Furman Moves Closer to Clinching Tournament Bye in Senior Day Win Over VMI

Furman Senior Forward Garrett Hien scored eight points and won his 104th game in a Furman uniform in Saturday's Senior Day Triumph over VMI

GREENVILLE, S.C.--Furman and VMI engaged in a good ol' fashioned Southern Conference Basketball battle on Saturday afternoon, and of a game that very well could have been an elimination game for a top six seed in Asheville for the 104th edition of the Southern Conference Tournament, it was the Paladins that survived a valiant effort from the Keydets to get a 75-71 in front of a Senior Day crowd  of 3,047 fans on-hand at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

For just the second time in Southern Conference play this season, the Paladins have now strung together a pair of wins, improving to 21-8 overall and 9-7 in Southern Conference action, while the Keydets fell to 13-16 overall and 7-9 in league play. The win helped the Paladins gain a regular season split with VMI, which helped avenge a 91-82 loss a month ago at Cameron Hall.  

With a win over The Citadel (5-22, 0-16) in its final SoCon home game on Wednesday night, the Paladins would clinch no worse than a No. 6 seed for the upcoming tournament no matter what VMI does in its game against Samford. The Bulldogs will come to Greenville having lost 20-straight games, however, the Bulldogs lost by a single point this afternoon against league-leading Chattanooga (L, 75-76) at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The Paladins currently sit tied for fifth in the SoCon standings with Wofford (15-14, 9-7 SoCon) following the Terriers' 73-68 home loss to East Tennessee State (17-12, 10-6 SoCon) later in the afternoon. The Bucs currently sit alone in fourth place a game ahead of both Furman and Wofford. Furman will face Wofford in a key league tilt next Saturday at Jerry Richardson Stadium in a tip-off time slated for 2 p.m. EST.

Just before tip-off of Saturday's league showdown, the Paladins honored seniors Garrett Hien, Nick Anderson, PJay Smith Jr., and Tyrese Hughey were honored as a part of Furman's Senior Day festivities, and all would contribute to the 75 points scored by the Paladins, including the first and last points of the game, as Hughey connected on a layup on a beautifully designed backdoor layup, while Anderson and Smith provided the final four points of the contest from the charity stripe to close out the win. 

Furman finished the contest being led by Anderson's 22 points, as the senior from Schereville, IN., finished the game connecting on 6-of-14 shots from the field and 2-of-8 from three-point range and 8-for-9 from the charity stripe. He also ended the contest contributing four rebounds and four assists. 

The only other Paladin in double figures was the other half of that senior backcourt, as PJay Smith Jr. finished the night afternoon with 17 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-for-8 from long-range. The LaVergne, TN., native also finished the game with eight rebounds, three steals and a pair of assists. 

Furman junior forward Ben VanderWal, who helped jumpstart a second half run that would see the Paladins to build a double-digit lead, as he once again filled the stats sheet with nine points, six rebounds and dished out four assists in 29 minutes of floor action. 

Hien added eight points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and 1-for-2 from three-point range. He was also a perfect 1-for-1 from the line as a part of a three-point play the old-fashioned way. The senior also had two assists, two steals and a block before fouling out of the game with just over seven minutes remaining.

Cooper Bowser finished a solid day with six points and eight rebounds, while Tom House added seven points and four rebounds off the bench.

VMI finished the afternoon with four in double figures, with TJ Johnson adding 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 4-for-10 from three-point land. He also went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe. Johnson, a transfer from Lipscomb, has been one of the top newcomers in the SoCon this season, and his shooting from beyond the arc, especially as of late, has made him a tough player to guard. Johnson added a rebound and an impressive four steals.

Tan Yildizoglu, who is a native of Istanbul, Turkey, finished the contest with a career-high 20 points, eclipsing his previous career-best of 17 points established twice before, with the last time coming this season against Richmond early in non-conference play. He finished the game connecting on 8-of-14 shots from the field and was 2-for-6 from three-point land and was 2-for-2 from the charity stripe. He also added five rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Rickey Bradley Jr. and Augustinas Kiudulas, who posted 22 and 19 points, respectively, in the win over Furman last month, finished with 11 points apiece.

For a third-straight game, Furman found its defensive edge and held the Keydets in-check shooting the basketball for a majority of the afternoon, holding VMI to 41.8% (28-of-67) shooting from the field for the game, including a 28.6% (8-for-28) shooting effort from long range. 

The Paladins did a good job of defending without fouling in a game that was physical, with a light whistle on both ends until the Keydets had to commit fouls late to extend the game, and VMI finished the game connecting on 7-of-10 free throws after going 24-of-27 from the line in the earlier clash this season. 

Furman, meanwhile, finished the contest connecting on a solid 47.2% (25-of-53) from the field, including 36.4% (8-of-22) from three-point range. The Paladins finished 17-of-22 from the charity stripe, which was good enough for a 77.3% shooting clip from the line. The Paladins went 16-for-19 from the line in the second half after going just 1-for-3 in the first half.

The Paladins finished the contest holding advantages in total assists (21-13), total rebounds (37-33), fast-break points (7-4) and bench scoring (17-7). VMI finished the game holding advantages in points in the paint (38-30) and points from turnovers (13-7). The two teams ended the game tied on second-chance points (13-13).

How It Happened:

The game was very much one of grit on both sides, and unrelenting defensive effort from both teams. In the first half, there was both good shooting and cold shooting on both sides, with tenacious on-ball defense leading to a combined 11 steals and a good number of ball deflections on both sides, with the Keydets recording six of their eight steals for the game, while the Paladins snatched five of their six for the game in the opening 20 minutes.

In the opening half, the Paladins would take a narrow 30-27 lead into the halftime locker room, but came out and established a double-digit lead early before hitting an offensive lull. The Paladins went ahead 20-8 when Garrett Hien knocked down a top of the key three with 13:10 remaining in the half. Then VMI stepped up its defensive intensity and forced Furman into some uncharacteristically bad decisions with the basketball. 

An 18-6 VMI run over a 10-minute spell evened the score, as the Keydets chipped away until pulling level, at 26-26, on a Rickey Bradley Jr. layup with 3:15 left in the opening half. The Paladins then put the clamps down on defense, holding VMI scoreless for the remainder of the half, despite some golden opportunities for VMI to take a lead to the break with the Paladins having struggled offensively for much of the final 10 minutes of the opening half of play. 

A Vanderwal free throw of an aggressive take to the rack, and then a three-pointer off an offensive rebound by VanderWal of his owned missed free throw set up for maybe the biggest offensive points of the afternoon, as Eddrin Bronson found himself wide open for a three, draining the open triple with 1:30 remaining, giving the Paladins a 30-26 lead. 

Following a Johnson made free throw, Bronson turned it over and the Keydets had a quick run out the other way, however, Bronson swatted away Kaden Stuckey's layup attempt to make up for his turnover. It helped preserve the Paladins' three-point lead. 

With one last possession to potentially tie the game with a three-pointer for the Keydets heading into the half, PJ Smith knocked the ball away from Bradley twice, eventually forcing the steal and Hien's three-quarters court heave at the buzzer hit the backboard and off the rim as time expired, and the Paladins had regained a little of their momentum they possessed earlier in the game, as the two teams headed to the break.

In the second half, Bradley got the Keydets to within a point with the first points of the half on a short baseline jumper to make it a 30-29 game.  For the first seven-and-a-half minutes of the second half, the Paladins struggled to find breathing room from a fundamentally-sound and savvy VMI team, as Furman was never able to establish its lead beyond six points in the early portions of the second half.

Linus Holmstrom's layup with 12:44 remaining got VMI to within four, at 41-37, however, slowly but surely, the Paladins started driving with aggression into the teeth of the Keydets' matchup zone instead of settling for threes. It established a trend that has been evident in the second halves in of Furman's last two games, and that is aggression that has seen the Paladins getting to the charity stripe with more frequency. 

It started when Nick Anderson was fouled on a layup attempt and he went to the line and knocked down both free throws to put the Paladins up six. Following a Holmstom missed three, Anderson dialed up a mid-range jumper that hit nothing but the bottom of the net to make it a 45-37 Furman lead. 

After VMI's Bradley Jr. and Holmstrom missed a pair of shots in the paint, Cooper Bowser corralled the board he quickly hit a wide-open Ben VanderWal streaking into the forecourt for a run-out dunk bringing a roar from the better than 3,000 fans on-hand at The Well and prompting a VMI timeout and a chest bump from head coach Bob Richey to VanderWal as he approached that sidelines. The Paladins led 47-37 with 11 minutes remaining.

No matter how hard Furman tried, however, the Paladins could never achieve any level of full comfort the entire afternoon. TJ Johnson made a three to cut the Furman lead back inside double-digits, however, a PJay Smith Jr. three with 7:29 remaining pushed Furman's lead to its largest of the game, at 57-44, with 7:29 remaining and it looked as if Furman was ready to blow the game open.

