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Written By: Adam Stroup
The Western Carolina Catamounts staged a dramatic comeback win over Mercer in the Southern Conference Tournament on Saturday, battling back from multiple deficits to advance to the semifinals.
Western Carolina erased a 17-point deficit in the first half and flipped the momentum late, heading into halftime with a 36–35 lead. The Catamounts had to rally again in the second half after Mercer built an eight-point advantage, but Western Carolina responded once more to secure the victory.
Despite shooting 39% from the field compared to Mercer’s 42%, the Catamounts controlled the glass and took advantage of opportunities at the free-throw line. Western Carolina dominated the rebounding battle 53–29 and shot 75% from the line, while Mercer finished at 58%.
Turnovers favored Mercer, as the Bears committed only five compared to Western Carolina’s 14, but the Catamounts’ rebounding advantage helped make up the difference.
Dioumassi led Western Carolina with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field and went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line. Dada added a strong performance on the boards with 14 rebounds.
For Mercer, Okojie led all scorers with 26 points, shooting 9-of-21 from the field and 6-of-9 from the free-throw line. Mighty added eight rebounds for the Bears.
The win ties Western Carolina’s program record for most consecutive victories with seven.
The Catamounts now advance to face No. 1 seed ETSU in the Southern Conference semifinals at 4 p.m. Western Carolina swept the Buccaneers during the regular season and will look to continue its momentum with a spot in the championship game on the line.
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