Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina men's basketball finishes off a busy six-day stretch on Thursday morning with an Education Day matchup against NAIA foe Milligan to open a three-game homestand. The special tip-off time is set for 11 a.m. from Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.
The matchup between the Catamounts and Buffaloes will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network and live stats are available online 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: Milligan (8-7) vs Western Carolina (3-7)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 19
Time: 11 a.m.
Site: Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center (Cullowhee, 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
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About Western Carolina:
Western Carolina jumped out to an early lead thanks to sharp shooting from the perimeter, holding the advantage over the opening five minutes of regulation on Tuesday night at top-ranked Tennessee. However, the home-standing Volunteers turned up the intensity at both ends of the court to close the opening half strong to remain unbeaten on the season with an 84-36 victory at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Pelote led the Catamounts with 10 points and seven rebounds with Stansberry just missing double figures with eight points with four boards. Brandon Morgan and Chase McKey both chipped in six points apiece from the bench, while Vernon Collins matched Pelote with seven rebounds with a pair of blocked shots.
The Catamount bench has filled the scoreboard throughout the start of the 2024-25 season, averaging 27.2 points per game, which ranks fourth in the SoCon. Redshirt junior Chase McKey leads the team in bench scoring with 36 points over nine games, including 13 points against Bob Jones. Sophomore guard Jamar Livingston is second with 35 points over eight games, including 13 points against Truett McConnell and 10 against Marquette. Junior Vernon Collins along with freshman Fischer Brown and junior guard Brandon Morgan each have scored 32 points off the bench throughout the opening 10 games for WCU. The Catamounts has seen a bench player with double-figures seven times off the bench, led by junior Ice Emery's 24 against Truett McConnell.
Western Carolina sits second in the SoCon with 39.6 rebounds per game over the first 10 games, led by Pelote at 7.4 per game which is second-best in the SoCon. He leads the league at 5.7 defensive rebounds per game. Redshirt sophomore Marcus Kell sits in a tie for sixth in the conference, averaging 2.1 offensive rebounds per game as he leads the squad with 21 offensive boards.
Stansberry paces the SoCon and with a 95.2% (20-of-21) at the free throw line. Collins leads the Catamounts with 11 blocks, sitting in a tie for fourth as he's averaging just over a block a game, followed closely by Kell with seven rejections in a tie for 10th with 0.7 blocks per game.
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 maintain the top spot in the SoCon with the 29th toughest schedule, just ahead of Wofford at 106. The Catamounts are one of only two teams in the league to have played multiple opponents in quadrant one in the form of Marquette and Tennessee. UNCG joins WCU with a pair of quadrant one opponents battling SMU and Indiana in the opening two months of the season.
Scouting the Opposition:
Milligan is a member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). They share affiliation in the 14-team AAC with the University of Pikeville (Ky.), Columbia International, Johnson, Montreat, Columbia, Truett McConnell, Reinhardt, Tennessee Wesleyan, Union Commonwealth, Bryan, Bluefield, St. Andrews, and Kentucky Christian.
Milligan (8-7) comes into Thursday's matchup off a 79-62 triumph over conference foe St. Andrews in Laurinburg, N.C., on Monday night. The Buffaloes opened the 2024-25 season by winning six of their first eight games including a home victory over common opponent Truett McConnell three days after WCU won in Cullowhee 99-64 on Nov. 13.
The Buffaloes finished 14-13 last season with a 14-10 league mark, falling in the second round of the AAC tournament to Johnson University out of Knoxville, Tenn.
Sophomore forward McCaskill Rivers leads Milligan averaging 19.5 points per game with nine games of 20 or more points including a season-high 29 against Columbia (S.C.). Rivers is shooting at a 46.4 percent clip to help pace the offensive attack. Graduate student forward Handje Tamba averages 10.8 points per game as the Weber State transfer is shooting 52.8 percent from the floor and also pulling down 9.7 rebounds per game. Tamba has posted four double-doubles thus far for the Buffaloes. Graduate student guard Finn McClure leads the team with 48 assists as he tallied five or more assists in six games.
Milligan was picked third in the 14-team AAC preseason poll.
Series History:
The Catamounts and Buffaloes have met eight times prior with WCU winning seven of those contests including each of the past six matchups. The two squads meet on Thursday for the first time since 2013 as the Catamounts claimed a 106-72 victory in Cullowhee. Trey Sumler led the way for Western Carolina in the win with a 40-point outing including seven 3-pointers and pulled down seven rebounds.
Up Next for Western Carolina:
The Catamounts flip the calendar to 2025 on Wednesday, Jan. 1, opening Southern Conference play on New Year's Day against Furman from Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. between the two chromatic rivals in the second game of the three-game homestand. WCU also welcomes Samford to Cullowhee on Jan. 4.
The league-opening game will be shown on ESPN+ (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).