However, VMI stormed back with a 14-5 run, cutting the Paladin lead to just four, at 62-58, when Augustinas Kiudulas converted a half-hook in the paint with 2:43 remaining. The Paladins then scored four-straight to push their lead back to eight on a pair of Smith charity stripe shots and a Nick Anderson driving layup off a feed from Smith to give the Paladins a 66-58 lead with 1:29 remaining. 

The Keydets, who had been 4-of-23 from three for the game, would get hot from long-range from the land of good and plenty inside the final minute. It started with an uncontested Johnson three from the corner to get VMI back to within five, at 66-61, with 45 seconds remaining. Following a timeout, head coach Bob Richey drew up the perfect play against VMI's tenacious press, as the ball barely touched the floor before it found Cooper Bowser on the other end for a wide-open dunk off a feed from Bronson with 39 seconds left to increase the Paladin lead back to seven, at 68-61. 

Bradley's fade-a-way jumper from just outside the paint got VMI back to within five, however, after Bradley fouled Smith on the ensuing inbounds pass, the senior guard went to the line and knocked down both free throws with 25 seconds left to increase the Paladin advantage back to seven, at 70-63. 

VMI wasted little time in getting the ball to its hot-hand in the moment--Johnson--as his right-wing three with VanderWal's hand in his face could have brought rain from the roof of the Well and it hit nothing but net, drawing a collective gasp from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena crowd to make it a 70-66 game with 17 seconds left. 

Only two seconds ticked off the clock before Bronson was fouled by Johnson, and Bronson missed his first but made his second to make it a 71-66 Paladin lead with 15 seconds left. VMI answered quickly on the other end to get within one possession, as Bradley converted an uncontested layup off the glass with 10 seconds remaining to make it a 71-68 game. After Tan Yildizoglu fouled Nick Anderson with no time ticking off the clock, Anderson calmly knocked down both free throws to put Furman back up five. 

Johnson had one more arrow in his quiver, however, as he connected on yet another three to get the Keydets within two with 2.9 seconds left, making it a 73-71 game. After the ball was inbounded to Smith, he was fouled by Bradley and he went to the line and capped off Furman's Senior Day win by calmly knocking down both charity shots to produce the final winning margin of four for Furman. 

Despite hitting only 4-of-23 from three prior to the final flurry, the Keydets connected on 4-of-5 from three-point land inside the final four minutes to finish 8-of-28 from downtown for the game. It was a gritty performance on both sides, however, with the stakes high and likely a bye on the line for the upcoming Southern Conference Tournament on the line, the Paladins responded accordingly.

How Important is a Bye at the SoCon Tournament?

No team since Clemson in 1939 has won four games in four days at the SoCon Tournament, as the Tigers knocked off North Carolina (W, 44-43) in the play-in round and then went on to wins over Wake Forest (W, 30-28) in the quarterfinals, Davidson (W, 49-33) in the semifinals, and Maryland (W, 39-27) in the title game, as the Banks McFadden-led Tigers cut down the nets at Thompson Gym in Raleigh. 

Clemson declined its NCAA Tournament Invitation, however, as it coincided with the start of the school's spring football practice, and with that being the school's bread-winning sport and with most of the basketball players also suiting up on the Clemson gridiron on Saturdays, the Tigers head football and acting Director of Athletics Jess Neely declined the March Madness Invite. 

Up Next

Furman will host bitter rival The Citadel (5-22, 0-16) in its final Southern Conference home game on Wednesday night, with tip-off for that contest set for 7 p.m. EST. The Bulldogs will be no easy foe, as they showed against league-leading Chattanooga this past Saturday at the Roundhouse in Chattanooga, dropping a 76-75 game. 

The Bulldogs are looking to avoid becoming just the third team to finish league play winless since the 1958-59 season. The only other two to finish league play without a win over that span were the The Citadel in 2019-20 (0-18) and Davidson in 1959-60 (0-10). The Citadel will come to the Well on the heels of a 19-game losing streak. VMI will be back in action Wednesday night hosting Samford in a 6 p.m. EST contest at Cameron Hall. 

Postgame Press Conference

(Head Coach Bob Richey and Son Jax Berner Richey)

(Players Ben VanderWal and Nick Anderson)

Notes:

--Furman posted its 219th overall win and 122nd SoCon win since the start of the 2015-16 season

--Furman's win over VMI puts the Paladins on the verge of clinching a top six finish, and a win over The Citadel will officially secure a bye in the upcoming SoCon Tournament next month.

SoCon Hoops 2024-25: Championship Race Heating up as Season Winds Down

GREENVILLE, S.C.--As we draw closer to the Southern Conference Tournament in Asheville next month, there is still much to be settled in the present on the Southern Conference hardwood. Here are some news and notes to get you prepped for each matchup, and even an attempt at some predicted outcomes at the bottom. Enjoy the hoops!

20 Wins

--Three teams have already hit the 20-win total for the 2024-25 basketball season, with Chattanooga, Samford, and Furman all having hit the 20-win mark this season, with all three, sporting identical 20-8 overall records.

--Excluding the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, at least three teams (or more) have reached 20 or more wins in a season in every season since 2014-15. 

--With its 80-72 win over Samford last time out, Furman has reached 20 wins for the seventh time in the past nine seasons, while achieving the feat for the feat for the 14th time in program history, with six of those 14 coming in Bob Richey's eight seasons as the head coach. 

--Chattanooga's 91-86 win over Western Carolina this past Wednesday night was its 20th season with 20 or more wins since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1977-78. 

--Samford's 76-68 come-from-behind win at Wofford last weekend was its fourth-straight 20-win season under current head coach Bucky McMillan. Samford has now posted nine 20-win campaigns in 52 years as an NCAA Division I program.

Chattanooga's Championship Chase

The Citadel (5-21, 0-15 SoCon) at Chattanooga (20-8, 12-3 SoCon)

Feb. 22, 2025/McKenzie Arena/Chattanooga, Tenn/2 p.m. EST

--Winners of eight-straight, which is the longest winning streak for UTC since starting the 2020-21 season with nine-straight wins, and is also Chattanooga's longest in-league winning streak since the 2015-16 season, which would be one that would see the Mocs go on to cut down the nets in Asheville with a 76-67 win in the championship game over East Tennessee State.

--Chattanooga will be celebrating Senior Day on Saturday, and if it can claim a ninth-straight league win, and UNCG loses at Mercer, the Mocs could clinch at least of a share of the Southern Conference title with two games left. Should that happen, it would mark a 13th regular-season SoCon title for the Mocs, with the latest of those titles coming in 2022. 

--Trey Bonham, Frank Champion, Jack Kostel, and Garrison Keeslar are the seniors on UTC's roster slated to be honored on Saturday.

--Chattanooga and The Citadel will be meeting for the 96th time in series history, with the Mocs holding a commanding 74-21 all-time series history. The Bulldogs come to the Scenic City looking to snap an 18-game losing skid, entering the matchup with a 5-21 overall record and an 0-15 league mark. 

UNCG Still Holds Championship Fate in its Own Hands

UNCG (18-10, 11-4 SoCon) at Mercer (12-16, 5-10 SoCon)

Feb. 22, 2025/Hawkins Arena/Macon, GA/2 p.m. EST

--With a 78-75 buzzer-beating win at Chattanooga earlier this season as a result of a buzzer-beating three from Ronald Polite III, UNCG holds its championship fate in its own hands should the Spartans be able to find their way past Mercer on the road at Hawkins Arena on Saturday. 

--With a win over the Bears, UNCG will host Chattanooga next Thursday at the First North Coliseum in what could be a monumental clash for the top seed heading to Asheville for the 2025 Southern Conference in Asheville March 7-10. Should UNCG beat the Mocs in that contest, the Spartans would pull even in the standings and own the tiebreaker against Chattanooga with one game left in the regular-season. 

--UNCG blew a 23-point lead against Mercer earlier this season at the First Horizon Coliseum, dropping a surprising 79-78 decision to the Bears. Mercer snapped a five-game losing streak in its most recent outing, posting a 62-52 win at The Citadel.

--UNCG's sharp-shooting guard Donovan Atwell currently ranks tied for seventh nationally in total three-point field goals made this season, with 89 made treys.

--UNCG has yet to drop consecutive games in league play this season, with the last time the Spartans having lost back-to-back games being at the BallDawgs Classic in December.

What's at Stake For Samford on Senior Day vs. Western Carolina

Western Carolina (8-18, 4-11 SoCon) at Samford (20-8, 10-5 SoCon)

Feb. 22, 2025/Pete Hanna Center/Birmingham, AL/3 p.m. EST

--After losses in three of its last four conference games, the Bulldogs sit in third place in the Southern Conference standings and have a tricky schedule to close out the season, which begins Saturday with a Senior Day clash with suddenly improved Western Carolina.

--Jaden Brownell is coming off a career-high performance last time out against Furman, posting 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the floor and 5-for-9 from three-point range.

