Box Score
Ray Bristow handed out 10 assists in the loss |
GREENSBORO, NC -- Rams Brempong drilled a 12-foot jumper at the buzzer to give Western Carolina a come-from-behind 63-62 victory over UNCG in Southern Conference men's basketball action from Fleming Gym Monday night.
James Maye appeared to give the Spartans the lead for good, 52-51, knocking down a pair of free-throws with just 2.6 seconds left in regulation. After the Catamounts called a timeout, Emre Atsur threw the inbound pass the length of the court to Brempong. Brempong, who connected on a free-throw with just 0.6 seconds left to beat Appalachian State, grabbed the court-length pass at the free-thow line and buried the gamewinner.
Brempong finshed with 10 points, but Alex Osipovitch led Western Carolina with 14 points, including a pair of 3-point field goals. Kevin Martin scored just eight points, while Kori Hatcher and Emre each registered eight points.
Maye poured in a game-high 22 points and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds. Jay Joseph added 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Ray Bristow scored eight points and tied his career-high with 10 assists.
After a sluggish first-half, the Spartans opened the second-half with five straight points to take an eleven-point lead, 31-20, but the Catamounts responded with a 14-3 run to get even, 34-34, with 12:18 left in regulation. The two teams would go back and forth as the game featured eight ties and six lead changes in the final 12-minutes.
Emre gave Western Carolina a one-point lead, 61-60, with just 10.0 seconds left. Maye would drive to the bucket as the clock ran down, before drawing the foul with just 2.6 seconds left. Maye would knock both free-throws down, but Brempong would not let the Catamounts lose.
Western Carolina shot 45.5% (25-for-55) from the field, while the Spartans were also 45.5% (25-for-55) from the floor. The Catamounts won the battle of the boards, 31-29.
UNCG and WCU both opened the game quite sluggish. The Spartans hit just six of its first 16 shots, while the Catamounts connected on four of its first 16 shots. Western Carolina and UNCG also combined for 13 turnovers in the opening 12 minutes, but the Spartans got things going midway through the first-half thanks in part to Maye.
The senior scored 12 points in the opening half on 6-for-12 from the floor. Maye helped the Spartans grab an eleven-point lead, 25-14, with 1:34 remaining in the first-half, but Martin, who did not attempt a shot in the game's first 17-minutes, scored four straight and Brempong knocked down a jumper just before halftime to cut the deficit to just five-points, 25-20, at halftime.
Western Carolina finished the opening half shooting 34.6% (9-for-26), while UNCG shot 41.4% (12-for-29). The Catamounts ended up with 13 first-half turnovers amd the Spartans committed seven.
The Spartans return to action Saturday evening with a battle against Southern Conference rival Wofford. Tip-off in the friendly confines of Fleming Gym is scheduled for 7 p.m.
