'DESTINY IS A 'DIN ONCE AGAIN!

ASHEVILLE, N.C.--When Furman claimed its first Southern Conference regular-season title in 43 years—an 88-79 win over Chattanooga in 2023—jokes often circulated that it had taken that long for Paladin basketball to return to the NCAA Tournament. However, when No. 6 seed Furman knocked off No. 1 seed East Tennessee State on March 9, 2026, only 1,099 days separated their SoCon titles. Now the jokes are no longer funny. That's primarily because the Paladins defeated the Bucs 76-61 in the championship game before a sellout crowd of 6,111 fans at the Harrah's Cherokee Center. 

While this time it wasn't the first title since 1980, it was the first win over ETSU in a tournament game since then, and only second overall. The Paladins improved their tournament record against ETSU to 2-5, while also equaling ETSU's eight tournament titles by reaching 8-6 in tournament title tilts. The Paladins now await their NCAA Tournament pairing and seeding, which is slated to be revealed on Sunday, March 15, at 6 p.m. EST on CBS. The Paladins are now 22-12 on the season, while ETSU falls to 23-11 and awaits word on whether it will be invited to the National Invitational Tournament.

The Paladins became just the second No. 6 seed in the 106-year history of the Southern Conference Tournament to win the championship. They are the second consecutive No. 6 seed to do so, matching Wofford, which won last season as a No. 6 seed after defeating the No. 5 seeded Paladins 92-85 in the 2025 championship game. 

The Paladins also became the first team to avenge a championship loss the very next season since the last time they did it. Furman rebounded from a heartbreaking, buzzer-beating 64-63 overtime loss to Chattanooga—which resulted from David Jean-Baptiste 36-footer at the horn that gave the Mocs a dramatic one-point win to conclude the 2022 tournament—by posting an 88-79 win over that same Chattanooga program a year later.

The 15-point championship win sees Furman improve to 22-12 heading into March Madness. The championship win sees the Paladins improve to 2-2 in title game tilts in the past five seasons. It marked only Furman's second-ever win over ETSU in the Southern Conference Tournament, knocking off the Bucs for the first time since 1980, when the Paladins scored a 93-81 semifinal win over ETSU in the SoCon Semifinals en route to winning the Southern Conference Tournament Championship in Roanoke that same season. 

The Paladins ended a three-game losing streak against ETSU dating back to last season. The Bucs had won both regular-season meetings against the Paladins, including a 75-71 overtime victory at Freedom Hall on Feb. 4 after overcoming a 17-point deficit. Two weeks later, the Bucs posted their first win over the Paladins at Timmons Arena since 2018, with a 78-69 result, securing the program's first season sweep of the Paladins since the 1993-94 season. 

The palpable impact of last season's championship loss to No. 6 Wofford (L, 92-85) in Asheville was evident in Cooper Bowser's postgame words for Furman. The motivation put toward returning to the title game and finishing the job once there was absolutely evident. Wofford went on a 13-2 run and connected on nine of its final 11 shots to steal the trophy from Furman's grasp last season. It was if Furman never forgot about its late leads blown even this season, with The Citadel, ETSU and Wofford all overcoming double-digit leads down the stretch to steal wins over the Paladins. 

On this this night, however, things would be different, as it was almost if Furman's end product in Asheville was a sum of all its prior heartbreaks meshed into a collective defiance from a team that wouldn't be and simply couldn't be stopped from claiming the title prize this time around. That was particularly true for seniors Ben Vander Wal, Tom House, and Charles Johnston, and junior Cooper Bowser and sophomore Eddrin Bronson. They were all apart of that championship setback to Wofford last March.  

"For me, personally, (losing in the SoCon title game last yeara) played a lot in the motivation. I just remember, actually, the first day we drove from the hotel to the arena again this year, I was actually tearing up, because the last thing I remember is just losing this, losing on that bus ride. I don't know, just like a wave of emotions hitting and I started tearing up and tried to make sure no one saw me. But yeah, I was feeling really emotional back there. I mean, it means the world to come back here. I mean, that was motivation all off season for me. I mean, a lot of people went home. I stayed here for the whole the whole month of May, just trying to get stronger," Bowser said postgame.

The Paladins got a double-double from Cooper Bowser with 21 points and 11 rebounds, as the junior center from Woodbridge, VA., recorded his 10th double-double in 12 outings in double figures since returning from a lower body injury that forced him to miss the first 10 Southern Conference games. 

Bowser was sensational, connecting on 9-of-12 shots from the field, while also recording his first double-double of the season. Bowser didn't start Furman's first tournament game against Samford because he willingly gave up his spot. He finished upsetting the No. 3 Bulldogs by posting 14 points and six rebounds, then followed that up with 14 points and two rebounds in the semifinal win over UNC Greensboro. 

For the tournament, the 6-11 junior finished 21-of-30 from the field, scoring 49 points, grabbing 19 rebounds, dishing out four assists and blocking two shots while helping lead the Paladins to their second title in the past four seasons. Bowser was voted to the First-Team All-SoCon Tournament Team. He was one of three Paladins voted to the first or second all-tournament team.

Tom House was solid once again. For his efforts in the championship win, the senior guard finished the game with 13 points and made some big shots when the Paladins needed them the most over the weekend. House was named to the SoCon's Second Team All-Tournament team after finishing 4-for-7 from the field, including 2-for-5 from three-point range. House was aware of how much the supporting cast needed to step up and sometimes play leading roles when Batman wasn't "Batmanning." In other words, it's important not to rely on just one or two players. In a tournament environment, it's a given that one or both might have an off night scoring, so others must be ready to fill the scoring void, as well as cover areas that may be deficient over the course of three games in three days.

"I just think we knew collectively that it wasn't, it wasn't about one person each night. We needed different guys to step up, Ed(drin Bronson) stepping up, Ace (Asa Thomas) stepping up, Coop(er Bowser) and Chuck (Charles Johnston) holding it down. So, I mean, all the way down the roster, we just, we knew it was a whole team effort, and that's how you get these things done. It can't be, it can't be one or two guys every night," Tom House said after Furman's memorable championship win.

House also finished 3-for-3 from the line, hitting some clutch free throws over the weekend. House finished in double figures in two out of three tournament games, scoring 20 in the opener against Samford and 13 points in the title game. He also scored three points in Furman's 81-75 semifinal win over UNC Greensboro. For the weekend, House shot 10-for-19 from the field, including 6-for-8 from three-point land and a 10-of-10 effort from the charity stripe. 

Bowser joined the all-tournament team alongside freshman point guard Alex Wilkins, who was also the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Wilkins joins former standout JP Pegues (2023) as the latest Paladin point guard to take home the tournament's top individual award, as voted on by the league's media.

The native of Mattapan, MA., finished off a strong championship performance with 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field and 2-for-8 from three-point land. Wilkins finished the tournament with 65 points, bringing his season total to 601 points, a new Furman record for points in a season by a freshman. In addition to his scoring, Wilkins also dished out two assists and had a pair of steals. One steal essentially sealed the win late for the Paladins: he intercepted a bad pass from Jaylen King and scored a two-handed dunk with 2:11 remaining, giving the Paladins a 72-61 lead. 

ETSU got three strong contributions from its trio of double-figure scorers over the weekend. Brian Taylor II led the way with 16 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the field, including a 1-for-4 effort from the free-throw line. Taylor added one assist and two steals. Blake Barkley added 14 points and four rebounds, while Jaylen Smith added 10 off the bench. Barkley and Taylor were both SoCon First-Team All-Tournament selections, while Jaylen Smith made the second team. 

