CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Mike Williams scored 18 points and Richie Gordon had a double-double as Western Carolina held off Eastern Kentucky 81-74 on Saturday for its sixth straight victory.
The Catamounts (15-13) beat the Colonels for the first time in three tries, with their last meeting in the 1970-71 season. They also won their 12th straight home game in the Ramsey Center.
Gordon had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Brandon Boggs scored 16 and Harouna Mutombo had 14 to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Western Carolina led by 18 in the first half, but Eastern Kentucky closed in the second half by shooting 58.6 percent (17 of 29).
A Justin Stommes 3-pointer got the Colonels to 76-72 with 1:36 to go, then the Catamounts hit 5 of 6 free throws.
Stommes had a season-high 24 points for Eastern Kentucky (15-13) and Spencer Perrin added 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.