CULLOWHEE, N.C. (Interstat) — The Western Carolina Catamounts delivered a dominant and efficient offensive performance, overwhelming The Citadel Bulldogs from the opening tip and cruising to an 87-49 victory in a Southern Conference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at the Ramsey Center.

The Catamounts, avenging an overtime loss to the Bulldogs earlier this season, seized control with a blistering first half, shooting 60% from the field and building a commanding 52-25 lead by halftime. The 27-point halftime deficit proved insurmountable for a Citadel squad that struggled mightily to generate consistent offense throughout the contest.

The most critical phase of the game was its explosive start. Western Carolina opened on a decisive 11-0 run, fueled by aggressive defense and sharp outside shooting. The sequence began with a Julien Soumaoro steal leading to his own layup just 90 seconds into the game. Cord Stansberry then connected on a 3-pointer, followed by back-to-back 3-pointers from Tidjiane Dioumassi, forcing a Citadel timeout less than three minutes into the game with the Catamounts leading 11-0.

This early flurry set the tone for the entire evening. The Bulldogs never recovered, missing their first five shots and committing two turnovers before finally scoring on an Eze Wali layup at the 18:32 mark. Western Carolina’s defense remained disruptive, converting 11 Citadel turnovers into 20 points, while their offense operated with remarkable efficiency, finishing the game shooting 55.7% from the field and 48.1% from 3-point range.

Soumaoro, a guard from the Bronx, New York, led a balanced Western Carolina attack with 15 points, three assists and two steals in 24 minutes. Tahlan Pettway of Worcester, Massachusetts, added 12 points, while Dioumassi of Paris, France, and Stansberry of Bermuda Dunes, California, each chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively. Marcus Kell of Fort Mill, South Carolina, contributed 10 points and seven rebounds.

The Citadel, which had won three of its last four games including a road victory at Chattanooga, was held to a season-low 28.8% shooting. Sola Adebisi of Alpharetta, Georgia, was the only Bulldog to reach double figures, scoring 10 points. The team’s offensive rating of 75.8 on 65 possessions underscored a night of profound struggle.

Western Carolina also dominated the interior, outscoring The Citadel 42-16 in the paint and outrebounding them 11-5 on the offensive glass. Samuel Dada of Lagos, Nigeria, anchored the effort inside with six points, eight rebounds, three steals and a block.

The victory improved Western Carolina’s record to 9-15 overall. The Catamounts will travel to face Chattanooga on Saturday. The Citadel, which fell to 9-17, will look to regroup when it hosts Mercer on Saturday.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 1,041, saw Western Carolina cover the pregame spread as 8.5-point favorites. The total points scored, 136, fell under the over/under line of 145.5.