Furman finished the night shooting 50.9% (27-of-53) from the field, including connecting on 10 of 26 three-point attempts (38.5%). Furman also finished off another strong performance from the free throw line, connecting at an 80% (12-for-15) clip. 

The Bucs connected on 48.0% (24-of-50) of their shots from the field, including just 18.8% (3-for-16) from beyond the arc, while shooting just 55.6% (10-for-18) from the free throw line.

The Paladins also finished the championship game holding statistical advantages in total rebounds (36-24), total assists (12-5) free throws made (12-10), bench scoring (22-17), and second-chance points (11-2). ETSU finished the night with advantages in points from turnovers (19-14), points in the paint (32-30) and fast-break scoring (8-6).

As a team, Furman ranked last in both free throw shooting percentage and three-point field goal percentage. However, at the end of the season, the Paladins led the field in both of the aforementioned categories, shooting 83.6% (51-for-61) from the free throw line and 44.8% (30-for-67) over the course of the weekend.

How It Happened:

Furman and East Tennessee State started fast, with the Paladins taking a 12-8 lead by the first stoppage of action, using threes by Asa Thomas and Charles Johnston to off-set four buckets in the paint, with two of those coming on dunks by Blake Barkley and Cam Morris III, as the Bucs made a concerted effort to get the ball inside early.

Furman would increase its lead to six just after the first media timeout, as Tom House and Cole Bowser connected on threes to make it an 18-12 game. After a made free throw by Jaylen Smith, Alex Wilkins connected on a long three from the top of the key, giving the Paladins a brief eight-point lead, but the Bucs came right back, to cut the Paladin lead to one, at 23-22, on an Allen Strothers jumper off a Paladin turnover with 9:53 remaining in the half.

A 14-4 run, which was highlighted by eight points from Cooper Bowser and ending with a Tom House three, prompted an ETSU timeout, giving Furman a 37-27 lead with four minutes remaining in the half. The Paladins led 42-35 at the half. The Bucs trimmed the lead by three late in the opening frame but missed a big opportunity, failing to convert several makable shots down the stretch that could have further trimmed the margin and established real momentum.

Early in the second half, the Paladins took a 50-38 lead following three made foul shots from Tom House. However, Jaylen Smith and Brian Taylor II hit jumpers to cut the deficit back to within 10, at 50-42, with 13:59 remaining. But as has happened at so many different points during this particular tournament for Furman, Charles Johnston hit a timely right wing three to extend Furman's lead back out to double digits, at 53-42, with 13:54 left. 

Each time the Bucs trimmed the game to single digits, Furman seemingly always had an answer in what is arguably their most complete performance of the season to date. Brian Taylor II's layup in transition brought ETSU within nine, at 53-44, but Asa Thomas, who hadn't scored in double figures in any of Furman's three tournament games despite averaging 12.5 PPG on the season, hit some massive threes during Furman's tournament run in Asheville. 

In the game against UNCG, Thomas' three-pointer early in the second half gave the Paladins their first lead of the game, at 44-43, after trailing by 11 (38-27) at the half. Following Taylor's made layup, the Bucs deficit nine, but Thomas' three from the corner pushed the Paladin lead back to 12. 

Blake Barkley then made a hook shot to get the Bucs to within 10, at 56-46. However, another of Furman's "unsung assassins" had an answer for Barkley's bucked in the paint, as Eddrin Bronson knocked down a three with 11:28 left to put Furman up 13. After Cole Bowser spiked an Isaiah Sutherland layup off the glass, you got the feeling that it might just be the Paladins' night. Bowser's "spike" was reminsicent of Cheeseburger Eddie's shot-blocking ways in the movie the longest 

The Bowser block was originally called goaltending, but after Furman's coaching staff challenged the call, the ruling was overturned, the points were removed, and ETSU felt demoralized. On Furman's next trip down the floor, older brother Cooper Bowser got Cam Morris III on his hip again and put the ball off the glass for two more points, swelling Furman's lead to 61-46 with 10:25 left. An Alex Wilkins three-pointer with 8:34 remaining increased Furman's lead to 16, at 64-48.

Twice inside the final four minutes, the Bucs trimmed the Furman lead to nine, however, the Paladins made a play to make sure the Bucs got no closer. ETSU trimmed the deficit to nine for the second and final time with 2:46 remaining, when Brian Taylor II was fouled on a three, converting two of three foul shots, bringing ETSU within nine at 70-61. 

However, after ETSU got a stop via a Maki Johnson block on a Bronson layup attempt, it appeared the Bucs might close the gap further. But Alex Wilkins stole a bad pass from Jaylen King intended for Johnson and went in for an uncontested two-handed dunk, putting Furman back up 11, at 72-61. That momentum change, which came with 2:11 left, proved decisive and was a dagger to ETSU's hopes of a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.

I'll have complete tournament recap, as well as my overall thoughts and some mid-major madness superlatives to hand out later this week so be sure to check back for that. 

All-Tournament Team
First team
Blake Barkley, ETSU
Brian Taylor II, ETSU
Cooper Bowser, Furman
Alex Wilkins, Furman (MOP)
Justin Neely, UNCG
 
Second team
Sola Adebisi, The Citadel
Jaylen Smith, ETSU
Tom House, Furman
KJ Younger, UNCG
Jadin Booth, Samford

Knight Commission Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Ben VanderWal, Furman
 
2026 Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championship
Friday, March 6 (ESPN+/Nexstar)
Game 1 - (9) The Citadel 88, (8) Chattanooga 85
Game 2 - (7) UNCG 84, (10) VMI 70
 
Saturday, March 7 (ESPN+/SCETV)
Game 3 - (1) ETSU 83, (9) The Citadel 76
Game 4 - (7) UNCG 75, (2) Wofford 72
Game 5 - (6) Furman 86, (3) Samford 81
Game 6 - (5) Western Carolina 77, (4) Mercer 73
 
Sunday, March 8 (ESPNU)
Game 7 - (1) ETSU 69, (5) Western Carolina 67 
Game 8 - (6) Furman 81, (7) UNCG 75 

Monday, March 9 (ESPN)
(6) Furman 76, (1) ETSU 61 

 

No. 1 East Tennessee State and Furman Advance to Monday Night's Championship Game

The 2026 Southern Conference title game is set, as No. 1 East Tennessee State (23-10) will battle No. 6 Furman (21-12) in the 106th edition of the tournament championship game.

Both ETSU and Furman reached the title game in a similar fashion, overcoming double-digit halftime deficits to get there. Both were able to do so in somewhat dramatic fashion. The Bucs had to overcome a psychological hurdle in their narrative, having lost nine of their previous 10 games in the series to the Catamounts. Furman had dropped five of its previous six meetings against UNCG but advanced to Monday night's championship game by scoring a whopping 54 second-half points, becoming the second team to do so.

For head coach Brooks Savage's Bucs, they had to overcome a Western Carolina team that had already defeated ETSU twice this season. Western Carolina appeared well on its way to a third win, leading 38-24 at the break. The Bucs' eventual 69-67 win improved their season record to 23-10, while Western Carolina's campaign ended with a 15-16 mark under second-year head coach Tim Craft. The win ended the Catamounts' seven-game winning streak.

