ETSU's Late-Game Surge Enough in SoCon Classic Win Over Furman
East Tennessee State (18-7, 10-2 SoCon) and Furman (16-9, 7-5 SoCon) were in action on Wednesday night, and it was the game that highlighted the midweek slate. Fresh off a 14-point win over Wofford this past Saturday, the Bucs couldn't afford to have a letdown when they took the floor on Wednesday night in the late-game against another of the league titans, in the Furman Paladins.
The Paladins led by as many as 15 points in the second half and 14 with 10:20 (51-37) remaining, but the Bucs would find a way to take their first lead of the game with 3:58 left, at 57-56, following a free throw line jumper by Jaylen Smith to cap what had been a 20-5 run and send the crowd of 4,072 heavily partisan ETSU fans into a frenzy. The Paladins would score the next five points to take a four-point, 61-57, lead with 1:12 left following a pair of Cooper Bowser free throws.
The Bucs would get a 1-of-2 effort from the free throw line and that was followed by a three from Jaylen Smith to tie the game and send it to an extra five minutes of basketball.
Furman took a timeout to set up a final play, however, as Wilkins dribbled off the left side and back towards the center to set up what appeared to be a lob play to Cooper Bowser, which was open for a split-second, however, it Smith came in to poke the ball free from behind from Wilkins and the ball floated up harmlessly into the air as the final buzzer sounded. More basketball to be played.
In overtime, the Bucs took initiative using a 10-3 spurt to start the extra session, as Brian Taylor II and Cole Bowser exchanged threes to tie the game, 64-64, in the opening 30 seconds before ETSU was able to two layups from Morris sandwiched by what essentially was a dagger three by Smith, which eventually gave the Bucs a 71-64 lead with 2:46 remaining.
Furman wouldn't go away easily, however, getting five-straight points on layups by Wilkins and Vander Wal and a free throw by Vander Wal to pull within 71-69 with 32 seconds left. However, Barkley and Smith went 4-for-4 from the line to push the lead back to six before Wilkins closed the game with a one-handed tomahawk slam to end the game and set the final margin at four, as the Bucs held on for the 75-71 win.
The Bucs would end up being led in the contest by finishing with four players in double figures, led by another strong performance from Blake Barkley, who finished with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Barkley finished the evening connecting on 4-of-13 shots from the field, including 0-for-2 from three-point range and was 7-for-8 from the charity stripe.
Barkley was joined in double figures by Jordan McCullum, who continued his strong play of late by posting 14 points, three rebounds and three steals, while Brian Taylor II added 14 points, three rebounds and three steals. Jaylen Smith came off the bench to add 13 points and two assists, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 from long range and was 4-for-6 from the field and 2-for-2 from the line.
The Bucs finished the night connecting on 43.3% (26-of-60) for the game, which included a 41.2% (7-of-17) effort from three-point land and were once again solid from the charity stripe, finishing 72.1% (16-of-22) from the line.
Unfortunately, most will look at Furman’s freshman point guard Alex Wilkins, who at times left fans in awe with his ability, but at others showed he still has a lot to clean up in his game before he can realize his full star potential. Right now he's just focused on helping lead Furman to a championship in March and a trip back to the promised land of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in four years.
Wilkins posted a solid 8-of-14 shooting effort from the field but finished with 11 turnovers, with some of it due to ETSU's defense, while other times just carelessness with the ball. All in all though, Wilkins' performance wasn't terrible and some of the shots he made were phenomenal.
There are a number of areas too numerous to count in which the young guard continues to excel, however. The good news is, for Wilkins and Furman is that both haven't reached their zenith this season.
The bad news is, both are running out of season to tidy things up and find synchronicity before the SoCon Tournament in Asheville at the beginning of next month.
Wilkins' 19-point effort was just shy of his 12th twenty-point effort of the season, while he did finish the night by posting his 21st double-figure scoring effort in 24 games as a freshman.
The rookie from Mattapan, MA., finished just 1-for-5 from three-point land, but was efficient shooting inside the arc, finishing 8-of-9 from two-point range. He also finished the contest going 2-of-5 from the line. His two assists matched a season low, which he also had in the season-opening loss to High Point and in a lopsided win over Columbia International.
Cooper Bowser was an absolute monster in the paint all evening, finishing with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field and was 2-for-2 from the line. He added eight boards, two assists, and blocked a shot.
Charles Johnston and Tom House added 11 points apiece, while Ben Vander Wal played one of his best games of the season on both ends of the floor before fouling out late in overtime. He finished with nine points, eight rebounds, one assist and one turnover, garnering a team-high +8 in the +/- category.
Furman finished the contest connecting on 52.7% (29-of-55) for the game, including 26.9% (7-of-26) from three-point range, while connecting on 60% (6-of-10) from the free throw line.
