Cullowhee, N.C. - Senior Kori Hatcher scored a game high 19 points, while four other Catamounts scored in double figures, to lead Western Carolina to a 78-56 win over VMI Sunday afternoon in men's basketball action at the Ramsey Activity Center. The game was teams' 2003 conference opener. Western improves to 4-7 overall, 1-0 in the SoCon and VMI falls to 5-7, 0-1.
The game was played with the conference's top two scorers on the bench. WCU sophomore Kevin Martin, who leads the league with his 22.8 scoring average, sprained his left ankle on Dec. 30 prior to the DePaul game and will miss at least one more contest. VMI sophomore Jason Conley (22.2 ppg) also missed his second consecutive game with a strained tendon in his right foot. Conley's
status will be reevaluated on Monday.
Without Martin and Conley, the game got off to a slow start. However, the Catamounts went on an 8-2 run to take a 20-10 lead with 11:47 left, then rushed out a 22 point lead, 39-17, over the next seven minutes. Western took a 46-22 lead at the break, forcing nine VMI turnovers, while committing just three. Western, who held a 20-13 advantage on the boards, shot 52.9 percent from the field.
Western held VMI to just five points over the first six minuted of the second half to race out to a 31-point lead (58-27) with 14:12 left. Western held at least a 20-point lead through most of the second half until VMI guard Richard Little drained a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left to cut the deficit to 18(74-56). Western's Hatcher drained two free throws with 14 seconds left and Jared Outing had a dunk with 11 seconds remaining to provide the final margin.
Hatcher's 19 points was his high for a SoCon game. His previous best was getting 16 versus Georgia Southern last season. The Valdosta, Ga., native was 6-of-10 from the field, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range, and made all six of his free throws. Hatcher added four assists with just one turnover.
Outing came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while adding five rebounds. L.T. Lockett contributed 12 points on three 3's, Alex Osipovitch scored 11 and Corey Muirhead added 10. Muirhead also had five rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Rans Brempong only scored seven points, but was still a big presence for the Cats. The junior pulled down a game-high seven rebounds and had five blocked shots. Brempong, already WCU's all-time leader in blocked shots, now has 184 career rejections in just 68 games to move to a tie for sixth on the SoCon all-time list with VMI's Eric Mann (1997-2001).
The Keydets were led by Radee Skipworth's 17 points, while Richard Little scored 11.
Western Carolina will return to action Tuesday (Jan. 7) when the Catamounts host Reinhardt. The game was originally set to be played last December, but was postponed due to inclement weather. Tip-off at the Ramsey Center is set for 7
pm. Western will return to league play on Saturday (Jan. 11) with a game at Davidson. The game, set to begin at 3 pm, will be the first of three straight road contests for the Cats. VMI will also return to action on Saturday, hosting Georgia Southern at 1 pm.