Craft certainly has something brewing in the mountains of Western North Carolina, but this night belonged to Brooks Savage's ETSU Bucs. Early in the second half, the Bucs cut the Western Carolina lead to eight following a pair of Jaylen Smith free throws, making the score 48-40 in favor of the Catamounts with 15:47 remaining.

Western Carolina, buoyed by a boisterous following in last night's 77-73 win over Mercer, brought that same energy on Sunday evening hoping to see the Catamounts advance to the championship game. After Smith's two free throws, a quick response was in order: Marcus Kell connected on a pair of foul shots and then Julien Soumaoro hit a three, which quickly increased ETSU's deficit back to 13, at 53-40, with 15 minutes left.

The Bucs weren't going anywhere, however. With 9:09 left, Smith scored two more points on a jumper to get the Bucs back inside 10, at 56-49, as he converted a short jumper inside the paint to get the portion of the better than 5,200 fans in attendance actively involved in the game once again. Kell would convert a three-point play the old-fashioned way to push the lead back to 10, and then ETSU began its push.

Jordan McCullum started the Bucs run, connecting on a layup to get the Bucs to within eight. After a freshman guard Tahlan Pettway turned the ball over, the Bucs inched closer on a Blake Barkley free throw, cutting the Catamount lead to seven, at 59-52. Following a missed Kell three, the Bucs smelled blood in the water when Brian Taylor II found himself open in transition for a left-wing three that was nothing but net, whipping the crowd into a frenzy and bringing the Bucs to within four, at 59-55, with 6:46 left.

Much like had done at times in comeback wins for ETSU earlier this season, Barkley decided to take the comeback personally, putting together his own, personal 11-2 run that would ultimately prove to be a big reason as to why the Bucs would find themselves in Monday night's SoCon Championship game.

With the Catamounts leading 65-57 after a pair of Cord Stansberry free throws, Barkley made a hook shot in the lane to trim the Bucs margin to six (65-59) with 2:48 left. Tijdiane Dioumassi missed a short jumper on the other end, and the Bucs got within four again after Barkley was fouled on the rebound, sending him to the line for a pair of free throws with 2:16 remaining. He converted both, bringing the Bucs to within four again, at 65-61.

After Dioumassi was fouled on the other end, he connected on two free throws to push the Catamount lead to six (67-61) with 1:48 remaining. Little did anyone know that it would, in fact, be the final points of the night for the Catamounts.

Barkley made a driving layup to get the deficit to four. After two offensive rebounds by Maki Johnson and then Barkley kept an important late-game possession alive, Barkley eventually turned the opportunity into a golden one for ETSU, converting at the rim and bringing ETSU to within two with 66 seconds remaining.

Kell would be fouled by McCullum in the act of shooting on the other end, however, he missed both free throws. Barkley converted a layup in the paint and was fouled in the process by WCU's Samuel Dada, giving the Bucs a chance to take the lead. They would do so, as Barkley had ice in his veins on the free throw and his second free throw, which hit nothing but net, gave the Bucs a 68-67 lead with 38 seconds left. It was ETSU's first lead since leading 7-6 following a Brian Taylor II made layup with 15:23 remaining in the first half.

Trailing by one, the Catamounts' Dioumassi missed a three. Barkley got the rebound and quickly passed to Taylor, whom Dioumassi immediately fouled. He would head to the charity stripe with 19 seconds remaining for two free throws. Taylor missed the first shot but made the second, pushing the Bucs' lead to two, at 69-67.

WCU's ensuing possession would see McCullum block Stansberry's jump-hook attempt off the blind side with 12 seconds remaining. The ETSU defense converged on Stansberry before he could adjust, allowing Maki Johnson to secure the basketball and immediately draw a foul from Dioumassi. Johnson missed both free throws, leaving the door open for the Catamounts to tie the game or potentially win the game.

On WCU's next possession, the Catamounts got two chances at a game-winning three-pointer. Tahlan Pettway got a good look from the top of the key, but the shot caromed off to the side and long towards the far sideline. Just before the ball went out, Kell lunged, turned, and shot the ball as time expired. The ball rolled off the rim as the buzzer sounded and WCU survived to advance to Monday night's championship game.

In the opening half, the Catamounts garnered a 38-24 halftime lead by shooting 50% (14-of-28) from the field, while limiting ETSU to just 33.3% (9-of-27) in the first 20 minutes of play. The Bucs outscored WCU 45-29 in the second half to complete a dramatic come-from-behind win. This victory mirrored No. 7 ETSU's 85-84 come-from-behind win over No. 3 Chattanooga in the semifinals. In that epic semifinal tilt a couple of years ago, the Bucs overcame a second-half deficit of as much as 19 points against the Mocs. The Bucs trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half against the Catamounts.

ETSU's defense was elite in the second half, holding Western Carolina to just six field goals and keeping them scoreless from the field for the final 8:50 of the game.

ETSU was led by Brian Taylor II's game-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, including a 4-for-9 effort from three-point range and a 2-for-3 performance from the free-throw line. This marked his eighth game this season with 20 or more points. Barkley scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Bucs, delivering another heroic performance similar to his showing earlier this season in a come-from-behind win over Furman in early February. SoCon Sixth Man of the Year Jaylen Smith posted 13 points and three assists off the bench.

Kell led the Catamounts with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field but was 0-for-6 from three-point land in the setback. He also added three rebounds, one steal and one assist.

Saturday night's result was a heartbreaking end for WCU and a moment of sheer joy and relief for the Bucs. ETSU will play for its first SoCon title since 2024, when the Bucs reached the title game in Brooks Savage's first season as the head coach, dropping a 76-69 contest as the No. 7 seed to top-seeded Samford. The Bucs last won the Southern Conference Tournament in 2020, winning 30 games under then head coach Steve Forbes. The Bucs won the title game, 72-58, against No. 7 seeded Wofford.

However, the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bucs have won the SoCon twice since returning to the SoCon in 2015. As the No. 3 seed in the 2017 SoCon Tournament, ETSU knocked off No. 1 UNC Greensboro, 79-74, in Asheville to claim the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Bucs went on to play No. 4 seed Florida in the East Regional First Round, losing an 80-65 contest to the Gators.

The Bucs will play in the Southern Conference Tournament game for the 14th time in program's history, posting an 8-5 record all-time in tournament championship games.

The game weighed heavily on head coach Brooks Savage, who was a bit emotional thinking about the game afterwards, and also considering the "bigger picture" of all this and he made a special effort to convey that in the postgame press conference.

"Can I jump in here real quick...This has been on my heart for a while...I just wanted to say before but didn't get a chance...This team is a really faith-based team and I think that has really united us from a chemistry standpoint and I know it's made me a better person just being around these guys and how spiritual and...what believers we are in Christ and I think that's been really cool to see and it just kind of came out there at the end and I am proud of them but this has really been heavy on my heart and they've left such a great impression on me just as a person...I love coming to work everyday to coach these guy... But the way that God is working in these guys' lives is really fun to watch and it gets me choked up because I care so much about them and that's been really important to us this year...Earl our team chaplain has been with us at every practive and every game and without that I don't think we're able to come back," ETSU head coach Brooks Savage said after ETSU's dramatic semifinal win over WCU.

Meanwhile, Furman faced psychological struggles against the UNC Greensboro Spartans in recent history, having lost five of the previous six games between the two teams dating back to the 2023-24 season. This included the most recent meeting, where the Spartans claimed a 67-64 win over the Paladins in early February at Timmons Arena.

