Catamounts Give Hope in Revealing Loss » Greenville Sports Media Catamounts Give Hope Short Revealing in Loss

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Catamounts Go Down Swinging 94-63 in Opener

The Catamount men’s basketball team left nothing in the take in their 94-63 loss on the road to the Cincinnati Bearcats on Monday. The Bearcats had 4 players score in double figures, shooting an impressive 54.2 percent from the floor on the night. Baba Miller, Moustapha Thiam, and Shon Abaev combined for 54 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 assists to lead the way for the Bearcats. Jordi Rodriguez had a big performance as well, notching 10 of the 26 points off the Cincinnati bench.

What Went Wrong?

The Catamounts were mostly ineffective on defense. As a team, Cincinnati shot the lights out at Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats shot 54.2 percent from the field, with four starters hitting at least one three pointer. Cincinnati may have lost the rebounding battle, but still dominated the Catamounts down low with 16 points in the paint. The Bearcats were able to force an eye-watering 22 turnovers, which they converted into 26 points.

The Catamounts also committed 22 fouls, putting the Bearcats at the free throw line thirty times for 22 points. It is incredibly difficult to win while giving up those kinds of numbers, no matter the opponent. Making matters worse, WCU only got 10 points off the bench, revealing a potential scoring depth issue. Things may get difficult down the stretch if Western is forced to rely on just the starting five for offense.

The Bright Side

Despite a lopsided final score, there is a lot to like about this year’s team. Cord Stansberry is almost certainly a top 10 player in the SoCon, and that was on full display Monday night. Stansberry had 23 points on 47.4 percent shooting, including 4/9 from three. Julien Soumaoro had 13 points on 41.7 percent from the field, going 3/8 from beyond the arc. Marcus Kell stuffed the box score with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and only 1 turnover. As a team, the Catamounts outrebounded the Bearcats 37-36, including 14 offensive boards. Despite the alarming field goal percentage, the Catamounts managed to contain the Bearcats perimeter shooting, allowing only 35.7 percent from three.

Moving Forward

You might be asking yourself, “Coach, why are you so optimistic about a 31 point loss?” The issues that caused the Catamounts to lose this game were mostly self-inflicted. Self-inflicted mistakes are ones that can be correcting with practice and coaching internally. They only become systemic issues if they last for more than a couple of games. Cord Stansberry put on a show for the Catamount faithful, and could be one of the best players in the Carolinas. Stansberry, Kell, and Soumaoro represent a three-headed monster on offense for Western that will keep them in every game. 33.3 percent from beyond the arc as a team isn’t amazing, but its certainly enough to win games.

The Catamounts go on the road to the iconic Cameron Indoor Stadium to face the #6 Duke Blue Devils on Saturday on The CW. However, the game tips off at 1:30, just one hour before homecoming kickoff. Unfortunately, there wont be any streaming options available. You will likely need cable or some form of Live TV streaming service to access The CW. The easiest way to do so is on a computer. Go the The CW website and login using your TV provider and you will be good to go. Can you imagine if the Catamounts pull off both upsets? Stranger things have happened. Why not the Cats?