SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Wofford men's basketball team defeated the Western Carolina Catamounts on Saturday evening, 77-66, in Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Nils Machowski grabbed his second double-double of the week as the Terriers held off the Catamounts.

The Terriers (17-8, 9-3) were led by Nils Machowski's 19 points, closely followed by Cayden Vasko's 18. Machowski also led the team with 11 rebounds and two blocks. Vasko dished out five assists, and Chace Watley had two steals.

"I'm very happy with how connected we are," said head coach Kevin Giltner. "We are super close as a group. I don't think there is any selfishness in our team. I think we play basketball the right way… Our intentions, and our heart, and our spirit; it's all in the right place."

How It Happened
Cayden Vasko found the first basket for the Terriers off a pass from Chace Watley. Western Carolina found their offensive groove early, scoring 12 of the first 16 points. A 6-0 run snapped the Terriers right back into the game. Wofford grabbed their first lead of the game off a Vasko three on the wing, pushing him to ten points within the first five minutes of the game. By the under-12 media timeout, the teams were neck-and-neck at 20 points each.

The Terriers' offensive momentum was helped by their defensive stature. Wofford held the Catamounts to one field goal over the next six minutes. The Terriers were able to score 15 points to their five in that time. They continued to surge ahead, nearly reaching a ten-point lead, but WCU was able to stave off the Terrier offense with makes on consecutive possessions. The teams went into the locker room with Wofford leading, 41-36.

Chace Watley kicked things off in the second half with a mid-range floater. Neither team could find a string of makes, as WCU held a slight edge over the first four minutes, scoring eight points to Wofford's seven. The Catamounts found a short 5-0 run to put some pressure on the Terriers, but Wofford responded with a 6-0 run of their own. Wofford held a 54-46 lead heading into the final 12 minutes.

Neither team could get a good look over the next three minutes until Vasko drained a three-pointer to lift the Terriers to an 11-point lead. The teams went back and forth with scoring for seven minutes, with Wofford able to keep its lead. At most, Wofford went ahead by 13, and WCU could cut the lead to eight, but the Terrier lead held strong at 72-59 heading into the final four minutes. Wofford was able to break the rhythm of the Catamount, grabbing a 6-0 run to increase the lead to 16. With one minute left, WCU tried to pressure Wofford with its full-court press, but they were unable to convert their opportunities gained from the press. Wofford was able to hold off the Catamounts, 77-66, to sweep the season series.

Inside the Numbers

• Starters: Cayden Vasko, Brian Sumpter, Chace Watley, Brenden Rigsbee, Nils Machowski.
• Brian Sumpter's block brings him to 37 for the season. He is now alone in sixth in blocks in a season for the Terriers.
• Wofford has won all six games when leading at halftime during conference play.
• Coach Giltner has won the most regular-season games of any first-year Wofford coach in program history.

Up Next
The Terriers return to the road on Wednesday, February 11. Wofford will travel to Birmingham, Alabama, to face the Samford Bulldogs with tip-off set for 7 p.m. EST. Listen along on the Wofford Digital Network or watch on ESPN+.