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 Preseason All-SoCon guard, junior Brandon Giles, will lead the Catamounts against Toccoa Falls Thursday night in the 2008-09 home opener. |
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Nov. 20, 2008
ROBINSON BLOG ABOUT RECENT TRIP TO PLAY AT UCONN
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina will open the home portion of its 2008-09 men's basketball schedule on Thursday night as it hosts Toccoa Falls at 7:00 pm in the Ramsey Center. The Catamounts lead the all-time series with the Eagles, 4-0, with each game played at home.
The game will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network with Gary Ayers on the call and can be heard locally on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 in Cullowhee and 680 AM WRGC in Sylva. Both stations offer online streaming at www.WWCUFM.com and www.WRGC.com.
The game tips off a very busy weekend in Catamount Athletics. The Lady Catamounts will host four games in the Preseason Women's NIT on Friday (5 pm, 7:30 pm) and Sunday (7 pm, 9:30 pm), with E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field serving as the site for the annual "Battle for the Old Mountain Jug," between WCU and arch-rival, second-ranked Appalachian State. Kickoff is set for 3:00 pm before a SportSouth television audience.
Western Carolina (0-1) has dominated the series against the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) squad out of nearby Toccoa Falls, Ga. The Catamounts have averaged 116 points per game in the four meetings, including scoring a school-record 133 in the first-ever meeting back in 2001. The average margin of victory entering Thursday night's contest is 63.5 points which includes the 75-point win in '01.
The Catamounts are 2-1 under fourth-year head coach Larry Hunter in home openers, winning two-straight over Atlanta Christian in 2005-06 and last year's 11-point win against Methodist, 87-76. Western is 6-2 at home in the month of November under Hunter. Since joining the Southern Conference in 1976-77, WCU is 39-4 at home during the month of November, including a 27-4 record in the Ramsey Center and a 14-4 mark overall since 2000.
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Western is one of two NCAA Division I foes on the schedule for Toccoa Falls this season as the Eagles travel to Charleston Southern of the Big South on Nov. 22.
WCU will be looking to even its seasonal record after falling on the road, 81-55, to No. 2 Connecticut last Friday night in Storrs. Three Catamounts scored in double figures, led by preseason All-SoCon guard, Brandon Giles, with 16. Red-shirt freshman Harouna Mutombo chipped in 11 in his first collegiate game, while local product, Jake Robinson, scored 10 against the Huskies.
All told in the opener, a combined 13 Catamounts saw action with 10 recording double-digit minutes and nine scoring points. WCU has eight returning players from a season ago and seven new faces on its roster this season.
Tip-off Thursday night is set for 7:00 pm.
