Men’s basketball is aiming for the 2023 SoCon championship

CULLOWHEE, NC – Western Carolina opens its quest for the Southern Conference men’s basketball crown on Saturday, March 4 at 2:30 p.m., when the fourth-seeded Catamounts face No. 5 ETSU in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Ingles Southern Conference Tournament at Harrah’s Cherokee. Downtown – Asheville.

The winner of the quarterfinal matchup between the Catamounts and Bucs will advance to face a quarterfinal contest between top-seeded Furman and the winner of Friday’s first-round game against No. 8 Mercer and No. 9 The Citadel. the first of two semifinal games Sunday at 4 p.m

Saturday’s game will be streamed on ESPN+ (a paid subscription is required) in Sunday’s semifinal game, which will be televised nationally on ESPNU, and Monday’s 7 p.m. championship game on ESPN. The Catamount Sports Network offers live audio coverage of all WCU games 30 minutes prior to scheduled game time with Gary Ayers on the call and can be heard locally on 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC and online at CatamountSports.com.

WCU supporters are invited to visit Catamount Central at the Mellow Mushroom (50 Broadway St, Asheville NC) for a pre-game gathering beginning at 12:30pm on Saturday.

Western Carolina finished the regular season with a 17-14 overall record and 10-8 in the series. The 17 wins are the most in the regular season since the 2019-20 season, and the fourth-place finish is the highest for the Catamounts since the 2015-2016 season. The Catamounts ended the regular season with an 85-66 home win over VMI AS Vonterius Woolbright recorded the fourth triple-double in WCU Division I history with 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Tre Jackson led four players in double figures with 22 points.

Jackson and Woolbright both earned second-team All-Southern Conference honors Tyzhau Claude also picking up third-team honors from the SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA). Jackson led the Catamounts and finished fourth in the league with 15.9 points per game, including a WCU Division I era-best 47 points in a 95-91 double overtime win at Wofford on Feb. 8.. Woolbright led the conference in assists with 5.2 per game and also tied for the league leaders with 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Claude finished second on the WCU list with 15.4 points per game and grabbed a team-best 8.6 rebounds per game, second in the SoCon. In 28 games played, he finished in double figures in 27 contests and recorded a team-best 10 double-doubles.

ETSU used its 63-62 home victory over UNCG to finish the regular season with a 12-19 overall record and 8-10 in the series. The Bucs won their last two games to earn the fifth seed and a first-round bye. Third-team All-SoCon selection Jordan King led ETSU with 15.5 points per game this season. Jalen Haynes earned third-team All-SoCon honors from league media members after averaging 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

The Catamounts swept the regular season for the first time since the 1984-85 season. On Jan. 4, WCU went on an early run in the second half to break open a close contest at halftime and snap a 15-game losing streak in Johnson City with a 71-60 victory. The win was WCU’s first at ETSU’s Freedom Hall. At Cullowhee on Feb. 15, the Catamounts withstood a late ETSU run and held on for a 68-66 win. Tyler Harris led the team with 14 points.

WCU’s current three-game winning streak is the longest for the Catamounts since five straight from 1994-98.

WCU and ETSU last met in the SoCon Tournament in 2020. The Catamounts snapped a 17-game winless drought against the Buccaneers in the 2015 tournament in Asheville, winning 67-61 in overtime.