Photo Courtesy of WCU Athletics
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Co-authored by Bradley Krpejs and Adam Stroup
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – In a high-stakes Southern Conference battle that lived up to the hype, the Western Carolina Catamounts (13-15, 9-8 SoCon) secured a gritty 78-74 victory over the Mercer Bears (18-12, 10-7 SoCon) on Wednesday night at the Ramsey Center.
The win, which marked the Catamounts’ fifth consecutive victory, served as a decisive statement for the team as they look toward the upcoming conference tournament.
A Tale of Two Halves
The matchup began as a defensive struggle, with both teams trading the lead in a tightly-contested first half. Western Carolina entered halftime with a slim 33-32 lead, but Mercer came out of the gate aggressively in the second half. The Bears outscored the Cats 42-34 in the paint to build a large lead with 11:42 remaining.
However, the Catamounts refused to back down. With the help of Cord Stansberry and Marcus Kell, the deficit was cut down to four with 9:16 left to play.
The Closing Surge
With the game hanging in the balance, trailing 74-71 with under two minutes to play, graduate transfer Tidjiane Dioumassi took center stage.
On his birthday, Dioumassi sparked a 9-2 run in the final two minutes to erase Mercer’s three-point lead. On the ensuing defensive stand, the Catamounts forced a crucial turnover, setting the stage for Dioumassi to hit a jumper that bounced off the rim before dropping through to give WCU a 76-74 lead with 37 seconds remaining.
After a final defensive stand and clutch free-throw shooting by Samuel Dada to seal the deal, the Catamounts completed the comeback.
By the Numbers: An Impressive Performance
Looking at some stats from the game, Mercer shot 50.9% from the field, and only made 2 three pointers while shooting 16.7% from behind the arc. WCU shot 45.3% from the field and made 5 three pointers while shooting 27.8% from behind the arc.
A key stat to mention is the free-throw percentage discrepancy. Mercer shot 72.7% from the line, while WCU shot 92.6%. Baraka Okojie led the way for Mercer with 22 points. Going 8-13 from the field and 5-6 from the free-throw line, he was setting the tone and bringing constant energy to the Ramsey Center. He continued his streak of scoring at least 20 points for 6 games.
A name that you can’t forget to mention is Armani Mighty. With a name like that, you would expect a strong, gritty player, and that is exactly what he brings to this Mercer team, scoring 16 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, while also going 6-10 from the charity stripe.
For WCU, they had 4 players with at least 15 points. (Cord Stansberry, Tahlan Pettway, Tidjiane Dioumassi, and Marcus Kell.) The driving force for the Cats was Stansberry, dropping 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, and shooting 63% from the field. The hero at the end of the day was Dioumassi, with his late-game shot to give WCU a 76-74 lead.
Looking Ahead
This victory was particularly sweet for the Catamounts, who sought redemption after a difficult 88-76 loss to Mercer back on January 21, 2026. By splitting the series, WCU has proven its resilience and growth through the 2025-2026 season.
The Catamounts are looking to carry this momentum into their final game of the regular season on Saturday, February 29, against their chromatic rival Furman. WCU’s 5-game winning streak marks the first occurrence since the 2010-2011 season, which won seven in a row down the home stretch. Next up, the Cats will set their sights on Asheville, currently projected to fall into the 6-seed for the SoCon Tournament. Can WCU stay hot in March?
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