Like ETSU, the Paladins trailed 38-27 at the break, struggling to generate any offensive momentum. However, the Paladins found an offensive groove, similar to their performance earlier this season in an 89-66 win at UNCG, when the Paladins scored 54 points en route to one of their best offensive performances of the season.

In fact, the Paladins shot 72% (16-of-22) and scored 54 points in the second half, equaling that earlier performance in Furman's road win over the Spartans. The Paladins recorded an 81-75 win over UNCG in the most-recent clash between the two most successful SoCon programs over the last 11 seasons.

The semifinal win moved the Paladins into the SoCon title game for the fourth time in the past five seasons, including the second-straight season. The fifth-seeded Paladins lost 92-85 to No.6 seeded Wofford in the 2025 title game last season, but playing as the top seed in '23, claimed an 88-79 win over No. 7 seed Chattanooga to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 43 years.

Since making the 2015 title game as the No. 10 seed, the Paladins have now made five title game appearances in the past 11 years will be making their sixth championship game appearance this millenium, as the Paladins are just 1-4 in those championship game appearances, losing to the No. 1 seed on three of those occasions, and losing to the No. 6 seed last season, as Wofford became the first No. 6 seed to ever win the SoCon title in 2025, downing Furman, 92-85, at the Harrah's Cherokee Center.

The Paladins got a record night from freshman guard Alex Wilkins, who scored a career-high 34 points, equaling the most ever scored by a Paladin freshman. This matches the 34 points scored by former two-time SoCon Player of the Year and 1976-77 SoCon Freshman of the Year Jonathan Moore against Georgia on Dec. 15, 1976. In the process of scoring those 34 points, the Mattapan, MA. The native also set a new Furman Freshman record for points scored in a season.

His latest scoring outburst brought him to 589 points in 33 games this season, shattering Moore's record of 561 points scored over five fewer games in 1976-77. Wilkins' 34 points also marked the most points scored in a SoCon Tournament game by a Furman player since 1972, when Roy Simpson posted 36 points in a championship game loss to East Carolina.

The native of Mattapan, MA, native finished the game connecting on 10-of-17 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range. He also finished a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. His 34 points in a game also tied Jadin Booth's tournament high 34 points, which he scored for Samford in its loss to Furman in Saturday's quarterfinal. He now has 53 points in two tournament games. Wilkins also added five assists and one rebound to his overall stat line.

In addition to Wilkins' double-figure scoring performance, Cooper Bowser and Eddrin Bronson added double-digit scoring performances, finishing with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Senior forward Charles Johnston added another solid performance to follow up his 10-rebound performance in the tournament-opening win over No. 3 Samford, as he posted nine points, six rebounds, and one blocked shot.

Furman didn't look synched offensively for much of the opening 20 minutes of play, and UNCG took the game to the Paladins, as the Spartans, who had already knocked off VMI (W, 84-70) and Wofford (W, 75-72) in their first two games, looked like the better team and poised to make it three-in-a-row in the opening 20 minutes of basketball.

Furman stepped up its efficiency on the offensive end and locked down the Spartans on the other end over roughly the first eight minutes of the second half, as the Paladins their first lead at, 44-43, on an Asa Thomas top of the key three. Thomas' three was part of a 17-5 run to open the half and it would be the beginning of a game that would then settle into a back-and-forth affair, as the lead would change hands four times over the next five minutes. When Wilkins drove and double-clutched a layup off the glass, it gave the Paladins a 58-57 lead with 7:15 left.

Wilkins and the Paladin offensive efficiency was humming at optimum level at this point in the semifinal game, as the rookie guard's made layup was part of a string of eight-straight made shots by Furman, which helped Furman build a 66-60 lead following a Cole Bowser left wing three with just over five minutes remaining. Each time the Spartans found a way to cut the Paladin lead to one possession, both Wilkins and Bronson seemingly always had an answer, whether from the line or from the field, to push the Paladin lead back to two possessions.

Lillian Marville's third consecutive made three-pointer brought UNCG within two, at 77-75, with 14 seconds remaining. However, Bronson was fouled immediately after a Furman inbounds pass, making both ends of the one-and-one to stretch the lead back to four. After KJ Younger missed a three, Wilkins grabbed the rebound and made two more foul shots with 2.6 seconds remaining to seal Furman's 81-75 win.

Furman head coach Bob Richey spoke to the media after the game about his team's offensive struggles to start Sunday evening's game. He credited UNCG head coach Mike Jones for that but also noted that Furman had to change its approach in the second half in order to meet the challenge issued by the Spartans.

"I just think Coach [Mike] Jones does a heck of job. And they beat us up in the first half pretty good. That was pretty clear. They were the aggressive from the jump of the game. … We had to play with a better spirit. We had to be the aggressor. And we couldn't go out there and have any self pity. We can't go out there and play passive. The game's not going to change. And to our credit, we went from one of the worst offensive first halves of the year to one of the best offensive halves. In the second half, I think we scored 54. We were just able to change the tone of the game a little bit," head coach Bob Richey said after his team's win over UNCG.

Brief Championship Game Preview: No. 1 East Tennessee State (23-10) vs. No. 6 Furman (21-12)

--No. 1 East Tennessee State claimed both regular-season meetings against the Paladins, winning 75-71 in overtime in Johnson City and taking a 78-69 victory at Timmons Arena in Greenville. With these wins, the Bucs posted their first regular-season sweep of Furman since 1993-94 and their first win at Timmons Arena since the 2017-18 campaign, which was also Bob Richey's first season as Furman's head basketball coach. ETSU is 48-26 all-time in the SoCon Tournament, including 8-5 in tournament championship games. ETSU's regular-season sweeps of both Furman and Chattanooga mark the first time the Bucs have achieved regular-season sweeps of both teams in the same season.

Meanwhile, Furman holds a 62-65 all-time record in the SoCon Tournament. Like ETSU, Furman will also be playing in its 14th championship game, having posted a 7-6 record all-time in title games. The Paladins will seek their eighth SoCon Tournament crown, while ETSU will pursue its ninth in two different stints as a SoCon member. The Bucs are also 47-27 all-time in their two different stints as a league member in the SoCon Tournament.

Furman and ETSU have two of the most successful young coaches in mid-major basketball. Richey is in his ninth season leading the Furman basketball program, having posted a . He notched his 200th win as the head coach of Furman in the penultimate game of the regular season when the Paladins defeated The Citadel, 72-51, on Senior Night at Timmons Arena.

With two wins over Samford and UNCG, Furman has now reached 20 or more wins in nine of the past 11 seasons. Richey's 202 wins are the most among current SoCon head coaches coaching at a SoCon school. In nine seasons under Richey, only one SoCon team has defeated Furman three times in the same season: Chattanooga in 2022. Chattanooga knocked off the No. 2 seeded Paladins, 64-63, in overtime that year, thanks to David Jean-Baptiste's epic, buzzer-beating 36-footer.

Under Brooks Savage, ETSU has risen in three seasons, returning the Bucs to their accustomed status as a perennial contender atop the SoCon. Savage has helped rekindle the fire that was started under Steve Forbes, who led ETSU to 130 wins and two tournament titles in five seasons as the head coach before leaving to become the head coach of Wake Forest in the spring 2020.

After two seasons well below ETSU's lofty program standards under Jason Shay and Desmond Oliver, respectively, the program fell into disarray. After achieving 61 wins in three seasons, including making a title game appearance and winning the 2026 regular-season title in the process, Savage has ETSU's program well on its way to the NCAA Tournament and perennial SoCon success.

