Williams is money. Cat seniors go out in style …

CULLOWHEE –– Catamount senior hoops standouts, Mike Williams and Richie Gordon, put in a masterclass performance on Saturday afternoon at the Ramsey Center, as WCU clinched a share of the Southern Conference’s northern division title.

It was my first time seeing the Cats play and the last time Williams and Gordon will play a regular season game in Cullowhee. I was left with a bittersweet taste in my mouth after the decisive 70-62 victory over Bobby Cremins’ league-leading College of Charleston. The Cats went 12-1 at home this year, largely on the backs of their senior standouts. The game made me a fan, particularly of Williams, who will leave a tremendous void behind when he moves on after the season, and I wish I had seen more games.

 

Cats seniors go out in style

Jaspers Drop Rubber Match at Western Carolina

RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Catamounts' freshman Luke Gragg delivered a walk-off RBI single to send Western Carolina (5-2) to a 9-8 victory over the Manhattan baseball team on Sunday in Cullowhee, N.C. Jaspers' senior Austin Sheffield and sophomore Anthony Vega blasted their first home runs of the season, while sophomore shortstop Nick Camastro went 4-for-5 from the plate and scored two runs as Manhattan dropped the rubber match with the Catamounts.

 

Jaspers Drop Rubber Match

SoCon Men's Basketball Tournament

                        

Friday, March 4
Game 1 - (4S) Davidson vs. (5N) Greensboro, 2:00 p.m.
Game 2 - (3N) Appy State vs. (6S) Georgia Southern, 30 minutes following first game
Game 3 - (3S) Furman vs. (6N) Samford, 7:00 p.m.
Game 4 - (4N) Elon vs. (5S) Citadel, 30 minutes following.
Saturday, March 5
(1N) Western Carolina vs. Game 1 winner, 2:00 p.m.
(2S) Wofford vs. Game 2 winner, 30 minutes following first game
(2N) Chattanooga vs. Game 3 winner, 7:00 p.m.
(1S) College of Charleston vs. Game 4 winner, 30 minutes following
Sunday, March 6
Semifinal 1 - 6:00 p.m.
Semifinal 2 - 30 minutes following first semifinal
Monday, March 7
Championship Game - 9:00 p.m.

SoCon Women's Basketball Bracket

                        

Thursday, March 3
Game 1 - (7) Georgia Southern vs. (10) Western Carolina, 1:00 p.m.
Game 2 - (8) Davidson vs. (9) College of Charleston, 30 minutes following Game 1
Game 3 - (6) UNCG vs. (11) Wofford, 30 minutes following Game 2
Friday, March 4
Game 4: (2) Samford vs. Game 1 winner, 9:00 a.m.
Game 5: (1) Appalachian State vs. Game 2 winner, 30 minutes following Game 4
Saturday, March 5
Game 6: (4) Elon vs. (5) Furman, 9:00 a.m.
Game 7: (3) Chattanooga vs. Game 3 winner, 30 minutes following Game 6
Sunday, March 6
Semifinal 1: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Noon
Semifinal 2: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 2:30 p.m.
Monday, March 7
Championship Game - 4:00 p.m.

WCU holds off Charleston to claim title share

CULLOWHEE — There was no collapse this time.

Two nights after blowing a 21-point, second-half lead to The Citadel, Western Carolina gutted out a 70-62 victory over College of Charleston to claim a share of the Southern Conference’s North Division title.

Senior Richie Gordon scored 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and teammate Mike Williams had 18 points for the Catamounts (17-14, 12-6).

It’s the second time in three years that WCU has shared the division championship with Chattanooga, which won in overtime today at Samford.

 

WCU holds off Charleston to claim title

MBB: Senior Day

                                   

Western Carolina's four men's basketball seniors will play the final home game of their collegiate careers on Saturday afternoon.   Blake Gallagher, Richie Gordon, Anthony Phillip and Mike Williams - will be honored in a special pre-game ceremony.

 

Senior Day

Catamount Baseball

Matt Benedict Student-Athlete Blog

Courtesy of CatamountSports.com

  First off, I would like to thank all of those who attended opening weekend at Childress Field at Hennon Stadium, and also those who were able to attend the "Celebration of Catamount Baseball" Saturday evening.

