The Week Ahead

This week the Catamounts will resume Socon play against Chattanooga and Wofford. We will preview each game starting with Chattanooga:

@ Chattanooga (6-9, 0-2): Winners in 3 of their last 4 games Chattanooga is a better team than their record indicates. They will be looking to get back on the winning track after a good effort in a 76-63 loss at Tennessee.

Courtysey wrcbtv.com

The Mocs have a high powered offense that features 4 players shooting at 40% or better from behind the 3-point line. "You have to make 3-pointers to beat us," said Chattanooga coach Jon Shulman, and that is something the Catamounts will look to improve on going into Thursday nights game. In the past five games the Cats have been up and down from behind the perimeter. They shot around 30% in 2 contests, above 35% in 2 others, and above 50% against UNCA. If Western can shoot the ball that well the Catamounts chances look good in Chattanooga.

Here are the Keys to the Game:

• Control and defend the perimeter: Chattanooga will take their threes pointers, the Cats need to make sure they are contested ones
• Force bad passes: Chattanooga has great passer in Keegan Bell who averages 7 assists per game. In the last three games, Bell has averaged 10.3 assists per game including a double-double performance against Longwood. The Catamounts need to force him into some bad throws and turnovers. 
• Take Care of the Basketball: The Cats and the Mocs both turn the ball over 15 times a game. The team with least about of turnovers will be in a good position to walk away with a W. 

Courtesy american-school-search.com

Wofford (8-6, 1-1): Wofford is coming off a road upset against ACC-school Wake Forest and will look to continue their momentum this week as they resume conference play. Before they travel to Cullowhee on Saturday they first must face College of Charleston. The Terriers are led by Kevin Gilter (16 PPG) and Brad Loesing (13.4 PPG) and extremely well-coached by Mike Young. If the Terriers can win at Wake Forest there is no reason to believe won't here at Western so the Cats must come ready to play. The series with Wofford since 2008 is the Terriers 4-2, including the Socon Conference Semifinal last year in which Wofford end Western's season 86-72. That should give the Cats some added motivation this Saturday. 

Keys to the Game:

• Work Wofford's star players: Loesing and Gilter account for 30 points of Woffords 61ppg. Thats 50%. The Cats need to make them work hard on offense and tire them out. 
• Play a full 40 minutes of basketball: Wofford is an extremely well coached team and will work hard for 40 minutes. Western better work just as hard if they expect to come out with a W.
• Get the most out of every possession: As said earlier, Wofford will play tough and they love a slow paced game. The Cats need to make every possession count and not turn the ball over.