Players to Watch:

ETSU--Blake Barkley (14.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG); Brian Thompson II (14.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG); Cam Morris III (13.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG)

Furman--Alex Wilkins (17.8 PPG, 4.8 APG, 2.0 RPG); Asa Thomas (12.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 77 threes); Cooper Bowser (13.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 77.2 FG%)


ETSU vs. Furman in the SoCon Tournament: (ETSU Leads 5-1)

1980 No. 1 Furman 93, No. 4 ETSU 81 (Semifinals)
1983 No. 3 ETSU 81, No. 7 Furman 68 (Semifinals)
2004 No. 1 (North Div) ETSU 94, No. 4 (South Div) Furman 84 (Quarterfinals)
2005 No. 5 (North Div) ETSU 87, No. 4 (South Div) Furman 84 (First Round)
2016 No. 2 ETSU 84, No. 3 Furman 76 (Semifinals)
2018 No. 2 ETSU 63, No. 3 Furman 52 (Semifinals)
2026 ??????????????????????????????????????????

SoCon Basketball Combined Overall Records Since the Start of the 2015-16 Season:

1. Furman 244-120

2. UNC Greensboro 233-131

3. East Tennessee State 231-131

SoCon Basketball Combined League Records Since the Start of the 2015-16 Season:

1. UNC Greensboro 137-61

2. Furman 134-61

3. East Tennessee State 127-68

SoCon Semifinals Recap: Identical Four Seeds Reach Semifinals for Second Straight Season

ASHEVILLE, N.C.--Four teams remain in the 2026 Southern Conference Tournament. Although the season was a little disappointing considering the league's drop in overall strength, the tournament has once again lived up to the hype in terms of excitement. Of the six games played thus far, five have been decided by 10 points or less, including three by five points or less.

Following Saturday's action, the two semifinal matchups will see No. 1 East Tennessee State take on No. 5 Western Carolina in the opening game of the Sunday's semifinal action, slated for 4 p.m. EST, while the second semifinal contest will feature No. 7 seed UNCG vs. No. 6 Furman, beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. EST.

It will mark the second-straight season that the No. 1, No. 5, No. 6, and No. 7 seeds remain in the semifinals of the Southern Conference Tournament. Wofford's 75-72 loss to No. 7 UNCG also means that for an 11th-straight Southern Conference Tournament we will not have a repeat SoCon champion. The Terriers became the first No. 6 seed to ever win the SoCon Tournament last March, when the Terriers knocked off Furman, 92-85, in the championship game.

The magic of the No. 7 seed continued in the Southern Conference Tournament, as for the fifth time in the past six tournaments, the No. 7 knocked off the No. 2 seed in the tournament to reach at least the semifinals of the tournament.

The second day opened with top seeded East Tennessee State pulling away from No. 9 The Citadel in the second half. This was thanks to a solid day shooting the ball from the perimeter (10-of-26/38.5%) and strong individual performance from Blake Barkley, who connected on 10-of-11 shots from the field. Barkley led four ETSU players in double figures, with 24 points, as the Bucs moved on to the Southern Conference Tournament semifinals with an 83-76 win over the Bulldogs.

It was the Bucs’ ninth-straight win in the series, including their seventh under the direction of Brooks Savage. With the win, ETSU improves to 22-10 on the season, while the Bulldogs ended their 2025-26 season with an 11-22 mark.

The Citadel wasn’t deterred by the fact that that ETSU had won five of its last six over the Bulldogs by double digits, including two this season, but at the final media timeout of the opening half, the Bulldogs found themselves right in the contest, trailing just 27-25.

Points were hard to come by for both teams due to both defense and the physical nature of the game. The Bulldogs' 2-3 zone kept the Bucs out of rhythm. Braxton Williams hit a three to give The Citadel its first lead of the game, and then Sola Adebisi got an offensive rebound and putback to give the Bulldogs the 30-27 lead with 2:03 remaining in the first half.

Following the timeout, Maki Johnson’s three tied it and then Brian Taylor II steal and dunk with 90 seconds remaining gave ETSU the lead back, 32-30, which was quickly answered by a bucket from Adebisi to promptly tie the game once again.

Taylor II stepped up and made a jumper and another layup to give the Bucs a 36-32 lead, and the Bucs would end up having the final possession of the half with 13.2 seconds remaining. The Bucs had two chances at a three, but missed both, however, the Bucs used that 6-0 spurt late in the half to take a 36-32 lead to the break.

In the second half, the Bucs came out and flexed their proverbial muscle, using a 16-6 run in the first six minutes of the frame assume a 52-38 lead after Taylor II knocked down a three. Jaylen King, who won the SoCon’s Sixth Man of the Year last week, drove to the basket and was fouled, making both free throws to keep the margin at 14, but Keynan Davis answered with a pair of threes to get the Bulldogs back to within eight, at 54-46, with twelve-and-a-half minutes remaining.

Taylor II’s three put ETSU back up double-digits, at 57-46, and that’s where the score remain as the two teams headed to their respective benches for the second media timeout of the second half with 11:31 left.

Back-to-back Jaylen Smith made jumpers gave the Bucs a 63-50 lead with 7:36 remaining, prompting The Citadel’s Ed Conroy to take a timeout, hoping his Bulldogs could mount one final charge. ETSU’s defense against the Bulldogs differed from Chattanooga's in the opening round. The Bulldogs struggled to find open looks from the perimeter.

After connecting on 15 threes against the Mocs, the Bucs showed why they were the top defensive dog in the league, limiting The Citadel to just eight threes on 26 attempts (30.8%) for the game.

ETSU went to the final media timeout holding a comfortable 71-58 lead. The Bucs would eventually hold off the Bulldogs with a seven-point win. The Bucs shot a sizzling 67% (16-of-24) from the field in the second half!

The Bucs finished with four players in double figures. Blake Barkley led the team with a game-high 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field, including a career-best three three-pointers; the Northwestern Wildcat transfer finished the day 3-for-3 from long range. He also added six rebounds and two steals. Jordan McCullum added a solid 13 points and four boards, while Brian Taylor II and Jaylen Smith finished with 11 points apiece to round out the double-figure scorers.

Sola Adebisi finished the tournament with 49 points for The Citadel, as he was one of three Bulldogs to score in double figures in the loss to the Bucs. He finished the game with 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists, shooting 10-of-15 from the field, including 1-for-4 from three-point range and 9-for-11 from two-point range.

Braxton Williams, who finished with 19 points, also reached double figures in the loss, joining Adebisi. Keynan Davis added 11 points off the bench, marking his second consecutive double-figure scoring performance.

The second matchup of the day would see UNCG head coach Mike Jones pick up his second tournament win in four seasons, as he continued to make up for lost time, leading the seventh-seeded Spartans to a 75-72 win over No. 2 Wofford. This marks the Spartans' tenth semifinal appearance since joining the SoCon before the 1997-98 season and their first appearance at the penultimate stage since the 2021 tournament. 

UNCG is 6-3 all-time in tournament semifinals, improving to 27-25 all-time in tournament play. The Spartans have now won seven of their past 10 games and are starting to play some of their best basketball at the right time.

Justin Neely was a man among boys once again, as he already completed a double-double performance by the half, as he scored 14 first-half points and added 12 rebounds, as the Spartans took a 36-32 lead to the break. He finished the night with 22 points and 24 rebounds—the third-most rebounds ever in a SoCon Tournament game—and the Spartans will move on to face No. 6 Furman in the second semifinal game on Sunday. It also marked Neely's 20th double-double of the season.