As some of you may know, I was ill late last week and unable to play over the weekend. Although it was disappointing personally to not be able pitch, I was still able to enjoy watching my teammates perform well during the sweep of Morehead State. I was excited our team got the season off on the right foot, especially for all of the freshmen during their first weekend of collegiate baseball.  Freshman Aaron Attaway hitting a home run in his first career at-bat and Jordan Smith throwing five shut-out innings in his first career start are both very memorable freshmen moments over the weekend.

Junior Ross Heffely's performance over the weekend was also very impressive as he garnered Southern Conference player of the week honors, not surprising to the rest of us however as the "little guy" had been tearing the cover off the ball for the last few weeks of practice.  Overall, we were firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball for most of the weekend.

Another highlight of the weekend was Saturday night's "Celebration of Catamount Baseball," an opportunity for the program to honor the past, recognize the present and give a peek in to the future. It was great to see all of the Catamount greats in attendance as well as some of my former teammates.

The keynote speaker, former Catamount coaching legend Jack Leggett, was very inspiring and entertaining while giving a great perspective on what it means to be a Catamount. I had the opportunity to share dinner with Dave Steed of Lowe's and his family as all of the players were split amongst the tables at the event. It was nice to be able to interact with and thank someone who was such an important part of the recent renovation of the stadium.

A very special thank you goes out to Director of Baseball Operations Justin Crawley who put tons of time and effort in to planning this event.

So Catamount fans, come on out once again this weekend to watch us take on the Manhattan Jaspers at the friendly confines of Childress Field at Hennon Stadium.

Baseball: Manhattan College Jaspers (Game #1)

Manhattan College Jaspers

                          

Friday, Feb 25, 2011 (Game #1)  4 pm
Ronnie G. Childress Field at Hennon Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

 

Manhattan College Jaspers

Remarkable rally helps Citadel snap seven-game skid | postandcourier.com

The Citadel basketball team snapped its seven-game losing streak with a remarkable comeback at Western Carolina, roaring back from 21 points down in the second half for a 70-62 victory tonight.

The Citadel fell behind 21-2 at the start of the game and trailed 45-24 in the second half before mounting its comeback. A 15-0 run late in the game gave the Bulldogs a 66-57 lead.

 

Remarkable rally help Citadel snap seven-game skid

WCU blows 21-point lead, falls to The Citadel | Asheville C-T

CULLOWHEE — Needing a win to clinch at least a share of the Southern Conference’s North Division title, Western Carolina instead blew a 21-point lead in the second half tonight and lost to The Citadel, 70-62, in front of 1,573 fans.

The Citadel (10-20, 6-11) snapped its own seven-game losing streak and also ended Western’s seven-game winning streak.

WCU blows 21 point lead

Ross Heffley - Southeast Player of the Week

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Southeast Player of the Week

                                        

Ross Heffley (Snellville, Ga.)
Western Carolina junior second baseman

Catamount Sports Forum - Southeast Player of the Week

Beach Night

Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Catamount Sports Forum - Home

Catamount Sports Forum - Home

Catamount Sports Forum - Western Carolina Baseball Facility Renovation Video

Catamount Sports Forum - Western Carolina Baseball Facility Renovation Video

The Citadel Bulldogs

The Citadel Bulldogs

                      

Thursday, Feb 24th, 2011 at 7 pm
Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC

              

and it’s Beach Night in the RAC

 

Game #30 The Citadel

Memorial Services for Dr. Jack Wakeley Set for Thursday

John Halbert "Jack" Wakeley was a strong supporter of WCU Track & Field / Cross Country

John Halbert "Jack" Wakeley, a former vice chancellor for academic affairs at Western Carolina University who also served as the institution's interim chancellor during the 1994-95 academic year, died Friday, Feb. 18, at the age of 78.

Wakeley, interim chancellor at Western Carolina after the retirement of Myron "Barney" Coulter in 1994 until the 1995 appointment of current chancellor John W. Bardo, died at his home in Cullowhee.

A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, in the recital hall of the Coulter Building. The family will receive friends in the lobby of the recital hall at noon prior to the service.

 

Dr. Jack Wakeley Memorial

Minter Named SoCon Women's Golfer of the Week

Junior Blaire Minter was today named the Southern Conference's Women's Golfer of the Week for all spring competition through February 22.   At the Edwin Watts / Kiawah Island Classic, Minter guided WCU to a fourth-place team finish out of the 33 teams in the largest collegiate women's golf collegiate tournament field in the country.

 

Blaire Minter Named SoCon Women's Golfer of the Week - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Big week ahead for WCU men | The Asheville Citizen-Times | citizen-times.com

Any way you look at it, the Western Carolina men's basketball team is on a roll.