--Samford will be celebrating Senior Day on Saturday and will be celebrating the careers of Rylan Jones, Trey Fort, and Collin Holloway. With Senior Day taking on less meaning than it once did because of the transfer portal, it's also likely that others could be recognized that are planning on not returning to the program next season. 

--The Bulldogs claimed the first meeting between the Bulldogs and Catamounts earlier this season, opening up a favorable cushion in the second half to emerge from Cullowhee with an 88-69 win. 

--The Catamounts have shown much improvement over the second half of Southern Conference play under the direction of first-year head coach Tim Craft, and it's been largely due to improved shooting from three-point land and a major reason for that improvement has been the truly amazing season Marcus Kell is putting together, having hit double figures in each of the past eight games. Kell is the reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week, averaging 19.3 PPG to rank second in the SoCon over that stretch. His career-best 31-point effort wasn't enough to land the Catamounts the upset win over Chattanooga, but it was enough to help him garner league player-of-the-week plaudits. In league games this season, Kell ranks second in the Catamount lineup in scoring average, posting a 12.9 PPG scoring average through the first 15 league games. 

--Bernard Pelote has been the unquestioned leader for this WCU team over the season's entirety, however, as along with Kell, has been a notable piece and leader to return from the Justin Gray era. Pelote is averaging 16.3 PPG in league games, which is second in the SoCon.

--Saturday's contest between the Bulldogs and Catamounts will mark the 34th all-time clash between the two, with Samford owning the 19-14 series edge, including having won eight-straight games in the series.

SoCon Tourney Bye at Stake: Furman set to Host VMI on Senior Day at Bon Secours Wellness Arena

VMI (13-15, 7-8 SoCon) at Furman (20-8, 8-7 SoCon)

Feb. 22, 2025/Bon Secours Wellness Arena/Greenville, S.C./12 p.m. EST

--Furman will host VMI at high noon Saturday at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in a game that will not only be one that will see the Paladins celebrate its four seniors, but also will be one that will see the Paladins and Keydets duking it out for the final bye spot, or the No. 6 seed, for the upcoming Southern Conference Tournament.

--Following a 32-point performance from senior guard PJay Smith Jr. on Wednesday night, Furman was able to complete the season sweep of the defending league champion Samford Bulldogs, with an 80-72 win at the Pete Hanna Center.  Smith Jr., Garrett Hien, Nick Anderson and Tyrese Hughey will be celebrated for their contributions to the Furman basketball program.

--VMI has been the league's surprise package in 2024-25, and it's been the job of head coach Andrew Wilson that the Keydets have put themselves in such a position to avoid the play-in round of the Southern Conference Tournament. For me, Wilson has been the league's Coach of the Year, and it's been due in large part to the pieces he has brought in from the transfer portal, such as forward Augustinas Kiudulas and forward TJ Johnson. Guard Rickey Bradley Jr. has been the straw that stirs it all for VMI this season, who leads the team in scoring average, at 15.6 PPG, which is just ahead of teammate Kiudulas, who is posting 15.5 PPG. Johnson is just behind those two, averaging 13.0 PPG. 

--Furman, which took a one-game lead over VMI due its win in Birmingham over Samford coupled with VMI's 82-43 loss to Wofford at Cameron Hall, has only strung together consecutive wins in league play once this season after posting a seven-game winning streak to open the season and a six-game streak to close out non-conference play and included the first game of league play at Western Carolina. The Keydets won the first meeting this season, claiming what was a 91-82 win at Cameron Hall back on Jan. 22. 

--Furman and VMI will be meeting on the hardwood for the 110th time, with the Paladins holding a 71-38 all-time series edge. The Paladins will be looking to avoid being swept by the Keydets for the first time since 2014-15 (two regular-season games). The Keydets also claimed two wins over the Paladins during the 2020-21 season, posting a 74-73 win over the Paladins in Lexington and a 91-90 win over the Paladins in the Southern Conference Tournament in Asheville, as the No. 6 Keydets upset the No. 3 seed Paladins. The Keydets also won the only meeting between the two in the 1997-98 campaign, which was in Lexington, as the Keydets were 87-81 victors on that occasion. From 1995-98, the Keydets won five-straight games over the Paladins under the direction of then head coach Bart Bellairs. 

Wofford Hosts East Tennessee State in a Key League Tilt

ETSU (16-12, 9-6 SoCon) at Wofford (15-13, 9-6 SoCon)

Feb. 22, 2025/Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium/Spartanburg, S.C./2 p.m. EST

--Both Wofford and East Tennessee State remain in the thick of the league race, and both have a remote shot of finishing as high as the No. 2 seed. But more likely, the game between the Bucs and Terriers offers a potential preview of a blockbuster quarterfinal clash in Asheville, which would be the final of the four quarterfinal clashes on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at the Harrah's Cherokee Center.

--The Terriers and Bucs enter the clash both off of confidence-building wins the last time out, with the Terriers going on the road to knock off VMI by 39 (82-43) to avenge an earlier loss to the Keydets in Spartanburg, while East Tennessee State avenged an earlier loss to UNC Greensboro, as the Bucs knocked the Spartans out of first-place in the standings with a 65-49 win at Freedom Hall over the Spartans. It was maybe the most-impressive defensive half of basketball of the season, holding UNCG to just 17 points in the second half, outscoring the Spartans 33-17 in the second half, as the score was tied, 32-32, at the half.

--In that win over the Spartans, the Bucs were buoyed by the return of Jaden Seymour, who missed a couple of games with a minor knee injury, which saw ETSU drop both on the road at Western Carolina (L, 67-76) and at Chattanooga (L, 71-78), and despite only scoring six points, which was well under his 17.2 PPG average, his effect on the defensive end was notable and his presence gave the Bucs a confidence they lacked in road losses at Chattanooga and at Western Carolina. Quimari Peterson continued his leading performance for SoCon Player of the Year against UNCG, as he posted 29 points, 13 rebounds and an assist, as he went all 40 minutes for the second-straight game and the third time this season. Peterson's minutes are a must right now without much scoring depth, or at least until Seymour gets back to full health. It might be something to monitor as we get closer to the tournament, and if Peterson will have the legs to lead this team to a title in Asheville.

--Peterson is leading the SoCon in scoring, averaging 19.1 PPG, and if his importance to the team isn't noticed by the fact that he has gone the entire 40 minutes three times this season and ranks second in the SoCon in minutes-per-game (33.8 MPG), his overall stat-stuffing performances this season have made him the leader in the clubhouse for SoCon Player of the Year just ahead of guys like UTC's Honor Huff, Furman's PJay Smith Jr. and UTC's Frank Champion. According to KenPom, Peterson has been the best player in the SoCon this season, ranking ahead of Furman's Smith, Wofford's Filewich, ETSU's Seymour and Mercer's Ahmad Robinson in that order. His 13 boards against UNCG were a career-best and posted his 1,000th career point early in the second half of that win over UNCG.  Peterson leads the SoCon in scoring average (19.1 PPG), points scored (536) and field goals made (199). He also ranks 31st in the nation in steals (54) and 57th nationally in steals-per-game (1.93).

--Wofford was able to also put together one of its most impressive road performances in recent memory, getting a 39-point win at VMI, which tied Wofford's largest margin of victory in the series history vs. the Keydets (W, 82-43). VMI's 43 points was a part of an outstanding collective defensive effort from the Terriers, who have looked like a completely different team on the road this season than at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, and the 43 points in a game marked VMI's lowest scoring output since re-joining the SoCon in 2014, and lowest since the 2007-08 season. The Terriers are looking for the season-sweep of ETSU for the first time since the 2020-21 season.

--While Corey Tripp leads the Terriers in scoring average, at 13.6, it was Kyler Filewich that was likely the most important piece to Wofford's win in Johnson City earlier this season, as he posted 16 points and eight rebounds in the 81-78 win. Filewich had three offensive rebounds and led a Terriers team that won the battle of the boards, 26-23, in the initial meeting, as well as helping the Terriers own what was a 12-4 edge in second-chance scoring. Wofford struggled against the ETSU press late in the game, and much like its last home game, which it eventually lost against Samford (L, 68-76) after blowing a 16-point second-half lead, the Terriers struggled against the press. 

--ETSU and Wofford will be meeting on the hardwood for the 65th all-time on Saturday, with the Bucs holding a commanding 45-19 series edge. However, the two teams have split the past 10 meetings, and the Bucs are 8-8 all-time in Spartanburg.

Predicted Outcomes:

--It wasn't a great first trial last weekend, but I did finish 3-2 so it's not completely awful.

Furman 70, VMI 64

Chattanooga 83, The Citadel 58

Samford 76, Western Carolina 68

UNCG 58, Mercer 55

ETSU 66, Wofford 61

Smith's Career-High Tying Effort Enough to Help Furman to Season Sweeping Win at Defending Champion Samford

Furman senior guard PJay Smith Jr.

BIRMINGHAM, AL.--PJay Smith Jr. scored a career-high 32 points, and Furman connected on 21 of its final 22 free throws, as the Paladins went on the road to claim an 80-72 win over defending Southern Conference champion Samford at the Pete Hanna Center in a midweek SoCon tilt. 

