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Schedule

Full
Marcus Kell vs Furman
Ava Schmitt
75
Western Caro. WCU 6-16,2-9 SoCon
84
Winner Furman Furman 18-6,6-5 SoCon
Western Caro. WCU
6-16,2-9 SoCon
75
Final
84
Furman Furman
18-6,6-5 SoCon
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Western Caro. WCU 33 33 9 75
Furman Furman 31 35 18 84

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Greg Hartlage, Director of Media Relations

Kell Scores Career-High in Overtime Setback at Furman

Greenville, S.C. – Redshirt sophomore Marcus Kell scored a career-high 29 points to lead a strong effort for Western Carolina men's basketball on Wednesday night, but Furman used a 24-to-12 run over the final two minutes of regulation and the five-minute overtime session to down the Catamounts 84-75 at Davis Field House at Bob Jones University, the temporary home for the Paladins.
 
The Catamounts held a six-point, 63-57 lead with 2:27 to play in regulation after Kell buried a pair of free throws. However, back-to-back 3-poiners by Furman's Nick Anderson quickly tied the score at 63-all. Both teams traded chances down the stretch as Bernard Pelote put WCU back in front with a lay-up with 60 seconds remaining only to see Anderson ultimately knot the game at 66 with seven seconds left. WCU's last-chance heave came up short at the buzzer resulting in a second-straight overtime game.
 
In the extra session, Furman rode the hot hands of Anderson and Tom House to a 7-0 run and never looked back. The Paladins scored 10 of their 18 OT points from the free throw line and stretched the lead to nine on multiple occasions including the final, 84-75.
 
Wednesday's game featured 12 lead changes and was tied 11 times as neither team held more than a nine-point advantage in the matchup of chromatic rivals.
 
Kell connected on eight field goals including five beyond the arc in putting together a career night, finishing 8-of-9 at the foul line to cap a series of career highs. The Rock Hill, S.C. native finished one off his season-high with eight rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
 
Kell is the fourth different Catamount to eclipse the 20-point plateau this season, joining Pelote, Ice Emery, and Cord Stansberry. His 29 points are the most by any WCU player in a game this season.
 
Behind Kell, Pelote tallied his fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds while junior Brandon Morgan just missed double figures with nine points, four rebounds, and three assists. Classmate Vernon Collins added eight rebounds and seven rebounds in the loss.
 
Anderson led all players on Wednesday with 30 points, connecting on 10 field goals including four 3-pointers. He also led the Paladins with three steals. Preseason All-SoCon guard PJay Smith totaled 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists, with Garrett Hein rounding out the double-figure scoring for Furman with 13 points and 15 rebounds, six coming on the offensive glass.
 
After the Paladins converted an early three, WCU used four different players to score eight of the next 12 points to take a one-point lead. Furman had a quick answer, though, with eight unanswered points to take a seven-point lead. The Catamounts then ripped off 14 unanswered points to erase the deficit and take an eight-point advantage at 22-15 with 9:56 to play in the opening half.
 
The Paladins responded with a 13-3 run over the next four minutes to inch back in front by three, 28-25 with 5:14 to play before the break. WCU had the final push in the half with an 8-3 burst over the final four minutes to carry a 33-31 halftime lead.
 
The second half remained tight for both squads with two early ties before a 7-0 spurt allowed WCU to seize control, taking a 45-38 lead with 15:39 to play. Furman again responded with nine of the next 11 points over the next three minutes to tie the game at 47.
 
WCU then put together a 10-to-2 spurt over the next six minutes that saw its lead swell to a half-high eight, 57-49, after Kell tallied a layup with 6:02 to play in regulation. But a quick six-point burst from the hosts saw the Catamount lead dwindle to two, 57-55. Kell and Ice Emery paired for six of the next eight points to stretch the margin to 63-57.
 
Led by Anderson, Furman closed the half on a 9-to-3 run to force the Catamounts into their third overtime game in the last four contests. In the extra session, Furman carried its half-ending momentum and an 11-2 run to seize control and ultimately claim the 84-75 victory.
 
Western Carolina shot 33.3% (24-of-72) from the field while converting 10 3-pointers and went 17-of-22 (77.3%) from the free throw line. Furman finished 26-of-63 (41.3%) on field goals while making eight threes and going 24-of-35 (68.6%) at the charity stripe.
 
WCU won a tight rebounding battle, 48-47, led by Pelote with 13 as the Catamounts finished with a season-high 19 offensive boards. Furman edged WCU in second-chance points (13-8), bench scoring (27-19), and points in the paint by two, 30-28.
 
The Catamounts continue their two-game road swing on Saturday, Feb. 8, with a trip to the Gate City to battle UNCG. Saturday's game is slated for a 4 p.m. tip from First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro. Saturday's game will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live audio coverage through the Catamount Sports Network available online at CatamountSports.com and on 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC "The River" in Sylva. 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).
 
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