They're rolling at home (12 straight wins). They're even rolling on the road (three consecutive victories) and will take an overall seven-game winning streak into their final two regular-season games this week.

 

Big week ahead for WCU men | The Asheville Citizen-Times | citizen-times.com

Catamount Sports Forum

 

             Your home for Catamount sports talk

 

The Catamount Sports Forum

Football: 11th Game Finalized–It’s Coastal Carolina

WCU Athletic Director, Chip Smith, announced that WCU has finalized its 2011 Football Schedule.  The Catamounts have now added Big South Conference Member, Coastal Carolina University, for the 11^th game of the season.  The Catamounts will play host to the Chanticleers on Saturday, November 19^th in Cullowhee.   We now have 6 home games for the upcoming football season. 

 

Cats add Coastal Carolina

Cats Fall at Wake Forest in 10 Innings, 2-1

The Cats out-hit Wake Forest, 8-to-4, but five total errors and nine walks against none by the Deacons proved to be the difference makers.

Western Carolina Falls at Wake Forest in 10 Innings, 2-1 - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Tennis Picks Up First Victory of 2011 Season

Western Carolina picked up its first win of the 2011 season with a 6-1 victory over Brevard College. The win also gives first-year head coach Chris Wollett his first collegiate victory.

Women's Tennis Picks Up First Victory of 2011 Season - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Catamount Athletics

Minter One Shot Off Leader in Kiawah Island Classic

Western Carolina junior Blaire Minter put together another solid second round Monday to remain in the top five to end the day jumping up two spots to now sit just one shot off of leader Sarah Bejgrowicz of Campbell University. The Catamounts are currently tied for third place with Florida International at 601 (+25) after two rounds at the par 72, Oak Point and Cougar Point Golf Courses on Kiawah Island.

Minter One Shot Off Leader in Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Baseball - at Wake Forest

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

                       

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 (4:00 p.m.)
Wake Forest Baseball Park, Winston-Salem, N.C.

 

Catamount Sports Forum - at Wake Forest

Ross Heffley Named SoCon Player of the Week

Catamount second baseman Ross Heffley has been named the SoCon Player of the Week for games played over opening weekend.   This is the first weekly honor for Heffley.  

Heffley garnered the SoCon's Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-America plaudits during the 2009 season. 

 

WCU's Ross Heffley Named SoCon Player of the Week - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

WBB: WCU 68 - Wofford 58

The women’s basketball team picked up a 10 point win in Benjamin Johnson Arena over Wofford Monday night. Kaila’Shea Menendez led all scorers with 19 points. 

Women's Basketball Collars Wofford Terriers 68-58 - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Cats pick up a road win at Greensboro

The Cats matched a school record by winning their seventh straight conference win, and matched co-division  leader Chattanooga with a 11-5 conference record.  

Clutch Free Throws Lift Western Carolina over UNCG, 70-66 - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Leggett Legacy

Catamount catcher Stephen Nataro was selected as the first player to wear the “Leggett Legacy” No. 7 jersey.  The announcement was made at Saturday night’s “Celebration of Catamount Baseball” banquet.

(photo by Mark Haskett)

MBB: Greensboro Spartans

Greensboro Spartans

                  

Monday, Feb 21, 2011 at 7 pm
Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

Game #29 Greensboro Spartans

 

Cats Sweep Morehead State

  The Catamounts had a 6 run 8th inning to pull out the sweep against Ohio Valley Conference foe Morehead State on Sunday. The winning pitcher was Brandon Johnson, while Matthew Robertson took the loss for Morehead State.  The Catamounts are 3-0 after the weekend sweep.

WCU wins 12th straight home game

On the night Harouna Mutombo eclipsed the 1,000-point career mark, the Catamounts won their sixth straight game overall and 12th straight at home.

WCU wins 12 straight at home

WCU Fends Off Eastern Kentucky, 81-74

Cullowhee, N.C. - Four Catamounts scored in double figures for the second-consecutive game as Western Carolina was able to fend off Eastern Kentucky on Saturday for the 81-74 victory in the ESPN Sears BracketBusters game in the Ramsey Center.

Cats Fends off EKU

Baseball: Game #3 Morehead State

Game #3 Morehead State

                    

Childress Field at Hennon Stadium
Time: 2 PM

Game #3 Morehead State

Cats look to cash in on changes

WCU baseball team enhances field, adds 'Leggett's legacy'

"Hennon Stadium is ready for a new season after undergoing a major facelift.