The Bulldogs did have a 28-game homecourt winning streak back in January until East Tennessee State snapped it with a 65-60 win in the facility back on Jan. 18 and then suffered a second home loss to Chattanooga on Feb. 12, as the Mocs came into the Pete Hanna Center and handed the Bulldogs an 82-68 setback. Furman became the second team to sweep the Bulldogs this season, joining ETSU in that distinction. In addition, the Bucs also claimed what was a 66-59 win over the Bulldogs back on Feb.8.

With the win, Furman clinched its seventh 20-win season in the past nine seasons, improving to 20-8 overall and 8-7 in league action. More importantly, Furman moved into sole possession of sixth place in the Southern Conference standings with the win over the Bulldogs, which is now a full game ahead of VMI (13-15, 7-8), which fell at home, 82-43, against Wofford (15-13, 9-6 SoCon) earlier in the evening. The Paladins and Keydets will do battle next at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

The loss sees Samford fall to 20-8 on the season, which includes 10-5 in Southern Conference play. The Bulldogs, who have won or shared each of the past two SoCon regular-season titles by going a combined 30-6 in regular-season games each of the past two campaigns. The loss puts a serious dent in Samford's hopes to win at least a share of its third-straight regular-season SoCon title.

After garnering the league's overall top seed last season, the Bulldogs went on to cut down the nets in Asheville, posting wins over Mercer, Furman and East Tennessee State to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 24 years. The win marked Furman's fifth win in the last seven meetings with the Bulldogs. 

PJay Smith Jr.'s matched his career-high of 32 points, which saw him connect on 7-of-12 shots from the field and was 6-for-9 from three-point range, while also knocking down an impressive 12-of-13 free throw attempts in the win. The 32-point effort marks the individual season high for a Furman player, marking the second time a Paladin has gone for 30 or more in Southern Conference play, matching Nick Anderson, who was the first do it when he posted a Furman career-high of 30 points in the Paladins' overtime win over Western Carolina back on Feb. 8.

In addition to his 32 points, Smith also added four assists, four steals and two rebounds. His 32-point effort against the Bulldogs matched his career-high of 32 points, which he established during his time at Lee  University, when the senior guard from LaVergne, TN., went for 32 points in a 101-90 win over Auburn University-Montgomery back on Feb. 4, 2023. 

Joining Smith in double figures for the Paladins in the win was Cooper Bowser, who like his first game against the Bulldogs this season, which saw him score a career-high 21 points, added 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and 4-for-6 from the charity stripe. Bowser also added six rebounds, a steal, a block and an assist. In two games now this season against Samford, Bowser is 14-of-16 from the field and 9-of-13 from the charity stripe. 

Nick Anderson, who scored 24 points in the first matchup with the Bulldogs earlier this season, added 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field, including 3-of-8 from three-point range and a 2-for-2 effort at the line. Additionally, Anderson also added six rebounds and an assist. 

Tom House added seven points and four rebounds off the bench, as he continued his strong play of late, connecting on 3-for-6 from the field and 1-of-3 from three-point range. Eddrin Bronson added six off the bench, doing most of his damage from the line, going 4-of-4 on free throws down the stretch.

Samford was led in the contest by Jaden Brownell, who after scoring just seven in the initial matchup with Furman this season, posted 25 this time around, going an impressive 10-of-16 from the field and 5-of-9 from three-point range. He also added five rebounds, two steals and two blocks in the win. 

Joining Brownell in double figures for the Bulldogs were both Josh Holloway and Trey Fort, who added 14 points apiece. Holloway added four assists and a steal to his line, while Fort added four boards, an assist and a steal to his statistical output. 

For the game, Furman connected on 43.4% (23-of-53), which included a 42.3% (11-of-26) from three-point land. The Paladins by far put forth their most impressive performance of the season at the charity stripe knocking down 85.2% (23-of-27) from the stripe, including 90.9% (20-of-22) in the second half alone. 

Samford finished the game connecting on 38.3% (26-of-67) from the field, which included a 34.2% (11-of-32) effort from three-point land. The Bulldogs finished the game 81.8% (9-of-11) from the free throw line. 

Samford finished the game holding advantages in points in the paint (30-20), second-chance points (26-12), and points off turnovers (18-16). Furman finished with advantages in total rebounds (37-35), total assists (18-14), fast-break points (17-11) and bench points (16-9).

How It Happened:

Furman got off to a solid start, but found itself trailing 20-13 when Collin Holloway connected on a three with 12:40 left in the opening frame. 

Furman commenced to then go on a 30-10 run to close the half, holding the Bulldogs without a field goal for over 11 minutes, building its lead to as much as 18 points (43-25) before settling for a 43-30 lead at the break after the Bulldogs scored the final five points of the half on a Trey Fort dunk and a three-pointer by Jaden Brownell.

In the second half, Furman built its lead to 21 points, at 51-30, scoring the first eight points of the second half, which was capped by a Ben VanderWal layup off a pass from PJay Smith Jr., making it a 51-30 game with 17:26 remaining.

As is pretty much customary, and something we've seen from Samford on multiple occasions this season, which included in just the previous game, when the Bulldogs were able to overcome a 16-point second-half deficit and post what a 76-68 win on the road was last time out against Wofford.  In a home overtime win over North Dakota State (W, 103-98) earlier this season, the Bulldogs overcame a 14-point deficit in the final final three minutes to force overtime and eventually pull out a win in overtime. 

So, when Furman ran out to a 21-point lead early in the second half, you knew the run from the Bulldogs was imminent, and it was not a matter of if, but when. 

The Bulldogs almost immediately put together a 11-0 run after going down by 21, as a Brownell three-pointer and a free throw by Hamed Olayinka got the Bulldogs to within 10 with 12:50 left. A Cooper Bowser rebound and putback of his own shot put the Paladins back up 12 on the next possession, however, Samford struck back with five-straight on a three and layup from Brownell, getting the Bulldogs to within seven, at 53-46, with 10:20 left.  

Smith and Brownell exchanged threes, and with the Paladins up seven, narrowly broke the pressure once again and Tom House found an open Nick Anderson in transition, who connected on a triple from the left wing to give the Paladins a 59-49 lead with 9:16 remaining. It would prove to be Furman's final points from the field for the Paladins until the last two minutes of the game. 

Samford continued to chip away at the Paladin lead, and as it did, the Pete Hanna Center came to life with noise, and just as it had done in the final four minutes in Greenville, the Bulldogs pulled even with Furman after senior guard Rylan Jones scored on a layup with 3:44 remaining, tying the game, 64-64. 

What ensued was three-straight turnovers, which included two by the Bulldogs, and four-straight made free throws from Bowser and Smith helped the Paladins back to a 68-64 lead with 2:30 remaining. Following a Fort missed three-pointer on the other end, Smith connected on a step-back jumper just inside the three-point line on the left wing to increase Furman's lead to 70-64 with 1:40 left.  

A layup almost immediately on the other end by Holloway got the Bulldogs back to within four with 1:35 left. Two more Smith free throws after he was fouled by Lukas Walls in the lane allowed the Paladins to go back up by six, at 72-66, with 1:07 remaining.

Walls and Bronson exchanged trips to the free throw line, and Furman led 74-68 with 51 seconds remaining. However, Brownell rebounded a missed shot and converted a layup and then after Bronson turned it over in the corner under intense pressure by Samford, the Bulldogs got back to within a bucket, at 74-72, when Fort knocked down a short jumper with 29 seconds left. 

It would prove, however, to be the final points of the night for Samford. Bronson, Anderson and Smith would go 6-for-6 from the line down the stretch, and a missed shot and a turnover ended any thoughts of a miracle finish for Samford, as the Paladins held on for the 80-72 win.

Furman will celebrate its Senior Day on Saturday when it hosts VMI (13-15, 7-8 SoCon) in a noon battle at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in a key league tilt. A win by the Paladins could all but lock up a bye in next month's Southern Conference Tournament. Samford also returns to action this Saturday when it hosts Western Carolina (8-18, 4-11 SoCon) in a 3 p.m. EST contest at the Pete Hanna Center. 

Notes:

--Bob Richey improved to 8-3 all-time against Bucky McMillan.

--Furman now has won 20 games in seven of the past nine seasons.

--Furman's win Wednesday night was its 121st SoCon win (2nd in league) and 218th overall win (1st in SoCon) since the start of the 2015-16 season.

--Furman has now won six of the past eight meetings against Samford.

--The Paladins held a foe to less than 40% shooting from the field for the second-straight game.

--Furman improved to 7-1 in games played on a Wednesday night during regular-season SoCon play. 

—Furman now has 14 twenty-win seasons, with six of those coming under current head coach Bob Richey.

