Bucs Fall to Catamounts 90-88 in Freedom Hall Showcase

Mountain Rivalry Matchup

Abigail Moore Published: January 30, 2026 | Updated: January 30, 2026 2 minutes read

WCU @ ETSU Tipoff

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The Western Carolina Catamounts headed over the mountain for another meeting of the Mountain Rivalry, this time at Freedom Hall. After a home win last week, the Bucs were aiming to continue their winning streak and gain redemption over the Catamounts.

The Bucs couldn’t overcome an early deficit, never leading against The Cats in the entire contest. Fouls galore, missed shots in and out of the paint, and 6 turnovers didn’t help in any case. From a numbers perspective, The Bucs played pretty consistent with the overall season stats, apart from being a bit lower in rebounds (28 rebounds vs season average of 34.7).

» Greenville Sports Media — Photo Courtesy of ETSU Athletics

Highlight players from tonight’s matchup were Brian Taylor with 24 points, 3 steals, 7 assists and 2 rebounds. Taylor shot 8-15 on FG’s, 2-7 on 3’s and 6-7 on FT’s. Following closely behind was Cam Morris III with 15 points, 1 steal, and 1 assist and 5 rebounds. Morris III shot 4-7 on FG’s, 1-2 on 3’s, and 6-8 on FT’s.

The Cats had a standout evening to add onto a slow Bucs performance, specifically from Julien Soumaoro and Cord Stansberry, both scoring 19 points. Soumaoro completed 2 rebounds, 3 assists, shot 5-10 on FG’s, 5-9 on 3’s, and 4-4 for FT’s. Cord Stansberry fell short for 3’s, going 0-5, but was a high contributor inside the arc. Stansberry went 5-12 on FG’s, and 9-12 at the Free Throw Line.

Soumaoro FT » Greenville Sports Media — Photo Courtesy of Abbey Moore

Overall, the Bucs dug themselves into a hole they couldn’t pull themselves out of. The Cats were more aggressive, more physical, and played with a sense of urgency not seen in The Bucs. In postgame, Coach Brooks Savage stated “..when we play with the sense of urgency it takes, we’ll be fine.” What we saw this Thursday night at Freedom Hall was not the performance of a century for The Bucs. However, The Bucs have a chance to redeem themselves as true SoCon leaders on Saturday.

The Catamounts (4-5) host Samford (3-6) Saturday with a 2pm tipoff, while The Bucs (7-2) head down to Spartanburg, SC. The Bucs will face Wofford (7-2) at 2pm on Saturday at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.