A ground-level seating area with more than 150 chair-back seats has been added behind home plate at Western Carolina's baseball park. Two-hundred gallons of fresh paint adorn the stadium's exterior.

And there's plenty more.”

Cats look to cash in on changes

Baseball

Game #2 Morehead State

Childress Field at Hennon Stadium
Time: 1 PM

Morehead State

MBB: Game #28 Eastern Kentucky

Eastern Kentucky Colonels

Saturday, Feb 19th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC

Game #28 Eastern Kentucky

Baseball Opens Season with 9-2 Victory over Morehead State

Cullowhee, N.C. - “Freshman Aaron Attaway blasted a two-run home run in his first collegiate at bat with junior Ross Heffley adding a three-run shot as a part of a six-run seventh inning as Western Carolina opened the 2011 season with a 9-2 victory over Morehead State at the newly renovated Childress Field / Hennon Stadium on Friday evening.

Game two of the three-game, season-opening nonconference series is set for 1:00 pm on Saturday afternoon. The evening will culminate with the "Celebration of Catamount Baseball" at 6:00 pm in the Grand Room of the Hinds University Center on-campus.”

Western Carolina (14-13) Squares Off With Eastern Kentucky (15-12)

  “The Catamounts go into Ramsey Center locked and loaded on Saturday as Western Carolina plays host to Eastern Kentucky. The first whistle blows at 2:00EST. The Catamounts stand at 14-13 overall. The Colonels have a record of 15-12.

WCU vs EKU

First Home Tennis Match of the 2011 Season with Charlotte 49ers

Western and Charlotte have met several times over the past few seasons.  Charlotte holds a 5-0 record over Western spanning the last five seasons. The last meeting between the two schools took place last season with the 49ers defeating the Catamounts 6-1 in Charlotte.The 2011 women's tennis team hosts its first home match of the season Saturday against the Charlotte 49ers at 12:00 pm at the Catamount Athletic Complex.

Miller Announces 18 Players for 2011 Soccer Class

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina Head Soccer Coach Chad Miller today announced the signing of 18 players for the 2011 season.

 

Soccer Signs 18

Sims’ 30 Points Not Enough to Halt Catamounts

BOONE, N.C. - “Appalachian State University men’s basketball shot 60 percent from the field in the second half and Donald Sims racked up 30 points, but Western Carolina broke a 72-72 tie with eight of the game’s final 11 points for an 80-75 win at the Holmes Center on Thursday.”

Game #27 Appy State

       Catamounts over the Mountaineers

                       80-75

                          A Catamount Sweep

Catamount Sports Forum - Game #27 Appy State

Baseball: Cats vs. Morehead State

 

WCU Projected Opening Weekend Starting Pitching:
Friday - WCU: Matt Benedict, Sr., RHP (9-2, 3.11, 66 K in 2010)
Saturday - WCU: Jordan Smith, Fr., RHP
Sunday - WCU: Taylor Sandefur, So., RHP (1-2, 5.19, 30 K in 2010)

WCU Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup:
C - Stephen Notaro - R-Sr. - injured in '10, only played 2 games ... .287, 13 HR, 39 RBI in `09
1B - Tyler White, So. - .288 as a rookie; key RBIs that helped WCU to SoCon title game
2B - Ross Heffley, Jr. - Led team with .361 avg., 63 RBI, 11 HR - Freshman All-American in `09
SS - Aaron Attaway, Fr. - Patton HS
3B - Austin Schultz, Sr. - .307 avg., started 55 games at SS last year
LF - Matt Johns, Sr. - .346 avg, 11 HR, team-high 65 runs scored in '10, 23-31 SB
CF - Julian Ridings, Fr. - Crest HS - Named MVP of WCU Fall World Series
RF - Cameron Dullnig, R-Jr., .282, school single-season HBP record (25), 16-19 SB
DH - Dykota Spiess, Fr. - Patton HS

Catamount Baseball Hosts Morehead State to Open 2011 Season - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Catamount Baseball Hosts Morehead State to Open 2011 Season

Western Carolina starts its quest for a 21st Southern Conference championship this Friday as the first pitch flies in the 2011 season at the newly renovated Childress Field / Hennon Stadium. The Catamounts host Morehead State in a three-game nonconference series to open the fourth year under head coach Bobby Moranda and staff.   First pitch on Friday is set for 4:00 pm, while Saturday's match-up is at 2:00 pm and the conclusion of the three-game set will be played on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Live GameTracker coverage of this weekend's series will be available online at www.CatamountSports.com. On Saturday night, WCU will hold its "Celebration of Catamount Baseball" at the on-campus Grand Room in the Hinds University Center.

