Cats Travel to The Citadel - on The Road to Asheville

 

Game OverviewThe Western Carolina Catamounts (5-9 overall, 1-2 SoCon) will face the Citadel Bulldogs (3-13 overall, 0-3 SoCon) in a Southern Conference matchup on January 10, 2026, at McAlister Field House in Charleston, South Carolina. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 PM ET, with the game streaming on ESPN+. This will be the second conference road game for Western Carolina in a week, while Citadellooks to snap a six-game losing streak and secure its first SoCon win of the season.
Team Summaries and Recent PerformanceWestern Carolina Catamounts: Coached by Tim Craft, the Catamounts have struggled with consistency this season, posting a -3.6 scoring margin and allowing 80.8 points per game (328th nationally). They shoot 43.9% from the field and 31.3% from three, while grabbing 40.5 reboundsper game (42nd nationally). Recent results show a team that's competitive in conference play but vulnerable on the road (1-8 away record). Their last five games: L 82-112 at Georgia (Dec 18), L 74-79 vs. Wofford (Dec 31), W 80-77 OT at Furman (Jan 3), L 77-82 at Samford (Jan 7). The overtime win at Furman highlights their resilience, but losses to stronger non-conference foes like Duke and Virginia Tech exposed defensive issues.
The Citadel Bulldogs: Under head coach Ed Conroy, the Bulldogs are in a rough patch, with a -9.0 scoring margin and allowing 78.5 points per game. They shoot 42.6% from the field and 32.4% from beyond the arc, but rebounding (33.8 per game) and turnovers (10.7 per game) have been weak spots. At home, they're 3-5, but their six-game skid includes heavy defeats like 63-101 at Mercer (Jan 7) and 86-95 vs. Wofford (Jan 3). Earlier wins came against lower-division teams like Erskine and Southern Wesleyan, but they've gone 0-20 straight up in their last 20 games against SoCon opponents. Recent form: L 56-80 at Richmond (Dec 20), L 49-74 vs. ETSU (Dec 30), L 86-95 vs. Wofford (Jan 3), L 63-101 at Mercer (Jan 7).Key Players to WatchWestern Carolina:

• Marcus Kell (F): Leads the team with 13.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, shooting 45.7% from the field
• Cord Stansberry (G): Averages 12.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, with a 30.4% three-point rate.
• Julien Soumaoro (G): Contributes 11.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.4 APG.
• Abdulai Fanta Kabba (C): Tops rebounding at 7.3 RPG and adds 1.1 BPG.

The Citadel:

• Braxton Williams (F): Team-high 11.7 PPG, shooting 39.5% overall and 36.9% from three.
• Christian Moore (G): Averages 10.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, with 36.7% from deep.
• Sola Adebisi (F): Leads in rebounds (5.5 RPG) and blocks (1.1 BPG).
• Eze Wali (G): Provides 2.3 APG and 1.1 SPG.

No major injury updates were reported as of January 8, 2026.Head-to-Head HistoryThe Citadel leads the all-time series 41-49, but Western Carolina has won 4 of the last 5 meetings. In the last 10 games, it's split 5-5. Western Carolina is 10-3 straight up in their last 13 road games against the Citadel, though the Bulldogs have a slight edge (6-4 in last 10 head-to-heads).
Western Carolina enters as the clear favorite, with AI models giving them a 67% win probability and a projected score of 70-66. Their superior rebounding and scoring depth should exploit Citadel's defensive struggles (allowing 90 PPG in last three games). Expect the Catamounts to cover as road favorites in a game that could push over the total due to both teams' recent high-scoring trends.
Final pick: Western Carolina