UNCG's Stout Defense Holds Furman's Offense to Seasonal Lows in Sweeping Win

UNCG guard Kenyon Giles led the Spartans with 19 points in its 58-50 win at Furman

GREENVILLE, S.C.--Fresh off scoring a season-high 96 points against a Division I foe in what was a 96-72 win over visiting Mercer, Furman picked a dreary, cold Saturday to mimic the outdoor conditions inside Bon Secours Wellness Arena, in a game that featured the same winning point total for UNC Greensboro as its last game in the facility—58—holding the Paladins posted season-lows for shooting percentage 26.8% (15-of-56) and point total (50), as the Spartans left Greenville with their fourth-straight series win over Furman, downing the the Paladins 58-50 win before a crowd of 2,767.

With the win, the Spartans improved to 18-9 overall and took a half-game lead in the Southern Conference standings, improving to 11-3 in league action, as the Spartans’ league co-leader coming into the day—the Chattanooga Mocs (18-8, 10-3 SoCon)—will tip-off against East Tennessee State (15-11, 8-5 SoCon) tonight at 7 p.m. EST this evening. 

The last time the Spartans played at “The Well” back in Mike Jones’ first season (2021-22) as the Spartans' head coach, UNCG claimed a narrow 58-56 (Feb. 6, 2022) defensive battle that, in many ways, resembled what transpired three years later in the same venue. That game three years ago would see Furman shoot 30.2% from the field and it opponent hit that identical point total of 58, in what was another rock fight or the basketball version of a rock pitcher’s duel.

The loss sees Furman fall to 19-8 overall and 7-7 in league play. The Paladins are now just 17-15 in league games over the past two seasons and came into the day holding on to the No. 6 spot in the league’s standings with just a one game lead over VMI.  That would change the end of the day.

After VMI's (13-14, 7-7 SoCon) 80-71 win at Mercer later Saturday evening, the Paladins and Keydets are now tied for sixth in the standings on record, however, by virtue of VMI's 91-82 win back on Jan. 22 in Lexington, the Paladins are actually in seventh place by virtue of that result, despite the two teams being tied on record. 

VMI and Furman face each next Saturday at The Well in what looks like it will be a titanic league clash that could decide who gets the final bye for the upcoming SoCon Tournament next month, and who is playing on Friday. 

UNCG inched a little closer to its first regular-season SoCon title since the 2020-21 season, and if the Spartans can win home games against Samford (20-7, 10-4 SoCon) and Chattanooga (17-9, 10-3 SoCon) down the stretch, UNCG would have the No. 1 overall seed heading to Asheville, and knowing the trend that the last seven SoCon title winners have had the No. 1 seed going into the tournament should at least provide some comfort in a league race that has been wild in 2025.

The irony of the game is that Furman played some of its best defense of the season, limiting UNCG to just 39.3% shooting for the game, which included just a 33.3% effort (4-of-12) from three-point range, as the Spartans entered the game as the league’s top three-point shooting team. Overall, the Spartans would connect on 39.3% (22-of-56) for the game. UNCG finished connecting on an impressive 80.3% (10-of-12) from the charity stripe. 

In addition to its season-low 26.8% shooting clip for the game, Furman finished just 26.7% (8-of-30) from three-point range. The Paladins connected on 70.6% (12-of-17) from the free throw line. 

Coming into this afternoon’s contest, UNCG was making 37.8% of its shots from three, while ranking third in the league in total made three-point field goals (251) behind only Samford (286) and Furman (276). 

The Paladins held the Spartans to a season-low matching four made threes, while the 58 total points matched a season-low established earlier this season in a loss to UTEP Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, NV, as the Spartans dropped a 64-58 contest against the Miners. 

The Spartans were 0-2 with losses to SMU and San Jose State when making five threes or less in a game this season coming into the Saturday afternoon league clash until winning Saturday's clash by making just four. The 12 attempted threes by the Spartans were also a season-low for a single game this season, which was also a tip of the cap to the defense played by the Paladins. 

The first meeting between the Paladins and Spartans was vastly different than the second one, with the Spartans connecting on 57.4% (31-of-54) from the field and 52.2% (12-of-23) from three-point range, posting their highest point total against an NCAA Division I opponent this season with 84 points, while it remains just one of three 80-point scoring outputs against NCAA Division I foes this season. 

UNCG had just two players finish the afternoon in double figures, with Kenyon Giles finishing the contest with a team-leading 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 from three-point range. Giles netted a game-high 25 points in the first meeting with Furman this season, as he led the Spartans to the 84-67 win over the Paladins back on Jan. 4. Giles also added a strong 4-for-4 effort from the line, while adding four assists and blocked a shot. 

Aside from Giles, the only other Spartans player to reach double figures in the game was Ronald Polite III, who was extremely efficient leading UNCG's offense on a day when points came at a premium. The graduate transfer from George Mason showed tremendous poise and veteran leadership in leading a UNCG offense that shared Polite's efficiency for the game, finishing 11-of-28 in each half to highlight that efficiency. 

Polite finished 5-of-11 from the field and was 5-for-6 from the line, and didn't attempt a three in the game for just the second time this season. The native of Temple Hills, MD, also went 5-for-6 from the line and had a team-leading five assists to just one turnover, helping manage an offensive afternoon that, while points were tough to come by, the importance of taking care of the basketball was maybe just as important as scoring the ball, and he helped play caretaker of a UNCG offense that committed just eight total miscues in the game. Polite's 15 points Saturday gives him exactly 1,000 points for his career. 

Donovan Atwell finished with just eight points, which was six points below his 14.2 PPG average coming into the matchup, however, his three-pointer with 1:12 remaining, which extended UNCG's lead from five to eight points, at 56-48, turned out to be arguably the biggest shot of the game. The junior all-conference guard finished 3-of-12 from the field and was 2-for-7 from long-range.

Atwell is absolutely one of the top players in the SoCon, and he showed it on both ends today, as even though he only had eight points, his influence on the basketball game was apparent, and that includes on the defensive end of the floor. The 6-5 guard added seven rebounds and an assist, owning an impressive +19 during his 33 minutes of floor action. 

Jalen Breath was UNCG's top scorer in the paint, finishing with seven points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals in a solid afternoon of work. 

The Huntersville, N.C., product came into the game ranking fifth nationally and first overall in the SoCon in three-pointers made, with 85 made this season. He also came into the game leading the league in three-point field goal percentage (41.3%), as well as leading the league in three-pointers attempted (206) and ranked second in threes made per game (3.27).

For the Paladins, it was a game that saw Paladin guards shoot 44 of the Paladins’ 56 shots in the game, combining for 44 of the team’s 50 points. 

The Paladins only had four players make a shot from the field in the game, with the lone post player to record points in the game being Tyrese Hughey, who finished with five points on 1-of-3 shooting from the field, while also contributing five rebounds and a block in 13:23 off the bench for the Paladins. The senior forward was also a perfect 3-for-3 from the line. It was Hughey’s first action in a game since Jan. 13 against Wofford.

Hughey, Cooper Bowser, Garrett Hien, Ben VanderWal and Charles Johnston connected on a combined 1-of-12 shots from the field, with Bowser and VanderWal attempting just one shot between the two of them. Free throws by Hien and Johnston gave the Paladin post players a combined seven points in the game. Furman’s PJay Smith Jr. (17 pts), Nick Anderson (16 pts) and Tom House (10 pts) combined to score the other 43 points on 14-of-29 (48.2%) shooting from the field, which included an 8-of-22 (36.4%) effort from three-point range. 

Smith finished his day connecting on 4-of-14 shots from the field, including going 3-of-8 from long range, while going a perfect 6-for-6 from long range. The senior guard added three rebounds and an assist, but had five turnovers, as the Paladins committed a total of 12 in the game, while forcing only eight out of UNCG. 

Overall, the Paladins held advantages in total rebounds (40-39), bench scoring (16-9) and fast-break points (4-2). The Spartans held advantages in total assists (10-7), points from turnovers (11-9), second-chance points (9-5), and points in the paint (26-10).

In roughly the opening five minutes of both halves of Saturday's SoCon game between the Paladins and Spartans, UNCG outscored Furman 18-3, which was monumental in a game that was nearly even the for the remaining 30 minutes of action. 

How It Happened:

After starting so well against Mercer, taking a 13-4 early lead, Furman found itself battling a deficit from the outset of Saturday’s contest, as UNCG assumed an early 9-0 start to the game until five minutes in PJay Smith Jr. knocked down a jumper and after a pair of Spartans free throws before Tom House scored on a driving layup to get the Paladins to within seven (11-4) by the second media timeout.

The opening minutes of the game were a harbinger of things to come for the Paladins, who matched UNCG's intensity for most of the afternoon, playing its best game on the defensive end of the floor since getting off to a 12-1 start to the season during non-conference play.

The Paladins would stem the momentum of UNCG in the middle portions of the opening 20 minutes of basketball, as after trailing 11-4 at the first media, would use a 14-6 run to take its only lead of the game, at 18-17, following a Nick Anderson triple with 6:47 remaining in the opening half.  Tyrese Hughey sparked both of Furman's primary runs in the game, checking in at the 15:14 mark of the first half, forcing a UNCG turnover almost immediately, and then added a help-side block and an offensive rebound in nearly six minutes of work in the opening half, coinciding with Furman getting the crowd into the game and taking its lone lead of the night. 