Furman returns to action on Sunday when it welcomes UNC Greensboro (9-15, 5-6 SoCon) to Timmons Arena for a 1 p.m. EST tip-off slated for ESPN2. The Paladins bested the Spartans, 89-66, back on Jan. 23 at Bodford Arena. ETSU will be in action against VMI (6-18, 1-10 SoCon), as the Bucs go for the season sweep of the Keydets in Lexington, VA., at Cameron Hall, having knocked them off 81-67 in Johnson City back on Jan. 7. Tip-off for that contest is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Neely's Late-Game Composure Leads UNCG Past Western Carolina
But while the game of the night would product a wild flurry down the stretch, as the Bucs were able to force overtime, it wasn't the lone crazy ending of the night, as UNCG (10-15, 6-6 SoCon) found its way past Western Carolina (8-15, 4-8 SoCon) at the charity stripe, as Justin Neely ended the night with 25 points, including 19 of which came from the free throw line, as the Spartans held off the Catamounts, 81-78, at Bodford Arena.He added 11 rebounds to go along with his 25 points to finish off his 15th double-double of the season and the 22nd of his career, as the Spartans finished off another dramatic Southern Conference win in league play.
It ended up in a manner in which the game, came down to the wire. After Neely connected on a pair of free throws to tie the contest, 78-78, with three seconds remaining, the Catamounts turned the ball over at mid-court, with Neely coming out of the fracas with the basketball and attempted a three with just two seconds remaining on the clock, however, he was deemed to have been shooting the basketball. He made all three free throws to give the Spartans an 81-78 lead and would ultimately end up being the game-winning points.
If you were wondering where the 19 made free throws made in a game would rank. It would rank tied for 10th in Southern Conference history. Former Furman standout and SoCon all-time leading scorer Frank Selvy made 25 free throws in a single game on Jan. 30, 1954, in a win over The Citadel. It was one of the three best free throw shooting performances over the past 30 years, with the irony being that the other two involve former Catamounts.
Kevin Martin made 21 free throws on Jan. 17, 2004, against East Tennessee State, while former WCU legend and SoCon champion Anquell McCollum went 18-of-18 at the line on Feb. 5, 1996, in a 125-104 win by the Catamounts over Marshall at the Liston B. Ramsey Center.
The Spartans held as much as an 11-point lead early in the second half, at 47-36, at the 17:49 mark following a Noah Norgaard layup for UNCG. However, the Catamounts came all the way back to take the lead at the 9:24 mark of the second half after a layup by Justin Johnson. With exactly 4:00 remaining, the Spartans regained the lead, as Lillian Marville connected on a three-pointer to help the Spartans pull ahead, 74-72.
It would set the stage for Neely, who scored the final seven points of the game, including five from the line, to lead UNCG to a thrilling win in front of the home fans at Bodford Arena. Neely's layup with 1:52 remaining would be UNCG's final field goal of the evening. The two teams ended up being whistled for a combined 39 personal fouls in the game, with Western Carolina committing 21 fouls, while UNCG committed 18 total infractions.
Neely finished his game by connecting on 3-of-8 shots from the field, including going 0-for-2 from three-point range. He finished the contest an incredible 19-of-21 free throws in the game. The rest of the team connected on 5-of-6 from the line, as the Spartans finished 24-of-27 from the charity stripe to scratch out an impressive 88.9% shooting effort from the free throw line.
Joining Neely in double figures for UNCG were both Lillian Marville and Noah Norgaard, as the Frenchman and the Dane posted 14 and 12 points, respectively, rounding out the double-figure scorers for the Spartans.
UNCG shot the ball at a 43.6% (24-of-55) clip from the field, including 45.0% (9-of-20) from three-point land.
Meanwhile, the Catamounts finished with two in double figures, with All-SoCon wing forward Marcus Kell leading the way, continuing his strong start to the final month of the regular-season, as he finished the game with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field, including going 3-for-10 from three-point range, while connecting on 4-of-7 free throws. Kell also added seven rebounds and a steal.
The Catamounts shot the ball at a 45.0% (27-of-60) from the field, including a 37.0% (10-of-27) clip from beyond the three-point arc. The Catamounts also connected on 66.7% (14-of-21) from the free throw line.
Wofford Gets Bounce Back Win at VMI
The other game that started early on Wednesday night, as well as the final of three games played on Feb. 4, 2026, was the game between a Wofford (17-8, 9-3 SoCon) team looking to rebound from Sunday night's 14-point loss on national television against East Tennessee State, and the Terriers would be facing off against a VMI (6-19, 1-11 SoCon) team that had lost eight-straight coming into the contest. Wofford's 16th win matches its regular-season wins total
The Terriers were once again playing without the services of Kahmare Holmes, but it didn't matter, as Wofford went on the road to claim an 81-67 win over VMI, extending the Keydets' losing streak to nine games. It was a big night for Wofford's other stars, as both portal additions--Cayden Vasko and Nils Machowski--ended up leading a balanced Wofford offense, which saw four end up in double figures in the contest.
