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| Vintage Keydet-Catamount hoops--Zach Batte Dunks against Western Carolina shot-blocking king Rans Brempong at Cameron Hall in 2003 |
Western Carolina and VMI are set to renew a rivalry in Southern Conference Action Tonight
Western Carolina and VMI will square off for the 56th time in series history in Cullowhee. The Catamounts come into this evening's game with the Catamounts holding a 32-23 all-time series edge against the Keydets.
What To Watch For Western Carolina:
The Catamounts, who enter at 7-10 overall and 3-2 in Southern Conference play, have a chance to maintain their strong play this evening with VMI tonight at the Ramsey Center. With a win, the Catamounts would improve to 8-10 overall and a somewhat surprising 4-2 in Southern Conference play.
The Catamounts are coming off a 66-55 home loss to UNC Gteensboro Saturday night, while VMI lost its fifth-straight Saturday, taking an 89-48 setback in Johnson City.
The Catamounts have had plenty of newcomers step up so far this season, but the two that have been the most notable through the first 17 games for veteran head coach Larry Hunter's club have been freshman guard Matt Halvorsen (9.1 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.1 APG) and junior forward Mike Amius (12.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG). Both Havlorsen and Amius are in their rookie campaigns for the Catamounts this season.
Amius, an athletic, 6-7 junior from Lake Worth, Fla., has been impressive to say the least for the Purple and Gold this season. He is coming off a 19-point, four-rebound performance in Saturday's loss to UNCG, while Halvorsen struggled a bit in the backcourt for the Catamounts, posting just two points.
Amius comes into tonight's clash with VMI having posted double-figure scoring performances in nine of the past 10 games for the Catamounts. Over the past seven games, Amius is averaging 17.7 PPG, 63% shooting from the field, and is averaging 6.3 rebounds-per-game.
Halvorsen has been a three-point specialist all season for the Catamounts, and has provided a nice compliment to Amius' production in the paint this season. In a loss a week-and-a-half ago against Samford, he nailed six triples en route to a 21-point performance. So far this season, Halvorsen ranks second on the team in three-pointers made by only one, having connected on 37-of-107 from long range this season. Senior guard Deriece Parks (10.0 PPG, 2.7 APG) leads the team in triples made, having made good on 38-of-108 from long range this season.
What To Watch For VMI:
Like Western Carolina, VMI doesn't have very much experience in terms of playing together. The Keydets are one of the youngest teams in the league, however, the Keydets have gotten some strong performances from their young team, especially freshman guard Bubba Parham (13.3 PPG, 3.7 PPG, 2.1 APG). The Keydets are 0-7 away from Alumni Hall this season.
Parham had a season and career-high 22 points in the season-opening loss to NC State, while posting 21 points, including a career-high five triples in the conference opening loss to Furman. Parham has been one of the few bright spots for the Keydets since entering conference play, and VMI will be looking to snap what is a five-game losing streak when they invade the Ramsey Center this evening.
The other guard that has been especially productive for Dan Earl's club so far this season is junior veteran Austin Vereen (10.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG). Like Parham, Vereen shoots the ball well from the perimeter, and he is the only Keydet averaging in double figures entering tonight's contest. The top player underneath the basket this season has been sophomore 6-10 center Tyler Creammer (8.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG).
VMI has had some great games against Western Carolina, particularly in the mid-late 1990s. In 1995, former Keydet guard great Bobby Prince dished out a single-game school record 14 assists in a 90-77 loss at the Ramsey Center. In the 1996 Southern Conference Tournament, Western Carolina guard scored 41-point effort in a hard-fought 97-93 win over the Keydets en route to an NCAA Tournament bid.
Just three years ago, Julian Eleby became just the second player in school history to record 40 points in a game for VMI, when he went for 43 in a thrilling triple overtime win at Western Carolina. His 43 points ranked as a VMI school record against a Division I foe at the time.
Who Wins: Western Carolina 68, VMI 59
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