Cullowhee, N.C. – Looking to finish off a perfect three-game homestand, Western Carolina men's basketball welcomes mountain rival UNC Asheville to Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center in the backend of a true twinbill with the Bulldogs. The men's game closes out a full night of action beginning at 5 p.m., with the women's team hosting the Bulldogs in the front end of the doubleheader before the men's battle at 7:30 p.m.
 
Both games on Wednesday will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network and live stats will be available online on CatamountSports.com.

Men's Basketball Matchup: UNC Asheville (2-2) vs Western Carolina (2-2)
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 19
Time: 7:30 p.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
Twitter: @CatamountMBB
TICKETS

About Western Carolina:
The Catamounts continued their season-long three-game homestand last Sunday with a 76-65 victory over Stetson in the opening game of the ASUN-SoCon Challenge. Graduate transfer Julien Soumaoro led three Catamounts in double figures with a season-high 23 points, while redshirt junior Marcus Kell hit double figures for the fourth time with 17 points, with four made 3-pointers. Soumaoro added a team-best eight rebounds and six assists.

The Catamounts have crashed the boards early in the 2025-26 season, averaging 41.0 boards per game through four contests, ranking second in the SoCon and less than a full rebound behind league-leader VMI. Sophomore Abdulai Fanta Kabba and freshman Samuel Dada lead WCU on the glass with 28 rebounds apiece, followed by Kell with 25. WCU has won the rebounding battle in three of four games during the early season.

Through the opening two weeks across the SoCon, Soumaoro begins the week third in the league in scoring with 16.3 points per game following his 23 on Sunday. He also sits among the league leaders in 3-point shooting, making 45.2% (14-of-31), ranking third in the SoCon, with his 13 treys ranking him second. Graduate transfer Tidjiane Dioumassi ranks in a tie for fifth with nine steals.

Scouting the Opposition:
UNC Asheville (2-2) comes to Cullowhee on Wednesday following a convincing 92-54 win over NAIA foe Bryan College (Tenn.) last Thursday. The Bulldogs have won two straight, including a 69-64 victory over ASUN foe Lipscomb, WCU's opponent on Saturday evening. Asheville opened the season with losses to Wichita State (75-58) and Georgia Southern (93-90).

The Bulldogs went 21-11 last season, including an 11-5 record in Big South Conference play. UNC Asheville fell in the semifinals of the Big South tournament to Winthrop. Head coach Mike Morrell leads the Bulldog program in his eighth year at the helm in Asheville.

Fifth-year standout Justin Wright leads the Bulldogs on the offensive side of the court, averaging 19.5 points per game, second in the Big South. Wright had a 33-point outburst against Georgia Southern amongst his opening four games. Sophomore Kameron Taylor is averaging 16.0 points per game, followed by fifth-year Toyaz Solomon at 11.8 points per contest. Solomon leads the way on the glass, averaging 7.2 boards per game, as Taylor has the team-best 13 helpers.

The Bulldogs were tabbed second in the league's nine-team preseason poll, earning one of the nine first-place votes from the league's coaches. Solomon was named the preseason player of the year while Taylor earned second-team honors.

Series History:
Western Carolina and UNC Asheville have met 58 times previously, with the Catamounts holding a 33-25 edge in the all-time series. WCU looks to avenge a 78-61 defeat a season ago in Asheville as Marcus Kell led the way with 11 points and Vernon Collins added 10. The Catamounts have held serve on home court in the all-time series, leading 19-9, including wins in six of the last seven matchups in Cullowhee.
 
Up Next:
Following Wednesday's action in Cullowhee, the Catamounts play consecutive road games beginning with a visit to Music City to battle Lipscomb in the second of two ASUN-SoCon Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 22. Tip-off from Allen Arena in Nashville is slated for 5 p.m. ET.

Saturday's action with the Bisons will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), and live stats will be available online 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).