CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Wofford men's basketball team kicked off its Southern Conference campaign with a tight road win over the Western Carolina Catamounts on Wednesday afternoon, 79-74, in the Ramsey Center.
The Terriers (9-5, 1-0) were led by
Nils Machowski's 27 points.
Kahmare Holmes had eight rebounds, followed by seven from Machowski.
Cayden Vasko had four assists, while three Terriers had two steals.
Brian Sumpter had three blocks on the day.
"That game had a little bit of everything," said head coach
Kevin Giltner. "We went through a stretch where we were banging shots and looking good. Then they would have a stretch. For us to come out on top and weather the storm of the game was really cool to see, and I am proud of our guys."
How It Happened
Kahmare Holmes opened the scoring for the Terriers in the 2025-26 SoCon season with a fade-away jumper. The teams took their time to settle into the game, scoring only 11 combined points in the first four minutes of the game. Both teams had a spurt of offense in the two minutes before the first timeout, with the Catamounts leading 14-11.
Jayden Tyler continued his form from Union Commonwealth, with five points coming from his first two attempts.
The game switched right back to a low-scoring affair. Back-to-back threes from Holmes and
Nils Machowski brought the Terriers ahead of WCU at 21-20 for the first time since the opening minutes. Machowski would continue to surge, grabbing a layup and making two free throws to keep Wofford in the lead with eight minutes to play in the half.
Wofford continued the momentum off Machowski's makes, grabbing a 10-0 run. Western Carolina responded quickly with a 7-0 run of their own to cut the Terrier lead to one. With four minutes left in the half, Wofford held a slim 33-30 lead. WCU hit three free throws, but strong defense and threes from
Nils Machowski and
Cayden Vasko held the lead at 39-33 at the break.
Brian Sumpter grabbed the first five points for the Terriers in the second frame, including his second career three-pointer. WCU tried to cut into the Wofford lead, but a 7-2 run gave the Terriers their first double-digit lead heading into the first media timeout of the half at 53-42. The Catamounts continued to push back, going on a 6-0 run.
Rex Stirling and Tyler stunted their run, but WCU grabbed five more to cut the Wofford lead to five points heading into the under-12-minute timeout.
Four trips to the line for the Catamounts cut the Terrier lead to one point at 57-56 with 10: 13 remaining. It took the Terriers three minutes to grab their next points. There was no basket scored in the game from the 11th minute until the 7th minute; during that time, ten points were scored from the line over eight separate trips. The floodgates opened after the field goal drought ended with six makes in the next two minutes.
The Terriers headed into the final four minutes with a 70-67 lead.
Cayden Vasko kicked off the final stretch by converting two free throws. He went on to convert a three-point play after drawing the foul on a fast break. WCU continued to put pressure on the Terriers, scoring two baskets of their own to make it a four-point game. Holmes received a fifth foul to foul out of the game. Western Carolina pounced on this to grab another basket. After a Terrier timeout, Vasko made a difficult turnaround shot. The Catamounts went down the court and went 1-2 from the line. Machowski was clinical from the line to put away the game. Wofford came away victorious, 79-74.
Inside the Numbers
Up Next
The Terriers continue their pair of road trips on Saturday, January 3, in Charleston, S.C. Wofford travels to the McAlister Fieldhouse to face The Citadel Bulldogs. Tip-off set for 1 p.m. Listen along on the Wofford Digital Network or watch on ESPN+.
