CHATTANOOGA, TENN. – Graduate transfer Julien Soumaoro scored a season-high 25 points to lead Western Carolina men's basketball as the Catamounts withstood a late-charging Chattanooga for the tight 81-76 decision over the host Mocs in Southern Conference play at The McKenzie Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Building a double-digit lead midway through the first half, the Catamounts maintained a comfortable advantage throughout the middle portion of the game. WCU led by as many as 16 in the opening 20 minutes, and stretched the margin to 18 just four minutes into the second half.
The cushion remained double-figure until the final five and a half minutes of regulation as the Mocs used a 21-to-8 run to cut the deficit to three, 75-72, inside the final minute. However, a trio of Catamounts combined to score six of the game's final eight points as the Catamounts held on for the five-point win, avenging the eight-point home defeat from mid-January.
Saturday's win in the Scenic City marked just the eighth time that WCU has bested Chattanooga inside the "Roundhouse," and was the fifth time in the last 13 meetings dating back to the 2013-14 season.
Soumaoro was strong on Saturday, leading five Catamounts in double figures with 25 points. He connected on 9-of-15 field goals, including 6-of-10 from range. Graduate transfer Tidjiane Dioumassi added 16 points, including a trio from deep. Junior Marcus Kell finished with 11 points, while classmate Cord Stansberry and sophomore transfer Justin Johnson both had 10.
Freshman Samuel Dada continued his strong work on the glass with 11 rebounds, five on the offensive end, to accompany six points. Freshman Tahlan Pettway led the way for WCU with four assists. Johnson tallied two blocks and three steals to lead the way defensively.
Jordan Frison led a trio of Mocs in double figures with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting with four 3-pointers. He also distributed six assists in the defeat. Teddy Washington Jr. finished with 13 points and a team-best three steals. Tate Darner rounded out the trio with 12 points on five field goals, while adding four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Frison was joined with six assists by Colin Mulholland, who had six helpers to go along with nine points.
Western Carolina again used another red-hot start with a quick 9-2 burst to gain the early edge. UTC cut the deficit to five, 16-11, but the Catamounts responded back with a 21-to-10 spurt over the next seven minutes, including a stretch of nine unanswered to push the advantage to 16, 37-21 with 4:08 to play before the break.
The Mocs closed the final four minutes of the first half with an 8-2 run of their own to send the teams to their locker rooms at 39-29.
Behind Soumaoro, the Catamounts opened the second half fast with a 13-to-5 burst to push it to a game-high 18-point advantage at 52-34 just four minutes into the second half. The hosts battled back with multiple quick spurts, but each time answered by a Dioumassi three as the Mocs trailed 58-46 with 9:56 to play.
Dioumassi and Stansberry combined to help push the Catamounts advantage back to 16, 67-51, with 7:54 to play before Chattanooga made its best push of the night. The 21-to-8 run over the next seven minutes saw the WCU lead dwindle to three, 75-72, with 39 seconds to play.
Johnson had a quick answer at the other end, though, with a slam dunk to push the lead back to five before a defensive stop from the guests and back-to-back late free throws made the lead too much for UTC as the Catamounts held on for the five-point SoCon win.
Western Carolina (10-15, 6-8 SoCon) finished the night shooting 37.9% (25-of-66) from the field. WCU buried 11 3-pointers on 32.4% shooting and went 20-of-25 (80%) at the free throw line. Chattanooga finished at 49.2% (31-of-63), connecting on eight threes at a 28.6% rate. The Catamounts managed a 20-to-6 edge in made free throws as the Mocs went 6-for-6 in the loss.
WCU had one of its best SoCon rebounding margins as the Catamounts held a 41-26 advantage on the glass, including an 18-6 mark on the offensive end. UTC held a 10-point advantage in the paint, 32-22. The Catamounts doubled up the Mocs in second-chance scoring at 20-10.
The Catamounts return home to Cullowhee looking to "White Out Ramsey" with a SoCon showdown against in-state foe UNC Greensboro on Wednesday, Feb. 18. The action against the Spartans is slated for a 7 p.m. tip and will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) as live audio will be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network with live stats will be provided via a link at CatamountSports.com.
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