 

Catamount Baseball Hosts Morehead State to Open 2011 Season - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Cross Country Teams Earn All-Academic Honors

The Western Carolina cross country teams have earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors after posting a team GPA of 3.45 for the women's and a GPA of 3.26 for the men's for the fall semester.   Head cross country coach Danny Williamson's teams have consistently excelled in the classroom and has earned the All-Academic Team honor three of the past four seasons on the women's side.

 

Men's & Women's Cross Country Earn All-Academic Honors - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Trey Sumler StatSheet SoCon Freshman of the Week

StatSheet SoCon Freshman of the Week:  Western Carolina's Trey Sumler

Trey Sumler averaged 37 minutes while starting both games for Western Carolina. He was number one among all SoCon freshmen in both assists (7.0 per game) and three pointers (2.5 per game). In a late 69-68 win over Chattanooga, Sumler tallied 15 points and 8 assists. Then in a massive 85-63 win over Samford, he put up 57% shooting and 3 steals.

This is the second time for Trey Sumler, who won the StatSheet SoCon Freshman of the Week earlier this season. Trent Weideman from College of Charleston grabs runner-up. Trevis Simpson from North Carolina-Greensboro takes honorable mention.

Trey Sumler Wins the StatSheet SoCon Freshman of the Week - February 14th, 2011 - Western Carolina Basketball - Daily Catamount

Catamount Basketball Battles Appalachian State on Thursday

Two of the top three teams in the Southern Conference's North Division square off Thursday (Feb. 17) night as second-place Western Carolina travels north to face arch-rival - and third-place - Appalachian State on the men's basketball hardwood in the 175th head-to-head meeting all-time.

Tip-off from ASU's on-campus Holmes Center is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

 

Catamount Basketball Battles Appalachian State on Thursday - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

This weekend in Cullowhee

 

Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Softball: 6-0 for the first time ever - Sweeps South Carolina State

The Catamount Softball team is off to it’s best start ever at 6-0, with a two game sweep of SC State with scores of

10-1 & 5-0.  

Softball Sweeps South Carolina State, 10-1, 5-0 - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

MBB: SoCon Tournament Bracket Projections

If the season ended today, 2-15-11 – The men's basketball tournament bracket projections would look like this:  

Catamount Sports Forum - If the season were over today, 2-14-11

Nominations for the 2011 Athletics Hall of Fame Class

You may submit nominations for the 22d class of the WCU Athletic Hall of Fame now through March 4th, 2011. 

 

Nominations for Next Athletics Hall of Fame Class

Important Upcoming Dates in Catamount Football

                                      

Important Upcoming Dates in Catamount Football

Mon., March 14, 2011 - Opening Day of 2011 Spring Drills
Sat., April 16, 2011 - Catamount Football Spring Event; Time TBA

“Ask the AD”

Catamount fans now have a chance to ask Director of Athletics Chip Smith questions by way of a new forum.  AD Smith will post a bi-monthly segment with blog posts and answer select fan questions on CatamountSports.com.

"College athletics is a unique industry, surrounded by passion, emotion and opinion," Smith said. "What sets us apart from any other business is the intense interest in the many facets of athletics other than the wins and losses.This is an opportunity to provide fans with insight into some of the hows and whys of Catamount Athletics."

Click here to "Ask the AD"

Matt Benedict Student-Athlete Blog - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

"Finishing Touches and New Beginnings"

“With opening day against Morehead State this week, the team is working hard to make final preparations on the field and to the field.

As many of you may know, Childress Field at Hennon Stadium has undergone a huge transformation since we wrapped up the season in 2010. With the "make it happen" attitude of head coach Bobby Moranda and countless donations and help from the community along with the team, we have all worked very hard to make Hennon Stadium a better place to come out and back the Catamounts.

The many projects during this renovation project include: fresh paint, field level chair back-seating, improved bleacher seating, brick backstop and Major League-style netting, brick walls down the lines, batter's eye and a courtyard - all of which have been a work in progress since this summer. Balancing getting better on the field and making our field better all fall helped build team unity and has made us very proud to call Childress Field our home.

