JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Interstat) — Western Carolina survived a furious second-half rally by East Tennessee State to secure a 90-88 victory in Southern Conference men’s basketball Thursday night at ETSU Athletic Center before 4,012 fans.

The Catamounts built a 14-point halftime lead, scoring 49 points, but the Buccaneers stormed back with 53 points after intermission. East Tennessee State’s Brian Taylor scored 24 points, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the final margin, but Western Carolina made key free throws late.

Cord Stansberry and Julien Soumaoro each scored 19 points for Western Carolina, which improved to 8-12. East Tennessee State, despite a more efficient offensive night, fell to 15-7. The Catamounts swept the regular-season series.