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          Dotson double-double, Steger flurry push W. Carolina 78-70

          Feb 6, 2020
          • Associated Press

          HOMEWOOD, Ala. -- Carlos Dotson scored 20 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for his sixth consecutive double-double and Western Carolina beat Samford 78-70 on Wednesday night.

          Onno Steger added 18 points and seven rebounds for Western Carolina (15-7, 7-4 Southern Conference), while Mason Faulkner added 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Xavier Cork had three blocks.

          The Catamounts cruised through much of the first half before Samford made it a fight, grabbing the lead for short stretches and starting the second half forging two ties. Steger caught fire after the second tie, scoring eight straight points with a pair of 3-pointers and a driving layup to spark Western Carolina on a breakaway 14-1 run.

          Robert Allen had 15 points to lead the Bulldogs (8-17, 2-9), who have now lost nine games in a row. Jalen Dupree added 14 points and seven rebounds. J.P. Robinson and Brandon Robinson scored 10 points each.

          Josh Sharkey, the Bulldogs' leading scorer (19 ppg) heading into the contest at 19 points per game, was held to eight points on 1-for-6 shooting. He added 6 of 7 from the free-throw line.

          Western Carolina faces Furman at home on Saturday. Samford plays UNC Greensboro on the road on Sunday.

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          Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com