For video of coach Mike Dement's postgame comments, click here.
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – UNCG used a 15-0 second-half run to close within one point, but Western Carolina held off the Spartan rally and pulled away late to win 83-73 on Saturday afternoon in the Ramsey Center.
The Catamounts (11-13, 7-5 Southern Conference) put all five starters in double figures to stay undefeated at home this season. Trey Sumler led the way for the home side as he scored 19 points and added eight rebounds, while Harouna Mutombo had a double-double with 12 points and a matching 12 rebounds. Brandon Boggs (17 points), Mike Williams (14 points) and Richie Gordon (12 points) were also in double figures.
Brandon Evans led the Spartans (4-18, 4-8 SoCon) with a game-high 21 points, including 17 after halftime. Aaron Brackett had his third double-double this season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Trevis Simpson and Brian Cole also scored in double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
The Spartans started off sluggish in the contest as they failed to make a field goal in the opening 7:25 of the contest. The Catamounts jumped out to an 18-8 lead during that span before Cole hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 12:35 remaining before halftime to make it 18-11.
Western Carolina would stretch its lead back out to 10 with 8:03 left before halftime. The Spartans responded, though, with a 13-4 run, capped off by a reverse alley-oop from Simpson, to make it 34-33.
A jumper at the buzzer by Boggs would give the Catamounts a 40-35 edge heading into halftime.
A pair of Simpson free throws cut the lead down to 42-39 just a minute and a half into the second period, but Western Carolina exploded with an 18-5 run to go ahead, 60-44, with 14:12 remaining.
After a media timeout, Evans nearly single-handedly brought the Spartans back into the game. UNCG went on a 15-0 run over the next five minutes, with 13 of those points coming from Evans, to make it 60-59 with just 8:49 left in the game.
That was as close as UNCG would get the rest of the way as the Spartans never led during the game. The Catamounts would stretch their lead to as many as 13 points down the stretch before a Kyle Randall 3-pointer made the final score, 83-73.
The Spartans held a dominating edge at the free throw line as they shot 26-30 for 86.7 percent, while the Catamounts went just 10-13 at the line for 76.9 percent.
UNCG will make the quick turnaround to get ready to host The Citadel on Monday at 7 p.m. in the Greensboro Coliseum.
AGATE
Western Carolina 83, UNCG 73
UNCG (4-18, 4-8)
EVANS, Brandon 4-12 12-13 21; BRACKETT, Aaron 5-8 4-4 14; SIMPSON, Trevis 3-8 5-5 12; COLE, Brian 4-6 0-0 10; HENRY, Aloysius 2-5 3-4 7; VAN DUSSEN, Korey 2-6 0-0 4; RANDALL, Kyle 1-5 0-0 3; WILLIAMS, David 0-1 2-4 2; PARKER, Drew 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-51 26-30 73.
WESTERN CAROLINA (11-13, 7-5)
Sumler, Trey 6-9 2-2 19; Boggs, Brandon 7-14 3-3 17; Williams, Mike 5-16 0-0 14; Mutombo, Harouna 5-11 2-3 12; Gordon, Richie 5-9 2-3 12; Cole, Keaton 2-4 0-0 6; King, Tawaski 1-2 0-0 2; Ross, Preston 0-2 1-2 1; Gallagher, Blake 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-67 10-13 83.
UNCG.......................... 35 38 - 73
Western Carolina.............. 40 43 - 83
3-point goals--UNCG 5-13 (COLE, Brian 2-4; RANDALL, Kyle 1-1; EVANS, Brandon 1-4; SIMPSON, Trevis 1-2; VAN DUSSEN, Korey 0-2), Western Carolina 11-21 (Sumler, Trey 5-7; Williams, Mike 4-7; Cole, Keaton 2-4; Mutombo, Harouna 0-1; Boggs, Brandon 0-2). Fouled out--UNCG-None, Western Carolina-None. Rebounds--UNCG 33 (BRACKETT, Aaron 10), Western Carolina 37 (Mutombo, Harouna 12). Assists--UNCG 7 (EVANS, Brandon 2; PARKER, Drew 2; VAN DUSSEN, Korey 2), Western Carolina 18 (Sumler, Trey 6). Total fouls--UNCG 15, Western Carolina 20. Technical fouls--UNCG-None, Western Carolina-None. A-3112
- UNCG -
