The Catamounts and the Bulldogs both are looking to make noise in their respective conferences. Both are undefeated in their conferences so far- UNCA at 1-0 in the Big South and WCU at 2-0 in the SoCon. Both are looking to get things going as they wrap up their out of conference schedules.
Western Carolina has Trey Sumler, and he may be the best player that the Catamounts have. He averages 11.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, and 3.8 assists per game. That's second on the team in points and rebounds, and first in assists.
Harouna Mutombo is leading the team with 15.3 points per game, first in rebounds with 6.0 per game, and is second in assists with 1.6 per game.
The Catamounts rank 230th in the country in scoring and 256th in field goal percentage. Their 25 point loss to South Carolina was not good, and their 32 point loss to Iowa State, while Purdue and Kent State were only 5 and 2 point losses, respectively. In other words, Western Carolina has been playing better and better as of late.
Matt Dickey has been red hot shooting for UNCA. He is shooting 53.4% from the floor, and 44% from three point range, avergaing a team high 15.8 points per game. This from a 6-1 guard. He is also averaging 3.7 assists per game. JP Primm is averaging 14.1 points per game and 4.5 assists per game. Jeremy Atkinson and Chris Stephenson are the leading rebounders, with 6.1 and 5.9 rebounds per game, respectively.
UNCA has been very good this year. They lost by 16 to North Carolina and Connecticut by six. North Carolina State beat them by nine, and College of Charleston beat them by two. Tennessee also beat them by four. In other words, this is a team that has played plenty of good teams very closely. That being said, at 6-5, they have won three games against non-D1 teams.
This team is 9th in the country in scoring and 19th in the country in shooting. This Bulldogs team has been playing very well.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--The guards. Both teams lean towards being guard oriented. Which ones perform better? Can Sumler outplay the Bulldogs guards?
--Rebounds. UNCA has been good at rebounding, despite relying heavily on guards.
--Home court advantage. The Catamounts have been good at home. Can they build on that edge, because they are probably slightly behind UNCA on a neutral court.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Close game. Guaranteed. Both teams play too close of games for this to be anything else.
--Sumler and Dickey will both shoot lights out.
--UNC-Asheville 82, Western Carolina 79. Too high scoring for the Catamounts in the end. They just can't keep up in the end. But this should be as exciting of a game as is played this week in the SoCon. This game is going to be thrilling from start to finish. Everyone should be sure to catch as much of this one as they can.
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