Catamounts Bury Eagles

Cullowhee, NC - When the Catamounts took the floor Tuesday night nobody in the Ramsey Center could have predicted what was about to take place.

James Sinclair recorded career best
16 points and 13 rebounds in Tuesday's
 win over Toccoa Falls
(Courtesy Mark Hasket/Catamountsports.com)

Granted, Toccoa Falls, a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association, was an over-matched opponent but to lose by a record-setting 102 points is simply unheard of. The victory over the Eagles currently ranks 3rd in NCAA D-1 history.  

The Catamounts (9-10) would break four more records on the historic night as WCU dominated visiting Toccoa Falls (3-6) for a 141-39 win.

Western would set the tone early with great defense as they raced out to 16-0 lead on two Preston Ross free throws before the first media time-out. With the score 20-4 at the 13:58 mark in the first half the Catamounts launched into another 16-0 run to blow the game completely open en route to 36-4 lead with 11:50 remaining in the first half on a Keaton Cole 3-pointer. The Cats would continue to pour it on, while subbing out multiple players, for a 72-17 halftime lead.

The 72 points is the most points a WCU team has scored in a single half.

At the intermission WCU had 35 bench points, 25 points off turnovers, and 18 second chance points while shooting a blazing 61%. The Catamounts also had two players in double figures by halftime with Trey Sumler and Preston Ross with 10 apiece.

After the break the race to 100 was on. The Catamounts opened the half with a 26-9 run to get with two points of hitting the century mark with 11:59 remaing in the contest. 29 seconds later and with a 74 point lead WCU eclipsed 100 on a Ishmael Hollis lay-up. The Catamounts would outscore the Eagles 41-13 the rest of the way to set school records for most points in a game at 141 and largest margin of victory with 102.

The previous record for most points in a game was 133, ironically enough, against Toccoa Falls on 11/26/01 and the largest margin of victory was 75 on the same night.  

Sumler led all scorers and a school record nine WCU players in double figures with 18 points. James Sinclair recorded a double-double with 16 points and 13 boards, Keaton Cole and Sam Smithson finished with 14, Ishmael Hollis with 13, and Tom Tankelewicz with 11. Tawaski King, Preston Ross, and Kenneth Hall finished with 10 apiece.

Toccoa Falls was led by Josh Barrett, the lone double-digit scorer, with 17.

The Catamounts will return to action Saturday when they travel to arch-rival Appalachian State (7-9). Tip-off from the Holmes Convocation Center is set for 3PM. The game will be available on ESPN3.com and the Catamount Sports Network.