Dec. 9, 2009

Twitter Video Message from WCU Head Coach Larry Hunter

Western Carolina vs. Campbell - Game Notes

Cullowhee, N.C. - Riding a seven-game winning streak - the program's longest in 13 seasons - and off to its best start as a NCAA Division I program, the Western Carolina Catamount men's basketball team returns to the friendly confines of the Ramsey Center on Thursday night to host the Campbell Fighting Camels in nonconference action. Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm.

Thursday is a pre-Christmas Special with Santa Claus making an early Cullowhee visit. Children of all ages can meet with the jolly ol' elf on the Ramsey Center concourse before and during the game. At halftime, a Catamount tradition continues as Don Connelly, the head of WCU's Communication Department, will read "T'was the Night Before Christmas."

The Catamounts (8-1, 2-0 SoCon) are coming off a big nonconference road win at Bradley, upending the Missouri Valley Conference's Braves, 75-67, at the Carver Arena in Peoria, Ill., on Monday night. Spurred by 21 points by senior Jake Robinson, WCU erased a 10-point second half deficit to rally for the win.

Western Carolina is ranked 15th in the most recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll, the highest ranking in school history and in the 11-year history of the tally. The Catamounts debuted at 25th on the poll a week ago, and were twice among those receiving votes last season with a highest ranking of 40th.

In the most recent NCAA statistics, the Catamounts rank inside the national top 10 in both 3-point field goal defense and steals, while ranking 21st in scoring defense. WCU leads the Southern Conference in four categories including scoring margin (+9.9), field goal defense (37.7%), and steals (10.7) and turnover margin + 5.0. WCU also ranks second in three additional categories; scoring defense (58.8 ppg), 3-point defense (25.2%) and offensive rebounds (14.9).

Balanced in scoring, the Catamounts have two players averaging double figures to date including senior Jake Robinson with a team-best 11.7 points per game. Thanks in part to back-to-back, 20-point scoring outings at Gardner-Webb and against Wofford, classmate Brandon Giles is averaging 10 points per game, followed closely by Harouna Mutombo (9.8 ppg), who also leads the team with a 5.7 rebound per game average.

Combined, WCU's bench is averaging just over 31 points per game, accounting for 45-percent of the Catamounts' scoring.

Western Carolina is 20-3 all-time against Campbell in a series that dates back to 1962. The series has remained dormant, however, since 1991, an 18-year hiatus. The Camels won the most-recent meeting in the head-to-head series, snapping what was an eight-game WCU win streak. All-told, WCU has won 13 of the last 15 meetings between the two in-state schools.

Much like Western Carolina, Campbell is also off to its best start as a Division I program with wins UNC Asheville and East Carolina. The Fighting Camels have won two-straight and stand at 5-1 to for the first-time since becoming D-I in 1977-78, with its lone defeat coming at the hands of Virginia Tech by 11, 71-60, back on Nov. 23. Campbell has only played one road game, winning at UNCA.

Preseason picked sixth in the Atlantic Sun Conference, Campbell is led by senior Jonathan Rodriguez, who set an A-Sun record for career double-doubles earlier this season with 43 which includes four this season. He enters the contest averaging 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

The Fighting Camels leads the Atlantic Sun in scoring defense (62.2 ppg), scoring margin (+11.2), steals (11.3) and turnover margin (+3.3), while ranking second in free throw percentage (.710), defensive FG percentage (.423) and rebounding margin (+5.0).

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; 680 AM WRGC in Sylva; and 920 AM WPTL in Canton. Fans can also follow all of the action online with live Game Tracker, provided by Carolina West Sports Medicine, and live CSN audio through Stretch Internet at CatamountSports.com.

Catamount Tracks: Career Stat Watches Entering Thursday
- Senior Jake Robinson, who ranks second on Western Carolina's career 3-pointers made chart, enters Thursday night's game with 213 made three's for his career ... The Canton, N.C., native is currently chasing current WCU assistant coach, Anquell McCollum, who made245 treys from 1993-96;

- Robinson also now has 994 career points, just SIX career points shy of 1,000 for his career ... He is averaging a team-best 11.7 points per game entering the contest;

- Senior guard Brigham Waginger enters Thursday's game with 217 career steals, just FOUR shy of tying WCU Hall of Famer and all-time steals leader, Henry Logan, who recorded 221 from 1965-68;

- Senior Brandon Giles, who surpassed the 1,000-point plateau a season ago, has 1,111 career points to currently rank 29th in school history, 11 points shy of 28th-place Larry Grant (1,122 points from 1970-73).

Catamounts-Cardinals on Saturday to be Shown on ESPN360.com
Western Carolina's showdown with the Louisville Cardinals (5-2) on Saturday afternoon from Freedom Hall will be televised on ESPN360.com, the sports network's signature broadband sports TV network. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

ESPN360.com is available free of charge to all students who get their high-speed Internet access through the on-campus network, to anyone getting their high-speed Internet through one of ESPN's affiliated ISPs, and to U.S.-based military personnel who access the Internet via on-base servers.

Louisville, which has dropped two of its last three including a home match-up to Charlotte, 87-65, earlier this week, fell out of the national rankings. The Cardinals are continuing to receive votes in the both national rankings though, 29th in the ESPN Coaches' poll and 40th in the AP poll. WCU is game three of eight-straight home dates to round out 2009 for Louisville.

Saturday's game will also be available on the Catamount Sports Network with a 3:30 pm air time for the 4:00 pm tip-off.