KJ Younger added 19 for UNCG, while freshman guard Noah Norgaard added 17 points, including several clutch threes, the young Danish guard finished the game 5-for-10 from long-range.

Wofford got 24 points, six rebounds, and one steal from first-team all-league performer Kahmare Holmes, while second-teamer Nils Machowski added 22 points, eight rebounds and two steals to lead Wofford's scoring efforts. Chace Watley rounded out Wofford's double-figure scorers with 12.

In the second half, the Spartans would extend their lead out to eight points before the first media timeout on a Neely jumper, at 40-32, but Chace Watley answered with a three to trim it back to five with 17:10 remaining. Neely was fouled on the other end and knocked down a pair of free throws to extend the lead back to seven. Then, Watley converted a layup, Machowski made a layup in transition and Watley connected on another three to tie the game. Five straight points by Kahmare Holmes then gave the Terriers a 46-42 lead.

All told, Wofford went on a 16-0 run in just over four and a half minutes. Holmes scored 11-straight points during the run, whipping the crowd of 5,140—which heavily favored the Terriers—into a frenzy, as the Terriers started to cook. After Holmes converted a layup at the 12:45 mark of the second half, he extended Wofford's lead to nine, at 51-42, with 12:45 remaining.

Behind Neely and Younger, however, the Spartans stalled and used a 13-4 run to tie the game, 55-55, when Neely made a free throw at the 9:37 mark. From there the Spartans remained in the game the rest of the way, as Wofford never led by more than six points.

When Chace Whatley converted a layup in transition, giving the Terriers a 66-60 lead with 5:07 left, it appeared they might have enough to blow the game open. But it would be a game-defining moment for Mike Jones' team, which reeled off seven-straight to take a 67-66 lead following a pair of KJ Younger made free throws with 3:32 remaining. 

After Wofford tied it on Holmes' lone made free throw (1-for-9 from the charity stripe), Noah Norgaard answered with a huge three. Wofford's Machowski then answered with a three of his own, tying the game, 70-70, with 55 seconds remaining.

The biggest play of the afternoon came from Valentino Pinedo, however, as he tipped in Donald Whitehead Jr.'s missed layup attempt, giving UNCG the 72-70 lead with 36 seconds left. After Younger fouled Holmes while he was shooting, sending the sophomore at the line for two more free throws with 25 seconds left, he missed both. This gave the Spartans new life, as Neely pulled down another rebound.

Whitehead Jr. would then be fouled on the other end and would go to the line for two shots with 18 seconds left. He made the first, but missed the second. However, Neely chased down the rebound and saved the ball to Wofford's Machowski, who went all the way in for a layup on the other end, cutting the UNCG lead to one (73-72) with 12 seconds left. 

Wofford's Brian Sumpter fouled Neely with eight seconds remaining. Neely sank both free throws. After a Terriers timeout to set up a final play, Machowski attempted an ill-advised halfcourt heave off a screen from Rex Stirling, hoping to draw a foul while shooting a three. The shot fell well short and the Spartans pulled off the first major upset of the 2026 SoCon Tournament.

No. 6 Furman became the third lower-seeded team to win in the tournament. For the second straight season, the Paladins knocked out a higher seeded Samford team’s in their opening game of the Southern Conference Tournament, winning this season’s clash 86-81, a much closer contest. Last season, the No. 5 seeded Paladins connected on 17 three-pointers en route to a 95-78 win over the Bulldogs in Asheville.

With the win, Furman advances to the semifinals on Sunday to face  No. 7 UNC Greensboro (15-18). It will mark only the second semifinal clash between the Paladins and Spartans, UNCG won the previous meeting, 66-62, in 2019.

The win also guaranteed that for the ninth time in 11 seasons, the Paladins have won 20 or more games, as Furman improved to 20-12 overall, while Samford concludes its season with a 18-14 mark.

Southern Conference Player of the Year Jadin Booth led the Bulldogs with 34 points, scoring 23 of those in the opening half. However, the two teams headed to the locker room tied at 46-46. The Paladins shot 66.7% from three-point range in the opening half (8-of-12), making eight of their first 10 shots from long range. However, Samford shot 60% (15-of-25) from the field in the opening 20 minutes to stay in the game. The Bulldogs withstood an early onslaught that saw the Paladins take as much as an 11-point lead (33-22) midway through the opening frame.

In the second half, the Bulldogs assumed a 52-50 lead on a Cade Norris three-pointer from the right corner with 16:25 left. However, Furman responded with an 11-2 run, starting with a Ben Vander Wal offensive rebound and layup and ending with an Alex Wilkins layup off a Samford turnover to give the Paladins a 61-54 lead with 10:28 remaining.

Three minutes later, the Bulldogs threatened to overtake the Paladins when Dylan Faulkner converted a layup off a Furman turnover, bringing the Bulldogs within one point, 66-65, with 7:21 remaining. However, a crucial 9-0 run by Furman, featuring five points from Tom House, allowed the Paladins to push the lead to double digits (75-65) after a House triple with 3:14 remaining.

Samford answered by scoring five of the next six points, closing the gap to 76-70 after a Keaton Norris 12-foot jumper with 1:45 remaining. On the next Furman possession, however, House used a perfectly timed pump-fake on a three-pointer and drew a foul on Samford's Faulkner, with 49 seconds left. He made all three free throws to extend Furman's lead back to nine, at 79-70. 

It was part of a 7-of-7 performance from the line for House, as the Paladins made 10-of-11 free throws down the stretch to finish off a sixth-straight win over Samford, including a three-game sweep of the Bulldogs for the second straight season.

The senior transfer from Florida State finished with a team-leading 20 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, including going 3-for-4 from three-point range and the aforementioned 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. Alex Wilkins, who scored Furman's first 10 points of the game, finished with 19 points and three assists, while Cooper Bowser and Cole Bowser combined for 24 of Furman's incredible 48 bench points. The Paladins held a 48-6 advantage in bench scoring. 

Cooper Bowser finished 6-of-12 from the field and 2-for-2 from the line, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds. Cooper's brother, true freshman forward Cole Bowser, finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Booth was once again sensational, finishing his evening with 34 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and 8-of-15 from long-range. In the process of another jaw-dropping effort, he set the Samford single-season record for three-pointers. He also converted 6-of-7 charity shots.

Joining Booth in double figures for the Bulldogs were Dylan Faulkner, who added 12 points and nine boards, while Cade Norris and Keaton Norris both added 11.

The final game of the evening pitted No. 4 Mercer against No. 5 Western Carolina, and the game lived up to the hype many predicted when the bracket was finalized last week. The Catamounts notched a seventh-straight win in thrilling fashion, ending Mercer's outstanding 2025-26 season with a 77-73 win inside the Harrah's Cherokee Center in the quarterfinal finale.

The Catmounts improved to 15-15 with the win, while Mercer's season concluded with a 19-13 mark. The Catamounts will now face No. 1 East Tennessee State in the first of two semifinal clashes on Sunday, as tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. EST at the Harrah's Cherokee Center. The Catamounts won both regular-season meetings with ETSU and were the only team to sweep the Bucs in the regular-season.

It appeared the Bears would run away with the game, as they ran out to a 24-9 lead midway through the first half. The Catamounts fell behind by as much as 17 (28-11), with nine minutes left in the half. However, a 14-1 run over the next four minutes got WCU back into the game where they remained for the rest of the night, closing the gap to just four (29-25) following a Tahlan Pettway layup high off the window with 5:14 left in the opening half.

