March 1, 2008

Boone, N.C. - Sophomore Jake Robinson led a trio of Catamounts in double figures with a game-high 19 points, but it was not enough as Appalachian State wrapped up its regular season with 74-63 win over Western Carolina from the Holmes Center on the Mountaineers' Senior Day.

Western, playing its second-straight game without leading scorer Brandon Giles, saw its two-game seasonal winning streak snapped while dropping its ninth-consecutive game to the arch-rival Mountaineers.

Robinson scored in a myriad of ways on the afternoon, draining two 3-pointers while also side-stepping defenders and posting up smaller guards to tie his season-high point total. The Canton, N.C., native also added three rebounds and three assists on the afternoon. Robinson has 65 made treys this season, tied for sixth on Western's single-season 3-pointers made chart with Terry Boyd (1990-91), one ahead of his performance as a freshman.

Senior Negus McKenna hit a game-high four 3-pointers to finish with 14 points, posting back-to-back double-digit outings, while his classmate Eric Wilson scored 11 in the loss. Freshman post Richie Gordon finished with five points while also dishing out a career-best five assists. Sophomore guard Brigham Waginger led WCU with six rebounds, two coming on the offensive end.

Appalachian State (18-12, 13-7 SoCon) closed the first half with an 11-to-2 scoring spurt to break open an otherwise closely contested first half that saw three ties and two lead changes. Western managed to take the lead three times during the opening stanza, erasing a six-point deficit with a 10-to-1 run capped by two free throws and jumper by Robinson to lead by three at the 12 minute mark. The Catamounts also led by two as Robinson broke the game's third tie, with Wilson handing WCU what proved to be its final advantage on a jumper at the 10:11 mark of the first half.

McKenna pulled the Catamounts to within a point, 27-26, on a triple with three and a half to play before intermission. However, that would be WCU's last bucket until Wilson's stick-back at the buzzer trimmed the deficit to 10 points. ASU capitalized on six Catamount misses and four fouls, including a technical on the WCU bench. Of the Mountaineers' final 11 points of the first half, five came from the free throw line, leading 38-28 at the break.

Out of the halftime locker room, the Apps were able to balloon its lead to 12 points on two separate occasions. But the Catamounts continued to scrap and were poised to make a late run, sparked by a three-point play by Gordon. The Atlanta, Ga., native took a pass from McKenna and drew the fourth foul on ASU senior Donte Minter, forcing him to the bench. Gordon made the charity toss to trim the deficit to six, 53-47, just under the 11 minute mark.

On the ensuing possession, Western (10-19, 6-13 SoCon) had an apparent defensive stop on a missed 3-point attempt by the Mountaineers' Ryann Abraham, but guard Eduardo Bermudez walked the tight rope along the right baseline, saving the offensive rebound. Two passes later, sophomore Kellen Brand buried a trey to push the lead back to double-digits.

The Catamounts were only able to cut App's lead into single digits one additional time - a 3-pointer by McKenna inside the final minute - as the Mountaineers held on for the 11-point victory, sealing it with 4-of-6 shooting from the foul line over the last minute.

Appalachian also put three in double figures, led by 18 points from Brand including three 3-pointers. Sophomore Donald Sims added 15 off the bench with senior Douglas McLaughlin-Williams scoring 10 in his final collegiate home game.

ASU rotated 12 players in the ball game while the Catamounts used all seven of its active scholarship personnel. The final rebound tally was dead even at 33 boards apiece, with the Mountaineers connecting on one more 3-pointer than did WCU, 10-to-9.

Western Carolina will wrap-up its 2007-08 regular season this Monday, March 3 as it travels to UNC Greensboro to face the Spartans at 7:00 pm. The game will be broadcast by the Catamount Sports Network and can be heard across Western North Carolina on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 in Cullowhee (www.WWCUFM.com) or on 680 AM WRGC in Sylva (www.WRGC.com).