the assists column with 33 helpers including four games with five or more assists.
Under seventh-year head coach Mike Morrell, UNC Asheville was picked fourth in the nine-team Big South Preseason Poll. The Bulldogs finished the 2023-24 season with a 22-12 record, including a 12-4 mark in league play before being defeated by Longwood in the league's title game. Banks was tabbed second-team all-conference, as announced before the start of the 2024-25 season, which was voted on by the league's media and coaches.
Series History:
Saturday afternoon's matchup with the Bulldogs is the 58th all-time meeting between the two mountain rivals. Western Carolina looks for back-to-back wins in the series after a 78-63 win a season ago in Cullowhee. The Catamounts have won five of the past seven meetings over Asheville after snapping a two-game slide last season. Vonterius Woolbright led WCU last season with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in the victory.
Western Carolina looks for its first win in Asheville since Nov. 28, 2020, when then-senior Matt Halvorsen scored a team-best 21 points and Xavier Cork forced the game into overtime as WCU won 83-81. The Catamounts are just 12-15 all-time in Asheville over the course of the rivalry.
Only three players – WCU's Bernard Pelote and Asheville's Fletcher Abee and Josh Banks – played in last year's meeting in Cullowhee. Pelote scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, along with four rebounds in last year's triumph.
Up Next for Western Carolina:
The Catamounts return to the court on Tuesday, Dec. 17, with a matchup against nationally ranked Tennessee from Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Volunteers currently reside in the top spot of both the Associated Press (AP) and the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll with an unblemished 9-0 record.
The game will be shown on SEC Network Plus (paid subscription required), with live audio coverage through the Catamount Sports Network available on 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC "The River" in Sylva and streaming LIVE through CatamountSports.com. Live stats are also available on CatamountSports.com.
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).