When January 28th rolled around however, it was time to start putting down the bricks and picking up the bats; switching focus to playing as we opened our first team practice for the spring. For the past few weeks, we've been engaging in drills and skill work, as well as competing against one another in intra-squad games. As much fun as it is to compete against your own teammates for bragging rights, we are all very excited to finally work together against a different opponent. Our first chance is this Friday against Morehead State at 4:00 pm.

We look forward to seeing all of the Catamount faithful come out and enjoy the start of spring at Childress Field at Hennon Stadium this weekend and getting the opportunity to finally see all of the hard work we have put in to this season and our home!”

Catamount Baseball's Matt Benedict Student-Athlete Blog - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

WBB: Georgia Southern

The Catamounts break an 8 game losing streak with their win in the Ramsey Center over the Eagles, 51 - 45

Catamount Sports Forum - Georgia Southern, game #2

MBB: Game #27 Appy State

Appalachian State Mountaineers

                    

   
Thursday, Feb. 17th  at  7 :00 pm
Holmes Center,  Boone,  NC

Catamount Sports Forum - Game #27 Appy State

WBB: Georgia Southern - game #2

Georgia Southern Eagles

Monday, Feb 14th, 2011 at 7 pm
Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC

Catamount Sports Forum - Georgia Southern, game #2

Catamount Softball Goes 4-0 at Lady Eagle Invitational - WCU Official Athletic Site

“The Catamounts begin the season 4-0 for the first time in the program's seven year history. Western Carolina began its softball program in 2006. Overall, Western Carolina scored 57 runs in the four games played. In 2010, WCU scored a total of 154 runs in 53 games.

Western Carolina softball swept Sunday's action at the Lady Eagle Invitational defeating host North Carolina Central 11-2 and Maryland Eastern Shore 16-0 at Thomas Brooks Park, after the opening day sweep of Morgan State 15-1 and Maryland Eastern Shore 15-7.”

 

Catamount Softball Goes 4-0 at Lady Eagle Invitational - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Catamount Sports Forum - Home

             

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Catamount Sports Forum - Home

Western Carolina Crushes Samford, 85-63 - Daily Catamount

Western Carolina has won again, and their confidence is improving. On February 12th at home, the Catamounts smoked the Bulldogs in SoCon action, 85-63. Everything went right from the beginning, and Western Carolina went into the locker room up big, 42-26. The Catamounts finished strong and that was enough for the big win.

• WCU beat the spread by 12.5 points. That makes the 10th time this season the Catamounts have beat the spread.
• The Catamounts set a season high for assists.
• WCU set season lows for turnovers and free throws made.
• The Catamounts have outshot their opponents in three point percentage for the past 4 games.
• Mike Williams has 4 straight double-digit point games.
• Mike Williams set a career high with 7 assists.

 

Western Carolina Crushes Samford, 85-63 - Western Carolina Basketball - Daily Catamount

MBB: Samford Post-Game Notes

(from CatamountSports.com)

- Western Carolina improved to 9-0 at home in the Ramsey Center this season with the victory over Samford, while also claiming its 11th-straight home victory dating back to last season ... All told, the Catamounts have won 36 of the last 41 at home including 25 of the last 28 against Southern Conference opponents in Cullowhee ... Over the past three seasons, WCU is 34-4 (.895) at home ... During head coach Larry Hunter's tenure, the Catamounts are 57-19 (.750) at home in six seasons;

- WCU remained perfect at home against the Samford Bulldogs, improving to 5-0 all-time in the head-to-head series which does include a forfeit victory in 1970 ... WCU is 3-0 against the Bulldogs in the Ramsey Center since Samford joined the Southern Conference;

- Samford entered Saturday's game ranked 13th nationally in 3-point field goals made per game at 9.1 - WCU limited the Bulldogs to just six made treys ... Samford was also the top-ranked team in the Southern Conference in field goal percentage defense, limiting foes to just 41.6-percent shooting from the floor - WCU shot 55.2-percent from the field in the victory ... And finally, Samford ranked second in the SoCon in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 64.9 points per game this season - WCU scored 85 points, a season-high against a NCAA Division I team;

- Western Carolina dished out a season-high tying 19 assists, matching the total from the home win over Warren Wilson ... the Catamounts also committed a season-low six turnovers in Saturday's home win over Samford;

- The Catamounts returned to .500 overall on the season at 13-13 ... it is the first time WCU has been even record wise since November following the one-point home victory over Bradley that pushed WCU to 4-4 at the time;

- Redshirt junior Harouna Mutombo scored 16 points in the home win over Samford giving him 987 for his WCU career ... He is just 13 points shy of 1,000 for his career ... Mutombo is vying to become the 39th different Catamount to score over 1,000 points.