Less than two minutes later, a three-pointer by Tidjiane Dioumassi in transition gave the Catamounts a 33-32 lead with 3:32 remaining in the opening half. A Pettway jumper with 36 seconds remaining in the half ensured the Catamounts would take a 36-35 lead into the halftime locker room.

Mercer again started strong, using a 12-3 run to start the half to take a 47-39 lead after a Zaire Williams three-pointer with 15:16 remaining. WCU quickly bounced back with six straight points—a Marcus Kell three-pointer and three Pettway foul shots—pulling to within 47-45, with 14:31 left.

Mercer's Baraka Okojie and Quinton Perkins II then connected on back-to-back threes as part of a 9-0 run by the Bears, giving Mercer a 54-45 lead with 12:45 remaining. The lead remained nine, at 58-49, when Armani Mighty knocked down a short jumper with 10:19 left.

Western Carolina kept on keeping on, however, as the Catamounts used a 10-0 run to regain the lead, 59-58, following a Pettway patented fade-a-away jumper with 7:05 remaining. The final five minutes of the game featured three ties and two lead changes, with neither team leading by more than five points. 

However, after Mercer reclaimed a one-point, 72-71, lead on a Zaire Williams free throw, Kell made a pair of free throws on the other end with 31 seconds remaining, giving the Catamounts a 73-72 lead, which they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.

Dioumassi led WCU in the contest with 21 points, three assists and three rebounds, leading four Catamounts in double figures. The former Southern Jaguar connected on 8-of-16 shots from the field, including going 4-for-6 from three-point range in the win. 

Pettway, a true freshman point guard from Worcester, MA, finished his fifth-straight game in double figures, scoring 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Marcus Kell added 15 points and Cord Stansberry finished with 13 to round out the Catamounts in double figures.

A major key to the win for the Catamounts was an astounding 53-29 advantage on the glass, which led to a 27-8 disparity in second-chance points, as the Catamounts pulled down a whopping 25 offensive rebounds. Samuel Dada led the Catamounts with 14 rebounds, including grabbing nine offensive boards.

Mercer finished the game led by Baraka Okojie, who scored a game-high 26 points and added four assists. Zaire Williams and Brady Shoulders added 18 and 11 points, respectively, for the Bears.

2026 SoCon Tournament Central (Recaps, Scores and Superlatives)

Play-In Round Recap:

Both No. 9 seed The Citadel and No. 7 seed UNC Greensboro moved into Friday's quarterfinal action with a pair of victories to open the 2026 Southern Conference Tournament at the Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville. In the first matchup, there were 21 lead changes before No. 9 The Citadel advanced to the second day of the tournament for the first time since 2022 with an 88-85 win over No. 8 seed Chattanooga.

The Citadel was led by Sola Adebisi and Kenyan Davis, who posted 26 and 20 points, respectively. Ed Conroy garnered his first SoCon Tournament win since his first stint as the Bulldogs' head coach back in 2010, as the Bulldogs claiming an 88-85 win over the reigning NIT Champ Chattanooga Mocs.

The win sees The Citadel improve to 11-21 overall and they will move into Saturday's first quarterfinal matchup against No. 1 overall seed and SoCon Regular Season Champion East Tennessee State (21-10) at noon on Saturday. The No. 8 seed UTC, who was picked by the league's conclude their 2025-26 campaign with a disappointing 13-19 overall record.

In the second matchup, UNCG fourth-year head coach Mike Jones got his first win in the Harrah's Cherokee Center as the head coach of the Spartans, as UNCG posted an 84-70 win over No. 10 seed VMI, thanks to 29 points from freshman guard KJ Younger and a 19th double-double of the season from Justin Neely, who added 14 points and 10 rebounds, as the Spartans advanced in the Southern Conference Tournament with a win for the first time since cutting down the nets in 2021.

With the win, UNCG improves to 14-18 overall and will face off against No. 2 seed Wofford (19-12) in Saturday's second quarterfinal clash slated for 2:30 p.m. EST at Harrah's Cherokee Center. VMI sees a difficult season come to an end with a 17th-straight loss, as the Keydets conclude the 2025-26 season with a 6-26 overall record.

How The Citadel and UNCG Prevailed:

Chattanooga and The Citadel both came out and found the threes to be falling early. Sola Adebisi had a big first half for the Bulldogs, continuing where he left off in the regular-season finale, as he connected on back-to-back threes to give the Bulldogs a 22-21 lead. A steal and a dunk moments later put him the first time find double figures, scoring 11 of the first 26 points for the Bulldogs.

A 13-6 run by Chattanooga, highlighted by threes from Tate Darner and Jordan Frison put Chattanooga up 35-27 with 5:27 remaining in the opening half, prompting an Ed Conroy timeout. Eight-straight points from Christian Moore and Kenyan Davis tied the game, 35-35, with 3:57 left in the half.

The two teams combined for 17 threes in the first half, with both the two teams combining to go 17-of-32 from three-point range in the opening half, with the Bulldogs hitting 10 triples. The Citadel's average number of made threes per game coming into the contest was just only nine. The two teams went to the half tied, 49-49.

After the lead changed hands 12 times in the first half before going to the half tied, 49-49. the second half would see the lead change nine more times before a winner would be decided. Sola Adebisi and Kenyan Davis, who had accounted for 32 of the Bulldogs' 49 first-half points, didn't have quite the same impact in the second, however, both hit clutch shots down the stretch, which helped the Bulldogs capture their first win in the SoCon Tournament since 2022, when the Bulldogs beat the other team from the Volunteer State, 84-76, in overtime.

Adebisi would end up scoring on two of the most important possessions of the game. With the Mocs leading 78-75 following a Teddy Washington Jr. layup in the paint, the final media timeout followed a foul drawn by Braxton Williams. In the timeout, The Citadek's Conroy devised a beautifully designed play on a baseline out-of-bounds play, drawing the Mocs defense all past the free throw line on the pass inbounds to Kenyan Davis, and his quick diagonal snap pass from about 15-feet out found a cutting Adebisi for a wide-open, two-handed power dunk, getting the Bulldogs to within one, at 78-77 with 3:55 remaining. It was the most-beautiful of the 18 assists the Bulldogs had in the contest.

Chattanooga's Billie Smith answered with a three on the other end, giving the Mocs a four-point, 81-77, lead before Braxton Williams splashed home a triple from the top of the key to get the Bulldogs back to within a point, at 81-80, with 3:16 remaining. After the Bulldogs got a stop on the defensive end on a night when defensive stops were at a premium, the Bulldogs seized the opportunity by taking a 82-81 lead when Carter Kingsbury drove down the lane and floated a one-handed jumper off the glass, at 82-81 lead with 2:49 remaining.

The elite shot-making would continue on the other end, and after the Bulldogs played good defense for 29 seconds, Jordan Frison, who had a team-high tying 16 points to go with nine assists, scored on a beautiful fade-a-way jumper as time expired on the shot-clock to put the Mocs back in front, 83-82, with 2:16 remaining.

On the Bulldogs' next possession, The Citadel had another answer, as Christian Moore converted a nice baby hook in the lane, which barely fell over the front part of the rim, giving the Bulldogs back the lead, 84-83, with 2:02 left. Mullholland missed a wide-open three-pointer on the other end and Smith rebounded the miss giving the Mocs another scoring opportunity, as UTC head coach Dan Earl used a 30 second timeout to draw up a play to get points with 1:32 remaining. Frison eventually finished the offensive possession with a driving layup after the timeout, giving the Mocs an 85-84 lead with 1:23 remaining.

