The Western Carolina University men’s basketball team put on a clinic against the Samford Bulldogs in an impressive fashion winning by double-digits, 88-71, in front of a raucous home crowd on Saturday night, Feb. 3.
WCU coach Larry Hunter was able to achieve a milestone in the process by garnering career victory number 700 becoming one of just 40 coaches in NCAA men’s basketball with this accomplishment.
“As I told the guys in the locker room afterward, I’ve tried my entire career to not make it about me…I’m just very, very happy at Western Carolina. I love being here; I love the opportunity I’m given,” said Hunter after getting the milestone victory.
The Bulldogs came out of the gate early going up 8-0 in the opening minutes of the contest with help from guard Justin Coleman and forward Eric Adams. Coleman was able to end the first half with a team-high eight points. However, it was the physical play from Cats forward Mike Amius and guard Devin Peterson that kept them from getting blown by in the first half.
Both teams were pushing the pace early, but things got cooking when Peterson got the ball.
Peterson was huge for the Cats coming off the bench as it was his night from beyond the arc and everybody knew it. Not known to be a three-point specialist, Peterson knocked down his first three-pointer of the night at the 10:19 mark in the first half and didn’t look back. Up until the 14:21 mark of the second half, Peterson went 5-5 from downtown.
Cats forward Mike Amius laying up the ball against Demetrius Denzel-Dyson (left) and Josh Sharkey (right). Photo courtesy of catamountsports.com. Feb. 3, 2018
Up at halftime 38-27, the aggressive and efficient style of play of the Catamounts carried over into the second half. Amius was the muscle in the paint racking up 14 boards while obtaining a career-high 28 points. He wasn’t alone as Peterson chimed in with a career-high 25 points to help the Cats seal the deal.
The Catamounts did something against the Bulldogs that they have hardly accomplished all season: click on all cylinders.
This game was about physicality and consistency and the Cats displayed both. They outplayed the Bulldogs on defense, shot better at the charity strike and showed tremendous efficiency from the field at 51 percent.
Coleman and Adams did the best they could to get the Bulldogs within reach in the second half by scoring 11 points and 14 points, respectively.
Coleman ended with 19 points to go along with six dimes coming into the game leading the SoCon in both assists and assists per game. Adams had a double-double of his own mustering 21 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 82 percent from the field.
The Catamounts (11-13) look to push their winning streak to three games as they face the Virginia Military Institute Keydets (7-15) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8 in Cameron Hall.
Video courtesy of Catamount Athletics Twitter page (Feb. 3, 2018):