Softball: Softball Sweeps Opening Day

CARY, N.C. - Western Carolina softball swept opening day action at the Lady Eagle Invitational, hosted by NC Central, defeating Morgan State 15-1 and Maryland Eastern Shore 15-7.

The Catamounts opened the season with a 15-1 win over Morgan State in the opening game of the Lady Eagle Classic. T he game was called after five innings.    In the second game, Western Carolina used an eight run sixth inning to secure the win over Maryland Eastern Shore. The game was tied at seven, after five innings, when junior college transfer Erin Foster began the Catamount rally. She singled through the left side and advanced to third thanks to a double by Wyatt. The bases were loaded for WCU when Shemekia Scotton was hit by a pitch.

 

Softball Sweeps Opening Day at Lady Eagle Invitational - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

WCU Cruises Past Samford, 85-63

"I was really pleased with how our guys absorbed a lot of information in a short period of time," WCU coach Larry Hunter told the Asheville Citizen-Times during post-game interviews. "(Samford) is much different than playing some other teams. We executed pretty well at both ends of the court and had a lot of energy for coming off a short turnaround."

Western Carolina posted its second-best shooting performance of the season, finishing at 55.2-percent from the floor for the game. Samford likewise shot well from the field, making half of its shot attempts - the difference coming in the sheer numbers as WCU was 37-of-67 while the Bulldogs were just 23-of-46, a difference of 21 shot attempts.

The Catamounts also outscored the methodical Bulldogs, 32-to-12, in the paint and controlled the boards to the tune of 33-to-26 including an 11-to-5 edge in offensive rebounds.

Four in Double Figures as WCU Cruises Past Samford, 85-63 - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

Track & Field: Catamounts Set to Begin Tiger Paw Invitational

CLEMSON, S.C. - The Western Carolina track & field teams travel to Clemson, S.C. for the third time this indoor season today to begin the Tiger Paw Invitational. Teams from all over the Southeast will be in Clemson for the meet. With the high number of teams participating, invitational sections have been scheduled for the 200m, 400m, pole vault, long jump, triple jump, shot put and weight throws.

 

Catamounts Set to Begin Tiger Paw Invitational - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site

MBB: Game #26 - Samford

Samford University Bulldogs

Saturday, Feb 12, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC

Catamount Sports Forum - Game #26 - Samford

WBB: Furman - game #2

Saturday, Feb 12, 2011 @ 3:30 pm
Timmons Arena - Greenville, SC

Catamount Sports Forum - Furman - game #2

Prelude to Spring Drills Brings Changes for Catamount Football

  “This off-season, (Head Coach) Wagner restructured his coaching staff including taking the reigns as the offensive coordinator.  He will also coach the running backs in 2011.  Other changes on offense include Andy Follett being named offensive administrator to aid with day-to-day operations of the offense, while also taking over as the quarterbacks coach. Arketa Banks, a former wide out at Elon who amassed over 1,300 yards receiving in his career, will take over as the wide receivers coach while also serving as the staff's summer and prospect camp director.

Jeremiah Ross, who joined the WCU staff a season ago, will continue to coach the offensive line with Pat Arthurs returning to work with the Catamount tight ends.

Defensively, the only restructuring involves linebacker coach Justin Roberts also taking on the role of recruiting coordinator. Matt Pawlowski is the defensive coordinator and will again coach the defensive backs with Mark Rhea continuing to coach the defensive line.

The defensive coaching staff also includes assistants Chris Collins and Kenyon Blue.   An All-Southern Conference selection, Collins was a four-year letter-winner for the Catamounts and finished with 303 career hits including 166 solo tackles.  The High Point, N.C., native worked with the staff a season ago as a student assistant.

Blue, who was an All-Big Sky Conference performer as a senior in 2008, comes to Cullowhee from his alma mater Idaho State where he spent the last two years, coaching the cornerbacks a season ago.  In his final collegiate season, Blue racked up 1,087 all-purpose yards in earning the ISU's Special Teams Player of the Year honor.”

Prelude to Spring Drills Brings Changes for Catamount Football - Western Carolina Official Athletic Site