The Spartans responded with a 7-0 spurt to take the lead for good, using a Kenyon Giles jumper, a three from the top of the key from Donovan Atwell, and then a second Giles jumper gave the Spartans a 24-18 lead with 5:34 left in the half. Furman trimmed the lead back to three when Garrett Hien hit a foul shot and Nick Anderson followed with a mid-range jumper, slicing Mercer's lead in half, at 24-21, with 4:32 remaining in the frame. 

Ronald Polite III connected on a teardrop in the lane to increase the Spartans lead to five with 3:48 left in the half, however, Hien found an open Nick Anderson on the right wing for a triple, cutting the UNCG lead to two (26-24) with 3:03 remaining in the frame. 

The final points of the half would come from Giles, who was rewarded for his strong penetration into the lane, and he followed that with a fade-a-way jumper to increase UNCG's lead to two possessions with 1:34 remaining in the half. 

In the second half, the Spartans came out with a 9-3 spurt to start the frame, as UNCG assumed its largest lead of the game, at 37-27, with Joryiam Saizonou capping the run at the 15:17 mark of the second half. 

The Paladins used a 10-0 run, which included five points from Hughey on a pair of free throws and a three-point play the old-fashioned way after he scored in the lane and was fouled by Miles Jones with 10:57 remaining. 

Much like its response in the opening half, the Spartans responded like a veteran squad does when facing adversity on the road, using a 9-0 run to take back momentum and control of the basketball game. Polite III both started and ended the run for UNCG, using a pair of made charity shots after getting fouled by Eddrin Bronson, and then at the end of the nine-point run, gave the Spartans a 46-37 lead following a three-point play the old-fashioned way with 7:30 left following a foul by Smith.

With Furman still facing a nine-point deficit (51-42) remaining, the Paladins would get six-straight on a rare stretch of consecutive scoring possessions, getting a three-point play the old-fashioned way with Anderson getting fouled on a layup, and the graduate transfer would connect on the foul shot to get Furman within six, at 51-45, with 2:38 left.

Following a miss by Polite III, Smith took down the board and got the Paladin to within a possession, as his high arching triple got the Paladins to within 51-48 with 1:22 left. 

However, UNCG had one last spurt, using a Giles elbow jumper and after Smith missed a three on the other end, Atwell provided the biggest shot of the night for UNCG, connecting on a three from the left wing to extend the Spartans lead back to eight (56-48) with 1:10 left. Anderson connected on a jumper with 55 seconds left to get Furman back to within six, however, Giles would seal the win with two made free throws on the ensuing UNCG possession, setting the final score and margin.

The Paladins will look to get back on the winning track Wednesday night, heading into the league's toughest road venue at the Pete Hanna Center to face defending champion Samford (20-7, 10-4 SoCon), with tip-off time set for 7:30 p.m. EST. UNCG returns to the floor against Wednesday night in a key league clash at East Tennessee State (15-11, 8-5 SoCon), with tip-off time set for 7 p.m. EST at Freedom Hall. 

Postgame Press Conference:

Furman head coach Bob Richey

Furman players PJay Smith Jr. and Tyrese Hughey

SoCon Hoops 2024-25: Chattanooga and UNCG have key league tilts to Highlight Saturday's SoCon Action

 

 Is Chattanooga the Team to Beat in the Southern Conference?

Saturday's SoCon Tip-off Times (Feb. 15, 2025)

UNCG (17-9, 10-3 SoCon) at Furman (19-7, 7-6 SoCon), 12 p.m. EST

***It will mark the 48th meeting between Furman and UNCG, with the Spartans holding a 26-21 edge, including an 84-67 win in Greensboro back on Jan. 4

Samford (19-7, 9-4 SoCon) at Wofford (14-12, 8-5 SoCon), 2 p.m. EST

***It will mark the 33rd all-time meeting in the series, with the Terriers holding a 23-9 series edge and hasn't lost in Spartanburg to Samford since 2017 (L, 89-91). Samford won the first meeting between the two this season, 77-61, in Birmingham back on Jan. 25

The Citadel (5-19, 0-13 SoCon) at Western Carolina (7-17, 3-10 SoCon), 3:30 p.m. EST

***It will mark the 90th all-time meeting between the Bulldogs and Catamounts with WCU holding a narrow 48-41 series edge; the Catamounts claimed an 80-78 overtime thriller in Charleston back on Jan. 25

VMI (12-14, 6-7 SoCon) at Mercer (11-15, 4-9 SoCon), 4:30 p.m. EST

***Mercer holds a commanding 20-4 all-time series edge against the Keydets in what will be the 25th meeting in series history Saturday at Hawkins Arena; The Bears claimed a 70-67 win over the Keydets at Cameron Hall back on Jan.4

East Tennessee State (15-11, 8-5 SoCon) at Chattanooga (17-9, 10-3 SoCon), 7 p.m. EST

***--ETSU and Chattanooga have met 102 times, with the Mocs holding the 55-47 all-time series edge, which includes having claimed a 71-63 win over the Bucs in a battle that was heated throughout in Johnson City.

When the 2024-25 season got underway, the Chattanooga Mocs were on everyone’s radar. The program usually is after all, as it has established itself as the gold standard in Southern Conference Basketball ever since joining SoCon in 1977 under then head coach Ron Shumate.

While the Mocs’ 13-point, 85-72, win over Furman last weekend gave UTC the season sweep of the Paladins impressive in impressive fashion, it was UTC’s win 82-68 win at league co-leader Samford Wednesday night that has most folks abuzz about the Mocs as we head down the stretch of the season in the Southern Conference. Fresh off the win over the Bulldogs, the Mocs now are tied with UNC Greensboro at 10-3 in the Southern Conference race. The Spartans held serve at home, equaling the Mocs in the standings with an 80-54 win over VMI.

The Mocs have a monumental stretch of games ahead, which includes three-straight at home against East Tennessee State (Feb. 15), Western Carolina (Feb. 19) and The Citadel (Feb. 22) before closing out SoCon play on the road at league co-leader UNC Greensboro (Feb. 27) and at VMI (Mar. 1). If the Mocs can close strong down the stretch, it could be looking at claiming its 21^st SoCon regular-season or Divisional title, as well as heading to Asheville with the all-important No. 1 overall seed, which has seen the past seven No. 1 seeds lift the Southern Conference title trophy in Asheville.

Breaking Down UTC’s win at Samford   

One of the critiques coming into the season or knocks on Dan Earl’s teams since taking over as Chattanooga’s head coach in 2022-23 was its lack of intensity on the defensive end of the floor, however, during the Mocs win over the Bulldogs Wednesday night. In the first meeting with the league favorite and defending champion this season, Chattanooga blew what had been an 11-point halftime to eventually drop what was a 73-69 contest to the Bulldogs in a nationally-televised league tilt on CBS Sports Network last month.

This time around, however, the Mocs posted their best defensive performance of the season, and it never let the Bulldogs find a run to overtake them at any point in the game, leading wire-to-wire in easily the most impressive game of the season.  The Bulldogs never led at any point during the contest, which showed just how much the Mocs had learned from their previous meeting against the Bulldogs. Any let-up at any point on the road

Back-to-back losses by in SoCon play by Samford to both Chattanooga and East Tennessee State marks the first time the Bulldogs have dropped consecutive regular-season SoCon games since the 2022-23 season when both Furman (L, 84-91 OT/Jan. 25, 2023) and Wofford (L, 77-85/Jan. 28, 2023) handed the Bulldogs back-to-back losses in.  

Much like Mercer did in a game Samford won during the early portion of Southern Conference play earlier this season, the Mocs put the clamps down defensively against the Bulldogs, holding them without a field goal over almost the final nine minutes of the game, as Samford didn’t score from the field from the 9:19 mark of the second half until the 35 seconds remaining in the game on a layup by Trey Fort, which got the Bulldogs to within 16,  as Samford would score the final four points of the game to lose by 14.

The Mocs were able to limit the Bulldogs to just 38.3% (23-of-60) shooting from the field for the game, which included just a 20.0% (5-for-25) effort from three-point range.

Meanwhile, offensively the Mocs placed four in double figures in the road win, with Trey Bonham pacing the Mocs with 18 points in 27 minutes of floor time, as he connected on 6-of-12 shots from the field and went 2-for-4 from three-point range. Bonham dished out three assists and added three steals, while also snatching four boards in a game that was arguably the Mocs most-complete performance of the season.

Champion’s Impact

The real x-factor this season for Dan Earl’s squad has been Frank Champion—a standout transfer from NCAA Division II North Georgia College, where he was an All-American—and most folks wondered whether or not Champion could give the Mocs a consistent low-post scoring threat similar to what Jake Stephens was able to give the Mocs in his first season with the Mocs.