Williams got the ball for the Bulldogs and drove hard to the bucket before being fouled by UTC's Brennan Watkins to put the Valdosta State transfer at the line for a one-and-one with 55 seconds remaining. He made the first shot to tie the game, 85-85, however would miss the second and the ball was rebounded by UTC's freshman guard Tate Darner.

On the other end, Frison's pull-up 15 footer hit the front of the rim, however, Mullholland came up with a big offensive rebound, but as he attempted to go back up with the ball, Bulldogs point guard Eze Wali came up with the biggest defensive play of the night for the Bulldogs, stripping the ball from Mulholland and forcing a turnover, as The Citadel's defense held and the game remained tied.

Coming into the night, Adebisi was just a 30.8% three-point shooter and had made only 12-of-39 shots from long-range all season, but he was the perfect man for the moment. Adebisi found himslef wide open on the left wing on the Bulldogs' ensuing possession when Williams found him, and he delivered what turned out to be the dagger to Chattanooga's season, as his unguarded three-pointer from the left wing was nothing but net and the Bulldogs now held an 88-85 lead with just nine seconds remaining.

Chattanooga then had some issues getting the ball across halfcourt and was about to rush into an ill-advised three-point attempt before Earl called a 60-second timeout with 3.2 seconds remaining. The Mocs then burned another timeout after seeing the Bulldogs' defensive alignment, and finally after what seemed like an eternity, the ball was inbounded just in front of UTC's bench, and Mulholland was wide open for a three, but unlike the magical run to the NIT a year ago, this had no storybook ending, and the ball clanged off the front iron and Kingsbury corralled the ball for the Bulldogs to secure the win, as The Citadel's bench and small smattering of fans erupted in excitement.

Adebisi's night will be added to catalog of big shot moments and winning performances in the Harrah's Cherokee annals. He finished the night 9-of-15 from the field, including going 3-for-5 from three-point land. The former Florida State walk-on finished 5-for-6 from the line and added seven rebounds and three blocks, two assists and one steal. It was just one point off Adebisi's performance last time out at Wofford, where he scored a career-high 27 points against Wofford.

Equally as important was Kenyan Davis. The junior played just three minutes against the Terriers in The Citadel's 93-90 overtime road win, and he scored 17 of his 20 points on five first-half threes. He connected on a total of six for the game, going 6-of-8 from long range and finished 6-of-10 from the field. Braxton Williams added 17 points and four assists, while Christian Moore rounded out the double-figure scorers with 14.

Following the win, Ed Conroy nearly got emotional when describing what this meant to this team and to the program he had helped build. Last year, the Bulldogs went 0-18 in SoCon play. Up until January of this season, they had a streak of 37-straight losses to NCAA Division I foes before finally beating Western Carolina 79-77 in overtime on Jan. 10. He described the program's significance in the postgame press conference.

"I’m really, really proud of our guys. Just some grit and resolve, especially from your older guys to help you get through games like that so you can survive and advance on to the next round. I can't help but think back to last year. We had an extremely tough year, as you all know, and Sola (Adebisi), Keynan (Davis), Christian Moore, and Dante (Kearse), I can remember being in the Renaissance (Hotel) lobby. I don't think I slept and I was with them probably till one or two in the morning. And just their decision to come back, even after the year we had, when it's so easy these days to leave. I think that decision and their investment in the program (is what) helped us find a little bit extra there down the stretch in the second half," The Citadel's Conroy said following his team's tournament win.

In the second game, the Spartans took initative from the outset, leading wire-to-wire before coasting to the 14-point win. UNCG would get out to an early 13-5 lead following a Domas Kauzonas giving the Spartans the early 13-5 lead following a jumper in the paint with 13:11 remaining in the opening half.

The Keydets closed the gap to 26-23 after Tan Yildizoglu made a pair of free throws with 4:43 remaining in the half. But the Spartans finished the half strong, using a 13-4 run. This run began with a Clyde Bailey II layup and ended with a Justin Neely 12-foot jumper with 12 seconds remaining in the half, giving the Spartans a 39-27 lead as the two teams entered the halftime locker room.

In the second half, the Keydets cut the deficit to nine when Linus Holmstrom made a three-pointer 22 seconds into the frame, making the score 39-30 with 19:38 remaining. However, after his Scandanavian counterpart, Danish-born Noah Norgaard answered with a triple on the other end to put the Spartans' lead back to 12, it sent an almost defiant and demoralizing message to VMI, as the Spartans were a team on a mission after four-straight tournament exits after playing only one game.

The Spartans took as much as a 19-point lead when Neely converted a layup to make it 67-49 with 7:21 remaining, but would eventually end up settling on a 14-point win.


Younger's 29 points came on a 10-for-16 shooting night, which included a 3-for-7 effort from three-point land, as well as a perfect 6-for-6 from the line. Neely added his 19th double-double, posting 14 points and 13 boards, while Donald Whitehead Jr. finished with 13 off the bench to round out the Spartans in double figures.

UNCG shot 50% (34-of-68) for the game, despite making only 26.1% (6-of-23) of their three-point attempts.

The Keydets put four players in double figures; Linus Holmstrom led the way with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, including a 6-for-11 effort from three-point range. TJ Johnson added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Tan Yildizoglu and Kaden Stuckey rounded out the Keydets in double figures with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Stuckey finished with a double-double for VMI, adding 10 rebounds.

VMI shot just 41.7% (25-of-60) for the game and 33.3% (10-of-30) from three-point range.

Quarterfinal Recaps Saturday, March 7 Recaps


The Citadel wasn’t deterred by the fact that that ETSU had won five of its last six over the Bulldogs by double digits, including two this season, but at the final media timeout of the opening half, the Bulldogs found themselves right in the contest, trailing just 27-25. 

Points were hard to come by for both teams due to both defense and the physical nature of the game. The Bulldogs 2-3 zone kept the Bucs out of rhythm. Braxton Williams hit a three to give The Citadel its first lead of the game, and then Sola Adebisi got an offensive rebound and putback to give the Bulldogs the 30-27 lead with 2:03 remaining in the first half.

Following the timeout, Maki Johnson’s three tied it and then Brian Taylor steal and dunk with 90 seconds remaining gave ETSU the lead back, 32-30, which was quickly answered by a bucket from Adebisi to promptly tie the game once again.

Taylor II stepped up and made a jumper and another layup to give the Bucs a 36-32 lead, and the Bucs would end up having the final possession of the half with 13.2 seconds remaining. The Bucs had two chances at a three, but missed both, however, the Bucs used that 6-0 spurt late in the half to take a 36-32 lead to the break.

In the second half, the Bucs came out and flexed their proverbial muscle, using a 16-6 run in the first six minutes of the frame assume a 52-38 lead after Taylor II knocked down a three. Jaylen King, who won the SoCon’s Sixth Man of the Year last week, drove to the basket and was fouled, making both free throws to keep the margin at 14, but Keynan Davis answered with a pair of threes to get the Bulldogs back to within eight, at 54-46, with twelve-and-a-half minutes remaining.

Taylor II’s three put ETSU back up double-digits, at 57-46, and that’s where the score remain as the two teams headed to their respective benches for the second media timeout of the second half with 11:31 left.