CLINTON, S.C. - The Presbyterian College men's basketball team found itself in its tightest contest of the young season on Thursday night against Western Carolina, but the Blue Hose could not overcome a second-half Catamount lead as PC fell, 80-73.
PC moves to 2-2 on the year. Western Carolina improves to 2-1.
The Blue Hose pulled within one point on three different occasions during the second half but never took the lead. Both teams shot over 50 percent from the floor, with PC going 27-for-51 (52.9 percent) and Western Carolina shooting 30-for-58 (51.7 percent). Each side went an identical 16-for-29 (55.2 percent) in the second half.
Al'Lonzo Coleman (Charlotte, N.C.) and Josh Johnson (Hendersonville, Tenn.) led PC with 18 points each, with 16 of Johnson's points coming after halftime. Pierre Miller (Warner Robbins, Ga.) added 17 and Khalid Mutakabbir (Suwanee, Ga.) added 14.
On the boards, Coleman pulled down a team-high seven rebounds and Miller collected six.
Harouna Mutombo scored 20 points for Western Carolina. Trey Sumler tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Down 34-28 at the half, the second stanza saw PC work to erase its deficit, beginning with a 5-0 run to start the second and pull within one. Johnson scored nine points in the first 10 minutes of the half, including knocking down two threes to keep the Blue Hose close.
The Blue Hose clawed at the Catamounts to make the score 51-50 in favor of the visitors with 12:09 left, but Western Carolina put together a 10-2 run to lead by nine with 7:56 remaining. A Mutakabbir layup narrowed the gap, but Western Carolina eventually extended its advantage to 13 with less than four minutes to go, 70-57.
PC answered by scoring seven straight points to chip away and pull within five as Johnson knocked down a trey and both Mutakabbir and Miller found the basket. Western Carolina started to sneak away again but Johnson connected on his fourth three-pointer of the night to get PC back within two possessions, 74-69, in the final minute.
Unfortunately for the Blue Hose, the Catamounts' shooting proved equally as strong down the stretch and the visitors were able to hold on for the 80-73 win.
The two sides battled throughout an evenly-matched first half and Western Carolina took a six point lead into halftime despite a late surge from the Blue Hose to pull within three in the final minute.
A Coleman jumper gave PC an early advantage but the Catamounts recovered and took a lead they would not give back in the first half, despite PC getting to within three points five times in the final nine minutes.
Coleman led the Blue Hose with 10 points in the first half and Miller followed with nine.