Not only has Champion been able to do that, but he’s been able to show a wide range of skills under the basket, with his ability as a passer. He’s actually given Earl and staff a more polished inside product than even predecessor Sam Alexis. His ability to affect a game in so many different areas makes him one of the most versatile players in the SoCon this season, and though he’s only played 18 games, a candidate to capture SoCon Newcomer of the Year accolades this season.

In the win over the Bulldogs Wednesday night, Champion nearly posted a triple-double for the Mocs, as he finished the demonstrative road win over the Bulldogs with 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. He also added three steals and three blocks in 34 minutes of action. It would have been the first triple-double for the Mocs program in over 13 years.

 A Big Time Test vs ETSU

East Tennessee State and Chattanooga are set to battle at least one more time in the rivalry clash that always seemingly produces a good game, and it’s been one that’s been a heated ever since the first time the two teams ever met on the hardwood back in 1961, with the two now having met 102 times, with the Mocs holding the 55-47 all-time series edge, which includes having claimed a 71-63 win over the Bucs in a battle that was heated throughout in Johnson City.

The Mocs could have a season-high crowd on hand when it returns to the Roundhouse Saturday for the second meeting of the season between the two. In the first meeting this season between the two, Chattanooga would face an early 12-point deficit (22-10), but found a way to battle back into the game, and used a strong run at the end of the first half to take a 28-27 lead into the half.

In the second half, it was a case of Trey Bonham (13.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.8 APG) putting the Mocs on his back and not letting them lose. Bonham scored 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, and the Mocs were able to lock down the Bucs for the final four minutes of the half to take the one-point lead into the break.

The second half took an early five-point lead in the second half when Bash Wieland gave the Mocs a 34-29 lead on a driving layup, and UTC would eventually grow its lead to as much as eight points, at 45-37, before ETSU reeled off seven-straight to get within one, highlighted by a Quimari Peterson (18.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG) three-pointer during a stretch that saw UTC get within 45-44.

However, the Mocs used a key 15-5 run to take control of the game, assuming a 60-49 lead with just over five minutes remaining following a made free throw from Latif Diouf. ETSU could never get closer than six points the remainder of the game.

The key for me to the game will be whether or not Jaden Seymour is back from injury. I know that's not quite so in-depth of an analysis, but it is accurate. Whether or not the Bucs can stay close and give themselves a chance to win this game will depend a lot on Seymour's status. If he can't go, it will require out of this world shooting performances from both John Buggs III (11.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 67 three-pointers, 41.1% 3pt FG%) and Maki Johnson (5.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG) to keep ETSU in it with a chance to win it late. 

The Bucs have become so reliable on one player--Seymour--because they don't have any other reliable scoring threats in the paint, which is similar to the problem ETSU encountered last season until getting hot from the outside in Asheville. The main difference this season is the Bucs have a much better perimeter shooting team than a year ago. 

Is Bucky Ball In Trouble?

It’s been a noticable trend. Teams are starting to slow down Bucky Ball, and have made the press more manageable. The Bulldogs have now lost four games in a SoCon season for the first time since the 2021-22 season, and are on the ropes. The Bulldogs are in the mix for a third-straight Southern Conference regular-season title, however, it’s not been a familiar feeling it seems that the Bulldogs have slipped to second place in the Southern Conference standings. After all, that really has only happened once over the past couple of seasons, and that was only because the 2022-23 season saw Furman garner the season sweep of Samford, handing the Bulldogs two of their three losses.

To me, Samford’s situation is not all that unlike what we see when teams start to figure out an option offense. It’s hard to say which team provided the best tutorial for being able to manage Bucky Ball this season, but if I had to guess, it’s probably Brooks Savage at East Tennessee State, but the interesting thing is that there have been several approaches to attack the issues that Samford presents with so many types of presses.

For ETSU, it was to slow down the game entirely, taking possessions away from the Bulldogs. In the 72-70 loss to Furman, the Paladins used the hit-or-miss homerun approach, making the Bulldogs pay when they did get the ball out of danger on the other end, with namely a dunk provided by Cooper Bowser or a three by Nick Anderson.

Chattanooga used good old fashioned defense, especially on the perimeter, to keep the Bulldogs from being able to set up their press all together. While there is no patent to stopping the Bulldogs from doing what they do entirely, teams have shown the ability to keep Bucky Ball from finding that rhythm they are able to get into when they have been able to just completely force other teams teams to get out of kilter and away from what they do best.

The Bulldogs averaged 89.0 PPG through non-conference play, ranking in the Top 10 nationally in scoring offense. Since the start of league play, however, Samford has seen its scoring average trimmed by 13 points, as Samford is down to 76.6 PPG. When teams don’t turn the ball over in live-ball situations, it limits Samford’s offense. Samford’s offense is also prevented not only by the fact that the Bulldogs aren’t getting points as much off live-ball turnovers, but also by the fact that the Bulldogs themselves aren’t doing a great job of taking care of the basketball, as Samford ranks second in the league in turnovers-per-game, ranking just behind Western Carolina in that category this season, as the Bulldogs are averaging 13.3 turnovers-per-game this season.

A Look at Samford-Wofford

Samford (19-7, 9-4 SoCon) needs a win in the worst way and Wofford (14-12, 8-5 SoCon) might be the remedy, as the Terriers have struggled as of late. The Terriers come in off a narrow 74-71 overtime win at The Citadel last time out, which was a game that the Terriers were out-played in throughout. Samford was able to come up with a 77-61 win over the Terriers in the earlier meeting between these two and the two teams will be meeting for the 32^nd time on Saturday afternoon in a tip-off time slated for 2 p.m. EST. The game will be televised live on ESPNU and will be Wofford’s “Hall-of-Fame Game” with former standouts, in guard Fletcher Magee (2015-19), forward Cameron Jackson (2015-19) and former legendary head coach Mike Young (2002-19) to be honored in conjunction with Saturday’s Southern Conference showdown.

The real story this month of February is the continued strong play of Terriers guard Corey Tripp, as he has posted at least 18 points in every game this month and is averaging 19.3 PPG in four games this month so far. Tripp’s 13.8 PPG continues to pace the Terriers this season, while teaming with Dillion Bailey in the backcourt, who chips in with 11.9 PPG and 2.6 RPG. 

Kyler Filewich continues to be one of the top big men in the Southern Conference this season, posting 11.4 PPG and a league-leading 9.3 rebounds-per-game. The Bulldogs counter with their own version of a solid inside-outside combo, with Rylan Jones (11.5 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.1 RPG) running the show at the point guard sport and Trey Fort (13.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG) being one of the best true scoring threats in the league. The Bulldogs need to get Jaden Brownell (13.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG) following a game against UTC when he totaled just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field last time out.

After connecting on 42.5% from three on 48-of-80 shooting from three-point range in wins over Mercer and The Citadel, the Bulldogs are shooting just 31.2% (15-of-48) from long range in the past two games, attempting 32 less threes. That’s a testament to the perimeter defense played by both the Mocs and Bucs and the limit of turnovers in their own backcourt, which usually lead to immediate threes for the Bulldogs. I think Samford gets back on track, but keep in mind that the Bulldogs have lost their last two games at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. In the first meeting between these two at the Pete Hanna Center back on Jan. 25, the Bulldogs were 50% (11-of-22) from downtown in the win, while holding the Terriers to just 30% (6-of-20) shooting from three.

In terms of the three-point shot, it’s a big part of both Wofford and Samford’s DNA offensively. The Bulldogs rank first in the league in three-pointers made (286), while the Terriers are fourth in the league in that same category (247). In terms of shooting accuracy from deep this season, the Bulldogs rank second in the SoCon (37.1%) from long range, while Terriers rank sixth in the league in three-point accuracy (33.6%).  In league games however, the Terriers rank third in that same category (36.7%), while Samford is just behind at fourth in three-point accuracy (36.2%).

It looks like the Terriers have a firm grip on the No. 5 spot in the standings, with a one game lead in the win-loss column over Furman and sit a game back of fourth-place East Tennessee State. The Terriers have games against both the Paladins and Bucs remaining this season, with both having to pay a visit to Spartanburg. The Bucs visit Wofford on Feb. 22, while the Paladins will be in Spartanburg on the final day of the regular-season, facing the Terriers on March 1.

UNCG Making a Strong Statement

Mike Jones’ UNCG Spartans have been steadily playing some of their best basketball at the right time, entering a huge weekend tilt at Furman off an 80-54 win over VMI to stay tied atop the SoCon standings with Chattanooga after Wednesday night’s league results. The Spartans have strung together three-straight wins, including having won five of their last six games. 

