CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Bellarmine University men's basketball team will head southeast to North Carolina Wednesday for the second leg of their ASUN/SoCon Challenge slate as they take on Western Carolina at 7 p.m. ET. The Knights then return home Saturday to take on Brescia at 3 p.m. ET before embarking on a four-game road trip to take them into ASUN conference play.
 
Both of this weeks' contests will be carried on ESPN+ and ESPN680.
 
Bellarmine fell to VMI in their first ASUN/SoCon matchup, 76-71. The Southern Conference currently leads the event 7-4.
 
About Western Carolina
Western Carolina enters Wednesday at 2-4 after a pair of home wins over lower-level opponents Truett McConnell (NAIA) and Bob Jones University (NCCAA) and four road losses. The Catamounts were not shy when building the schedule to include three straight road games at Wake Forest (L, 82-69), Florida State (L, 91-57) and Marquette (L, 94-62) to conclude November. Their other loss came on the road in their other ASUN opponent in the second game of the season, 67-54. Like Bellarmine, the Catamounts like to go deep into their bench as both teams have 11 players averaging at least eight minutes per game. Junior guard Ice Emery leads WCU averaging 13.3 points. By volume, Emery is their biggest three-point threat, though he is shooting just 31.1 percent from deep. Redshirt sophomore guard Cord Stansberry is second on the team averaging 9.8 points while senior forward Bernard Pelote is third averaging 9.2 points and leads the team in rebounding at 8.0 per game. As a team, the Catamounts rank 15^th nationally with 30.8 three-point attempts per game and 62^nd nationally averaging 9.5 three-point makes. WCU also ranked 23^rd in Division I averaging 42.0 rebounds.
 
Bellarmine and WCU last met on December 27, 1966 at the Quincy Invitational with the Catamounts winning 86-80 on a neutral floor.
 
Davenport on the Catamounts
"Western Carolina has played a very difficult schedule and boasts a roster that is mad to compete. Our game is their first Division I opponent at home. They have a very potent three-point attack, shooting 32 per game. 49 percent of their shots are from beyond the arc. They present great balance in that they are very well coached in attacking in transition. Our goal is to play a complete game together at both ends of the court." –Head coach Scott Davenport
 
About Brescia
Like recent Bellarmine opponent, Midway, Brescia competes in the River States Conference of the NAIA. The Bearcats, whose home campus resides in Owensboro, Ky., are 1-5 on the young season with their lone win coming in overtime at Williams Baptist (Ark.) 83-79. Bellarmine is one of four NCAA Division I opponents that Brescia will take on this season. The games, also against Evansville (L, 96-49), Cleveland State (Dec. 14) and Austin Peay (Dec. 29), are exhibitions for the Bearcats and do not count against their record. Brescia is led in scoring by 6-foot-5 junior guard/forward Damian Garcia at 23.2 points per game. Garcia has scored as many as 34 points, in the win over WBU, and has scored no less than 13 points in a game this season. He scored 18 against Evansville while the rest of the team accounted for just 31 points. Senior point guard Mike Caswell is the leading distributer for the Bearcats at 4.7 assists per game while another senior guard, John Saenz, at 6-foot, leads the team averaging 7.2 rebounds.
 
Davenport on the Bearcats
"Brescia comes to Knight Hall with 10 seniors and juniors. Thay are battle tested! We prepare the same for every opponent and respect every opponent the same. It is college basketball, and we are striving to play a complete 40 minutes in 10 four-minute segments, possession-by-possession. We must utilize every opportunity to prepare as we follow Brescia with Ball State and four straight road games against Wyoming, Colorado, North Alabama and Central Arkansas."
 
Last Time Out
In a matchup of former GLVC opponents, Bellarmine fell at Northern Kentucky on Saturday, 86-70, despite hitting a season-high 12 three-pointers. The Knights kept it close into the second half, leading 42-40 with 17 minutes to play. NKU, however, seized the lead with a pair of three-pointers from that point and expanded their lead to as many as 18 in the win. The Norse outscored the Knights 46-24 in the paint and took advantage of 15 Bellarmine turnovers, converting them to 18 points while BU scored just three points on five Norse turnovers. Junior forward Jack Karasinski and freshman guard Tyler Doyle each scored 15 points while redshirt junior guard Ben Johnson and junior guard Billy Smith added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
 
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