Box Score
Josh Gross scored a season-high 12 points |
CULLOWHEE, NC - Western Carolina defeated the UNC Greensboro men's basketball team Tuesday night in Cullowhee, NC, 78-73. The loss drops UNCG to 5-11 on the season and 2-4 in Southern Conference play, while Western Carolina improves to 9-7 overall and 3-3 in league play.
UNCG was the first on the scoreboard as Ronnie Burrell jammed home an errant Jay Joseph 3-point attempt. Western Carolina then scored the next seven points of the game to take a 7-2 lead. UNCG regained its lead at 22-20 on a Rodney Blackstock 3-pointer, but the Catamounts again rallied, reeling off eight straight points this time to take a 28-22 lead. A 16-4 run gave the Spartans a 38-32 advantage. A running layup by Ray Bristow at the buzzer gave the Spartans a 42-35 lead at the intermission.
Western Carolina came out and scored the first six points of the second half with Martin scoring four to bring the Catamounts to within one, 42-41. The Catamounts eventually took the lead at 47-46. For UNCG, Jay Joseph, Ronnie Burrell and Ricky Hickman, all starters, were forced to the bench early in the second half with three fouls each.
A quick 7-0 run after the score was tied a 53 apiece put Western Carolina ahead 62-55, giving them their largest lead of the evening. The Spartans however countered with an 11-0 run, capped off by a Blackstock 3-pointer from the right baseline for a 66-62 lead. A quick 4-0 Catamount burst tied the game for the third time in the contest. The Catamounts then took the lead for good at 68-66.
Ronnie Burrell led the UNCG attack with 15 points and seven rebounds. Josh Gross scored a season-high 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds, also matching a season-high. Joseph scored 11 points, despite battling foul trouble, and Rodney Blackstock added 10.
Joseph ran his personal streak of consecutive games with a made 3-pointer to 48.
David Berghoefer led Western with 24 points, while Kevin Martin, the nation's leading scorer, scored 22. Corey Muirhead added 12 on the evening.
For the game, UNCG hit all five free throw attempts while Western Carolina hit 18-of-21. The Catamounts shot 51% for the game and outrebounded the Spartans, 32-30. The Spartans were whistled for 18 fouls in the game to the Catamounts' nine.
UNCG will return home to host The Citadel on Saturday, January 24, against The Citadel. Tip-off is slated for 7 pm in Fleming Gymnasium. Western Carolina will travel to Chattanooga for a Saturday tilt.
