Featured photo by Khori Williams
Story by Calvin White
MURFREESBORO, Tenn- Western Carolina escaped the Murphy Center with a 66-64 win over MTSU in a game with 11 ties and only four lead changes.
Western Carolina (2-0) dominated on the interior by scoring 42 of its 66 points in the paint. The MTSU (2-1) defense could never find a way to keep WCU guard Vonterius Woolbright from slithering his way to the rim for multiple open layups.
Woolbright is not a typical modern basketball player. At 6 feet 6 inches tall, Woolbright is WCU’s dominant ball handler but gets most of his production from below the free-throw line. Woolbright has only attempted three 3-pointers on the season, going 1-of-3 from downtown in the Catamounts’ 71-61 win over Notre Dame. Woolbright finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.
“Woolbright’s a pro,” MTSU head coach Nick McDevitt said. “He shot 10 free throws and took 19 shots and at no point did I think he was hogging the ball. He’s just that good. He deserves the ball in his hands.”
Neither team had a good shooting night from the field, with both teams shooting 41.4 percent. The difference is WCU was 16-of-22 from the free-throw line where MTSU was 13-of-25. Leaving 12 points on the board never gave MTSU the chance it needed to pull away from the Catamounts.
The Blue Raiders also had a nice game on the offensive glass, pulling down 12 offensive rebounds. The problem is they could not turn those extra opportunities into points, only scoring eight points off of those 12 extra chances.
“We just have to go up and be more aggressive with it,” Jestin Porter said. “Once w eget the ball we just have to stick it in.”
In MTSU’s first full game without Camryn Weston, Porter tallied 13 points and nine rebounds as the primary ball handler for the Blue Raiders. McDevitt says the preparation for WCU was not any different, even without Weston, but that other players would have to step up.
“I don’t know that the prep was any different to be honest with you,” McDevitt said. “I told the team that anytime anybody on our roster is out, there’s not anybody like them. Everybody is unique. Cam is unique in what he brings to the table, but no one’s going to take that role so you’re just going to have to step up what you’re doing any play better by committee.”
MTSU suffered its first hiccup of the season but still did a lot of good things. Without Weston, the Blue Raiders will have to find new ways to generate offense, having only recorded three assists against WCU. The season is young and the nonconference schedule is loaded with good opponents, but the Blue Raiders have shown that they can hang with, and beat, good teams thus far.
Calvin White is the sports editor for MTSU Sidelines. If you have information for a story, you can contact him at [email protected]. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mtsusidelines, or on X @MTSUSidelines.