UNCG continues to steadily do what they do. A strong backcourt that has been lethal from three-point range this season, in Kenyon Giles (15.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG), Donovan Atwell (14.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG), and Ronald Polite III (13.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG) having connected on 179 of the team’s 251 three-point field goals this season, as the Spartans lead the league in three-point field goal percentage, shooting the ball at a 37.8% clip from long range this season. The 251 made threes this season are third in the league behind Samford (286) and Furman (276)

UNCG continues to be the league’s top defensive team, ranking tops in the SoCon in scoring defense (64.5 PPG), three-point field goal percentage defense (29.9%/29^th in the nation) and total team field goal percentage defense (39.8%/41st nationally). The Spartans will need that defense to travel in the immediate future, as they will be at Furman on Saturday in a noon matchup at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, while the Spartans will be at ETSU next Tuesday. 

In its 26-point win over VMI last time out, the Spartans were able to hold the Keydets to just 37.7% (20-for-53) shooting from the field, which included limiting the Keydets to just 22.2% (6-for-27) from three-point range. UNCG's win gave it a sweep of the Keydets for the regular-season, and a win at Furman on Saturday would give the Spartans a second-straight seasonal sweep of the Furman Paladins, having already defeated the Paladins, 84-67, early in league play at the First Horizon Coliseum.

Furman and UNCG are the two winningest programs in the Southern Conference since the start of the 2015-16 season, with the Spartans having won 126 SoCon games to lead the league over that span, while Furman's 120 Southern Conference wins ranking as the second-most in the league over that span.

 The Paladins also boast the most overall wins since the start of the 2015-16 season, having posted 217 total wins over that span, while the Spartans have produced 215 total victories to rank just behind the Paladins. 

Furman holds a 17-11 record all-time in games played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, with UNCG having posted a 2-1 record all-time at the facility, posting wins over the Paladins in both 2020 (W, 86-73/Jan. 11, 2020) and 2022 (58-56, Feb. 6, 2022).

Furman Finds Third Scoring Option in Tom House

In Furman's 96-72 win over Mercer last time out, the Paladins found some offense from a place it hadn't had it from in a while, as Tom House (6.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG) posted a career-high 26 points and showed why he was such a highly sought out recruit when he ended up at Florida State. 

House was part of a three-point barrage for the Paladins against Mercer on Wednesday night, as the junior guard knocked down six triples and finished the night connecting on 8-of-13 shots overall from the field. The Paladins also got solid outings from both Nick Anderson (13.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG) and PJay Smith Jr. (16.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.8 APG), who finished with 18 and 12 points, respectively in the Paladin win.

Cooper Bowser (9.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 46 Blks) was especially impressive on the defensive end of the floor, as he put up James Dickey-like totals--former standout center for UNCG--as he posted nine points, six rebounds, a career-high five blocks and dished out five assists in Furman's impressive win. 

If the Paladins can be more consistent in getting a third scorer on a nightly basis, the Paladins could be a team to be reckoned with down the stretch and as we get closer to the Southern Conference Tournament in Asheville at the Harrah's Cherokee Center (Mar. 6-10). 

Keydets and Bears in a Must-Win Situation to Stay Alive for Sixth Seed

When Mercer (11-15, 4-9 SoCon) hosts VMI (12-14, 6-7 SoCon) on Saturday, it will be a must-win situation to stay alive for a potential No. 6 seed come the Southern Conference Tournament next month. With its 96-72 loss at Furman this past Wednesday night, the Bears dropped their fourth-straight game, falling to 11-15 overall and 4-9 in league action, which is now just a game ahead of Western Carolina in the league's standings.

It will mark the 25th all-time meeting between the two programs, with Mercer holding the commanding 20-4 all-time edge in the series. 

The Bears currently sit in eighth place, which is a spot below where they were picked to finish in the preseason by the league's 11 head coaches. The Bears are four games back of Furman in sixth spot, as a result of Furman's season sweeping win of Mercer on Wednesday night. With only five games remaining in league play, finishing in seventh spot might be the best that first-year head coach Ryan Ridder and the Bears can hope for.

To do that, they'll need to get a win over the Keydets on Saturday afternoon in Macon, which would give the Bears the season sweep of the Keydets. Mercer won its very first Southern Conference Road game of the season and of the Ryan Ridder era when they knocked off the Keydets, 70-67, in Lexington to improve to 2-0 in the league.

Since those two wins to open league play, it's been a struggle for the Bears to find their footing in the league once again ever since, as Mercer has gone just 2-9 since. The Bears do have a lot of pieces, however, and offensively, they're as good as any team in the SoCon. Ahmad Robinson (17.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.1 APG) for a Mercer team that currently second only behind Samford in scoring offense this season. 

One of my favorite players in the league and one of the best pure athletes in the SoCon resides in Macon, in the form of Cam Bryant (6.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG). It was Bryant that kind of put the rest of the SoCon on notice earlier this season with his acrobatic dunk in a loss at Winthrop. His athleticism and ability to step out and shoot the three make him a versatile scoring threat, yet I think the 6-7 graduate transfer out of Georgia Southern has the potential to do even more to help the Bears' cause. 

Bryant went scoreless in his previous two outings before posting 10 points in the loss at Furman. It was just his third game in league play finding his way into double figures, as he finished with 10 points in the setback at Furman. 

VMI struggled to find its shooting touch on the road in its loss at UNCG, and the Keydets have lost two of their last three to fall into seventh behind Furman a game back in the standings. 

To get back to where they want to be in a good situation to capture the No. 6 seed and the final bye for the upcoming Southern Conference Tournament in Asheville, the Keydets are going to have to find a way to be road warriors in their final two road contests, which includes trips to Macon on Saturday and a trip to Bon Secours Wellness Arena to battle the team just ahead of them a week from Saturday, in the Furman Paladins. 

While the Keydets dropped a 70-67 contest to Mercer on their home floor earlier this season, they managed a 91-82 win over Furman at Cameron Hall back in mid-January.

The Keydets have been able to be in the thick of the race for a top six finish this season because of the outstanding job that head coach Andrew Wilson has done to bring in talent to this Keydets program, including forwards Augustinas Kiudulas (15.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG) and TJ Johnson (13.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG), who came to VMI from Indiana State and Lipscomb, respectively. 

Should VMI find its way to victory on Saturday, it would mark its first-ever win as a Southern Conference member in Macon and first since New Year's Day 2008, when the Keydets posted what was a 102-99 over the Bears on that particular occasion. 

Craft's Catamounts Hungry for Second-Straight League Win at The Citadel

If you haven't noticed lately, Western Carolina has been among those teams playing its best basketball at the right time in the Southern Conference, and on Saturday, Catamounts could move up a spot in the standings should they be able to find a way past The Citadel and if VMI can knock off Mercer on the road Saturday, the Catamounts would sit seventh in the league standings heading into the final couple of weeks of league play.

The Catamounts have come as far as any team in the Southern Conference, considering WCU lost its SoCon opener by 29 points (L, 61-90) on their home floor to open league play against Furman. Since that game, the Catamounts have steadily improved, posting home wins over Mercer (W, 85-82) and East Tennessee State (W, 76-67), while the lone road win was an overtime win at Saturday's Senior Day opponent, The Citadel.

Following a string of single-digit losses to VMI (L, 76-80 OT), at Furman (L, 75-84), and at UNCG (L, 70-74), which were a trio teams that posted a combined margin of victory margin of 73 points in the previous meetings with each of the three teams, as the Catamounts lost their second clashes of conference clashes with each, trimming that combined margin of defeat by 56 points all the way down to a combined 17.

On Wednesday night, the Catamounts were justly rewarded for such improvements, knocking off Blue Ridge Border rival East Tennessee State, 76-67, in one of the bigger upsets of the league's regular season so far. The continued strong play of Bernard Pelote  (14.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG) and the improvement of a player like Marcus Kell (10.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG) under Catamounts first-year head coach Tim Craft has been something to see. Pelote is the lone senior on WCU's roster, and will look to close out his career strong at the Ramsey Center against both The Citadel before heading to Asheville in WCU's home way from home--Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville--

WCU will be celebrating its Senior Day on Saturday even though one more home game remains on the slate, which will take place on Feb. 26 against Wofford. 

Meanwhile, The Citadel must be wondering if they can ever find a way to win a game in overtime, as the Bulldogs remain winless in Southern Conference play (0-13), which includes overtime setbacks to Furman (L, 63-67), Western Carolina (L, 78-80 ) and Wofford (L, 71-74). The Bulldogs have lost 16-straight, including 18-straight on the road dating back to a win at Notre Dame (W, 65-45) last season. The Bulldogs are looking to avoid becoming just the third team to finish league play winless since the 1958-59 season. The only other two to finish league play without a win over that span were the The Citadel in 2019-20 (0-18) and Davidson in 1959-60 (0-10). 

Final opportunities to pick up a league win include Saturday's game at Western Carolina, along with these remaining games: vs. Mercer (Feb. 19), at Chattanooga (Feb. 22) and at Furman (Feb. 26).

My Game Picks:

Furman 71, UNCG 66

Samford 78, Wofford 72

Western Carolina 81, The Citadel 60

Mercer 88, VMI 86

Chattanooga 74, East Tennessee State 70 (If Seymour plays)

Chattanooga 85, ETSU 74(If Seymour does not play)