By Joe Coopersmith

1 16 2024

WCU GAME NOTES

https://catamountsports.com/documents/2024/1/15/WCUMBK2023-24_GameNotes_Samford.pdf

Tuesday’s game to be televised on the CBS Sports Network

Cullowhee, N.C. – The final two remaining Southern Conference unbeatens square-off on Tuesday evening as conference co-leaders Western Carolina and Samford meet in a much-anticipated showdown on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. with doors opening at 5 p.m.

Tuesday’s game is slated for a national broadcast on the CBS Sports Network (check local listings; DIRECTV Ch. 221; Dish Ch. 158). It’s the first nationally televised home game for the Catamounts in well over a decade. The game will also be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network with live streaming audio and live stats available online at CatamountSports.com. Fans locally can also hear the game on 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC “The River” in Sylva (wrgc.com).

Samford (15-2, 4-0 SoCon) comes to town tied for the nation’s longest winning streak with victories in a school-record 15-straight games, while WCU is tied with five other schools for the sixth-longest active winning streak nationally with nine consecutive wins. WCU’s win streak is its longest since the 2009-10 season. Combined, the two teams have a combined win streak of 24 games.

The first 1,000 WCU students through the gates with a valid CatCard will receive a free long-sleeve Catamount T-shirt. WCU students receive free admission and are encouraged to arrive early and sit in the “Cat Cage” student section, presented by Prospect Cullowhee.

WCU will also celebrate former Catamount great Ronnie Carr who made the first 3-pointer in college basketball history back in November 1980 on-campus in Reid Gymnasium. Carr will be on hand for the special night of celebration.

Western Carolina (15-2, 4-0 SoCon) claimed its ninth-straight victory – and its fifth-consecutive road win – on Saturday, winning a low-scoring affair at Mercer, 64-52. Russell Jones Jr. and Vonterius Woolbright led three Catamounts in double figures with 14 points apiece with Tre Jackson scoring 10 including a pair of late free throws. Woolbright extended his string of consecutive double-doubles to nine and his season total to 14, adding 15 rebounds for the double-dip. Bernard Pelote and DJ Campbell both chipped in eight points apiece with Charles Lampten boarding a career-high 11 in the winning effort.

Woolbright, who earned his sixth SoCon Player of the Week honor on Monday, paces four Catamounts in double-figure scoring with a league-leading 20.6 points per game while also carrying a league-best 12.6 rebounds per game average. He’s flanked by classmates Tre Jackson (13.5 ppg) and Russell Jones Jr. (11.5 ppg), with sophomore DJ Campbell rounding out the foursome with 12.0 points per outing.

Samford (15-2, 4-0 SoCon) comes to Cullowhee riding the strength of its fourth 100+ scoring performance of the season, scoring a school-record 134 points in a high-scoring home win over VMI as the two squads combined for 230 points (134-to-96). Eight players scored in double figures paced by 18 points from both Achor Achor and Riley Allenspach.

The Bulldogs have three players averaging double-digit scoring led by Achor, eighth in scoring at 15.5 ppg and he just outside the Top 10 in rebounding with a team-best 5.8 boards per game (12th). AJ Staton-McCray ranks 18th in the SoCon with a 13.2 ppg average. Preseason All-SoCon selection Jermaine Marshall has averaged 10.6 ppg over nine games played, though he’s been sidelined since Dec. 21. Jaden Campbell is just below the 10-point threshold at 9.9 ppg.
The Bulldogs rank among the top offensive teams in the league, pacing the conference in scoring, scoring margin (+16.2), field goal percentage (49.9%), 3-point field goals percentage (40.8%), 3-pointers made per game (10.9), and free throw percentage (73.8%). And though the Bulldogs lead the SoCon with 10.9 made 3-pointers per game, Samford has four players inside the Top 25 in treys per game, but none averaging more than 1.5 per contest.

Tuesday’s game pits the nation’s top scoring team – Samford at 91.5 points per game – against the SoCon’s top scoring defense as WCU is limiting foes to 65.5 points per contest.

Six of the SoCon’s Top 25 scorers and four of the conference’s best rebounders will also be on display. WCU boasts four double-digit scorers including league-leader Woolbright, Jackson, Campbell, and Jones Jr., while Samford has two among the league leaders in Achor and Staton-McCray. Woolbright paces the SoCon in rebounding, joined in the Top 25 by Pelote with Achor and Staton-McCray also among the leaders for the Bulldogs.

Following Tuesday’s match-up with Samford, the Catamounts play their final road game of the month on Saturday (Jan. 20) when they visit chromatic rival Furman at Timmons Arena in Greenville, S.C., with a 2 p.m. tip-off. Saturday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with live audio from the Catamount Sports Network. WCU then plays three-straight in SoCon play at home to conclude January, hosting UNCG (Jan. 24), VMI (Jan. 27), and Chattanooga (Jan. 31).

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).

COURTESY WESTERN CAROLINA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS