Spartanburg, S.C. – Cord Stansberry and Marcus Kell led four Catamounts in double figures with 13 points apiece on Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference action against Wofford. However, the host Terriers used a decisive 15-to-4 second-half run to build on a 13-point lead and pulled away for the 77-66 victory at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.

Trailing by seven in the early stages of the second half, the Catamounts used a 10-5 scoring run to battle back to within a pair, 48-46. Wofford responded with 15 of the next 19 points to create separation and held on down the stretch for the 11-point victory.

Kell connected on 4-of-9 field goals, including a 3-pointer, while Stansberry came off the bench for the first time this season to connect on five goals with three from range. Graduate transfer Julien Soumaoro poured in 12 with five field goals and a pair of 3-pointers, while freshman Tahlan Pettway finished with a dozen points. 

Freshman Samuel Dada led the way for WCU with nine rebounds, including five offensive boards, to go along with six points. Sophomore transfer Abdulai Fanta Kabba added six boards to the Western Carolina rebounding stat line. Pettway and Soumaoro led the squad with three assists apiece, and Pettway picked up a pair of steals. 

Nils Machowski posted a double-double with a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead four Wofford (17-8, 9-3 SoCon) players in double figures. He also added a pair of blocked shots. Cayden Vasko scored 18 points with six field goals and four threes, and a team-best five assists. Chace Watley finished with 16 points with five boards and a pair of steals. Brendan Rigsbee finished off the quartet in double figures with 10 points on an efficient 5-of-6 shooting.

The Catamounts started fast with five straight made baskets as part of a 12-4 run to gain early control of the action before the hosts responded with 14 of the next 17 points to inch in front by three, 18-15, seven minutes into the action. WCU then used a 10-4 spurt to pull in front by three, 25-22, before Wofford embarked on a 17-5 run of their own over the next six and a half minutes to push the score to a nine-point lead, 39-30.

WCU scored six of the final eight points over the final three minutes of the half to cut the Terrier lead to five, 41-36, at intermission. 

After both teams traded a back-and-forth start in the second half that saw Wofford's lead swell to seven, the Catamounts used five quick points to cut it to a two-point game, 48-46, with 14:28 remaining in regulation. The Terriers, though, wouldn't let the conference showdown get any tighter as a 15-to-4 run over the next six and a half minutes pushed the advantage to 13, 63-50.

Following 3-pointers from both sides, the Catamounts cut the deficit to nine, 68-59, on the heels of a 6-2 burst before Wofford scored six unanswered to blow the lead back to 15, 74-59. WCU closed scoring seven of the final 10 points as Wofford held on for the 77-66 SoCon victory. 

Western Carolina shot 40% (26-of-65) from the field, while connecting on eight 3-pointers at a 30.8% clip and went 6-of-10 at the charity stripe. Wofford finished at 54.5% (30-of-55) shooting, connecting on 54.5% in both halves on the way to victory. The Terriers made six threes and were 11-of-12 (91.7%) at the free-throw line.

The Catamounts held a three-rebound edge on the glass, 35-32, with a 13-4 lead on the offensive boards. Wofford controlled the paint on Saturday by 12, 46-34, while WCU held a 16-4 lead in second-chance scoring. The Catamounts committed 11 turnovers that became 17 points for Wofford, while the hosts had 13 giveaways that WCU turned into just seven points. 

Western Carolina (8-15, 4-8 SoCon) returns to the friendly confines of Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center for a midweek showdown against The Citadel on Wednesday, Feb. 11. The action with the Bulldogs is slated for a special 6 p.m. start and will be shown regionally through the Nexstar family of stations (check local listings) and simulcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network and live stats will be available online on CatamountSports.com.

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