Cullowhee, N.C. – Five Catamounts scored in double figures paced by a double-double effort by reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week Marcus Kell, and Western Carolina used a strong second-half defensive effort as the Catamounts upended mountain rival East Tennessee State 76-67 on Wednesday night on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.
Down seven at the break, the Catamounts opened the second half with a 12-to-4 run as part of a larger 24-to-8 burst over the first 10 minutes of the second half to grab a lead they would never relinquish on the way to the nine-point victory.
Kell scored a team-high 18 points on six made field goals including three beyond the arc and pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds – the most by a Catamount since Vonterius Woolbright also had 17 against Brescia on Dec. 21, 2023. The Rock Hill, S.C., product also matched a career high with three blocked shots.
Continuing his red-hot play of late, Kell has reached double figures in six straight games with a 17.5 points per game average. He is just shy of averaging a double-double during that same span, averaging 9.2 rebounds per contest. Kell has buried 42.5% (31-of-73) field goals and has sunk 15-of-34 (44.1%) from beyond the arc. Kell has also been efficient at the line with 28-of-33 (84.8%) and 11 blocks.
Senior Bernard Pelote and junior Ice Emery added 13 points apiece while redshirt sophomore Cord Stansberry scored 12 points as he buried a pair of 3-pointers and converted all four free throws.
The five Catamounts in double figures were rounded out by junior Vernon Collins, who had 10 points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting and made all four free throws and boarded eight misses. Emery along with junior Brandon Morgan both dished out four assists to lead the squad as Kell had three blocks followed by two from Pelote and one from freshman Fischer Brown.
Led by Quimari Peterson with a game-high 21 points, ETSU had four players finish in double figures in the losing effort. Peterson also had three steals, three assists, and a pair of blocks. John Buggs III totaled 13 points, followed by Gabe Sisk with 12 points and five rebounds off the bench. The ETSU double-figure performances were rounded out by Karon Boyd, who added 10 points and 11 rebounds in the double-double effort, also dishing out a team-high five assists.
Gallery: (2-12-2025) Catamount Men's Basketball vs. ETSU
ETSU started fast with an 8-2 run in the opening three minutes to gain the early advantage before Kell, Stansberry, and Pelote combined to put together a 7-2 burst that allowed the Catamount deficit to be whittled to one, 10-9. The Buccaneers connected on three at the free throw line before a 7-1 spurt from the Catamounts allowed the hosts to jump in front 17-14 halfway through the opening 20 minutes.
The Bucs quickly inched back in front, though, using a 14-to-7 run of their own over the next four minutes to take a 28-24 lead with 5:45 to play in the half. WCU put together a quick five-point burst that saw the hosts take a 29-28 lead down the stretch. ETSU put together a 10-2 run over the final four minutes to push ETSU in front by seven, 38-31 at the intermission.
Western Carolina answered the bell out of the halftime locker room with a 12-4 spurt out of the gates to regain a 43-42 lead at the 14:46 mark of the second half. ETSU thwarted that burst with a quick layup, but the Catamounts continued to go full throttle on the offensive end of the court with a 14-4 spurt that saw eight different WCU players fill the basket and push the lead to 57-48 with 7:27 to play.
The Bucs tried to mount a run with a triple of their own, but the Catamounts continued to answer with another 9-to-1 blast from Stansberry, Pelote, and CJ Hyland to stretch the lead to 14, 66-52, the largest lead of the night.
ETSU embarked on an 11-4 run over the ensuing 2:34 but would be unable to get any closer as Emery helped score WCU's final six points including a transition slam dunk to earn the 76-67 win on Wednesday night.
WCU finished with a 44.8% (26-of-58) shooting performance from the floor, making seven threes at a 31.8% clip and going an efficient 17-of-22 (77.3%) at the foul line. The 44.8% field goal percentage is the highest by the Catamounts since posting a 46.8% performance in a win at home against Mercer.
ETSU finished at 33.8% (24-of-71) shooting from the field while making six threes at a 22.2% rate and going 13-of-16 (81.3%) at the free throw line. WCU held the Bucs to a 27.5% (11-of-40) shooting performance in the second half, marking the lowest second-half field goal percentage by an opponent since 25.8% (8-of-31) in the second half in Spartanburg.
The Catamounts won the rebounding battle by seven, 45-38, which included a 33-22 lead in defensive rebounds, led by Kell's 11. WCU outscored ETSU by six in the paint, 38-32 and had a tight three-point edge at 19-16 in bench scoring, led by 13 from Emery.
The Catamounts return to the friendly confines of Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center on Saturday afternoon for a Catamount Basketball doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. WCU's women's team hosts Furman before the men's squad plays host to The Citadel with tip-off set for 3:30 p.m. Prior to tip of both games, each of Western Carolina's basketball seniors will be honored as a part of Senior Day.
Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Live audio coverage through the Catamount Sports Network is available online at CatamountSports.com and on 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC "The River" in Sylva for the men's game. Live stats are also available via a link 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).
