Feb. 5, 2010

Western Carolina vs. Appalachian State Game Notes

Cullowhee, N.C. - Due to the threat of impending wintry weather - and for the travel safety of teams, game officials and fans alike - Western Carolina has made the decision to move the tip-off of Saturday's men's basketball game with Appalachian State to 3:00 pm in the Ramsey Center.

Saturday's game was originally slated for a 7:00 pm start. However, Thursday night's wintry weather and the threat of more ice, snow and freezing temperatures on Friday and Saturday evenings prompted WCU to make the change.

Doors and all ticket windows will open at 1:30 pm.

Jackson County was hit with a mixed bag on Thursday night including snow, sleet and rain throughout the evening into Friday morning, while counties to the north towards Boone were socked with heavy snow and sleet and remains in a winter storm warning. Forecasters are calling for continued wintry weather through the weekend across the mountains.

Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Catamount Sports Network with a 2:30 pm air time and can be heard across Western North Carolina on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 in Cullowhee; 680 AM WRGC in Sylva; and 920 AM WPTL in Canton. Fans can also listen online through streaming audio through Stretch Internet at CatamountSports.com.

Western Carolina head football coach Dennis Wagner is scheduled to join Gary Ayers as the special guest on the Pepsi Halftime Show during Saturday afternoon's game. Wagner and staff compiled the fifth-rated Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) recruiting class this season according to Rivals.com, the second-straight year for a top five ranking after ranking third a year ago.

There will also be a live video stream Saturday through Catamount All-Access online at CatamountSports.com (subscrition required).

The Catamounts (18-5, 8-3 SoCon) host the arch-rival and divisional foe Mountaineers (12-10, 6-4 SoCon) looking to even the seasonal series. ASU has dropped two-straight on the season and are just a game and a half in arrears in the division standings. WCU snapped a 10-game skid in the head-to-head series with an 89-84 home win a season ago.

Saturday is also slated to be Catamount men's basketball Alumni Day with former players returning to Cullowhee. With the schedule change, all former men's basketball players that have returned RSVPs are invited to the Catamount Club's pre-game Purple Zone event in the first floor Hospitality Room in the Ramsey Center beginning at 1:30 pm.

SPECIAL NOTE: The Western Carolina Catamount cheerleaders will once again be selling 12-month, 2010 WCU Cheerleading calendars during Saturday afternoon's game against Appalachian State. The cost of the caledar, which is filled with pictures of the WCU cheerleaders at Catamount sporting events, is $20 with all proceeds from the sales going to help fund trips to both the annual Southern Conference Basketball tournaments in March as well as 2010 NCA national competition.