The Terriers got a career-high 26 points from Vasko, who transferred in from Central Michigan during the off-season, while the UCF transfer Machowski finished up with 16. Vasko connected on 9-of-14 shots from the field and was an impressive 5-for-8 from three-point range. He was a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe, as he established a new career-high for points. Vasko's nine rebounds put him on the verge of a double-double for the game.
Jaden Tyler came off the bench to chip in with 16 points, while Chace Watley continued his strong play of late, chipping in with 11.
TJ Johnson continued his strong play for the Keydets this season, as he was one of three VMI players to score in double figures, finishing the contest with 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, including a 5-for-11 effort from three-point range. He added 12 boards to finish off his sixth double-double of the season, including his third since the start of league play.
Tan Yildizoglu and Kaden Stuckey rounded out the double-digit scorers for VMI, finishing with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Both Yildizoglu and Johnson ended up playing all 40 minutes in the game for the Keydets.
As far as each team was concerned, the Terriers finished out the contest connecting on 45.6 %(26-of-57) from the field, including a 36.7% (11-of-30) clip from three-point land. The Terriers also finished with a 75.0% (18-of-24) shooting clip from the free throw line.
VMI, meanwhile, struggled for most of the evening by finishing the night connecting on just 39.7% (23-of-58) from the field and 29.2% (7-of-24) from three-point range. The Keydets finished a solid 73.7% (14-of-19) from the line.
When the Terriers came to Cameron Hall to face VMI last season in a key SoCon late-season game, as the two teams were gearing up for the SoCon Tournament in Asheville, Wofford left little doubt from the outset what the outcome would be, racing to a 44-17 halftime lead before leaving Lexington with one of the largest margins of victory in SoCon play of the 2024-25 season, as the Terriers claimed an 82-43 road win.
While the 2025-26 result in quite the margin of victory, what was similar to last season's lopsided win by the Terriers at Cameron Hall was how a much younger Wofford team established dominance from the outset of the game. In both games, the Terriers went to half with 44 points, only this time the Keydets had 10 more than last season's clash,
Wofford had it on cruise control for most of the evening, and ran out to a 20-point lead, at 36-16, in the opening half when Jaden Tyler connected on a three with just over five minutes remaining in the half. The Terriers would eventually settle for a 44-27 halftime advantage.
Wofford maintained its substantial advantage throughout most of the second half, with the lead never getting inside of double digits. The Keydets would get as close as 10 with 2:04 remaining when TJ Johnson knocked down about a 15-foot jumper, making it a 77-67 game. But that's as close as the Keydets could get the remainder of the night, as the Terriers pushed the lead back to 14 points, on a pair of free throws by Vasko and a jumper by Machowski to put together another complete effort on the road.
Chattanooga Gets Signature SoCon Win Over Mercer
The biggest upset, on paper at least, came when Mercer (15-10, 7-5 SoCon) and Chattanooga (10-15, 4-8 SoCon) faced off at the Roundhouse on Thursday night, with the Mocs trying to snap what had become a four-game losing skid. The Bears came in on the other end of the spectrum, having won eight of their previous nine games.
What unfolded were two teams that got after each other physically, and I think it was something that was able to throw off a Mercer offensive rhythm that had been operating at an optimum level. The Bears came in ranked No. 143 in the country according to KenPom, while the Mocs were ranked No. 291 by the same metric.
When the final buzzer sounded and it read Mocs 79, Bears 75, it would represent the Mocs' best win of the season, and one that Chattanooga desperately needed, as head coach Dan Earl had mentioned in the media that the Mocs effort level in recent games hadn't been where it needed to be. He even burned all of his timeouts for the game when the Mocs fell behind by as many as 24 points on the road last time out in a five-point loss at Furman.
There's no doubt Earl's team has battled immense adversity throughout the season, with the injury bug having ravaged the front court, and rebounding in general had become a tough thing on both ends. In fact, second-chance opportunities came at a premium for the Mocs, and holding their own on the defensive glass was enough of a struggle.
In the four-point win over the Bears, Chattanooga showed some fire that it hadn't some recent games, especially on the defensive end of the floor, as one glance at the stats sheet reveals that the Bears shot 43 free throws, with 18 more attempts than Chattanooga, outscoring the Mocs 33-19 at the line.
The Bears knocked down 76.7% (33-of-43) from the free throw line, while shot charity shots at a 76.0% (19-of-25) clip. All told, the game was a lot like the one between UNCG and WCU a night earlier--a foul fest--as the two teams combined for 48 fouls and 68 attempted free throws. Of the 154 combined points scored between the two teams, a combined 52 of those points came from the charity stripe.
Chattanooga's defensive performance was collectively its best of the season, holding the Bears to just 31.0% (18-of-58) shooting for the game, as well as just 25.0% (6-of-24) from the beyond the three-point line.
Meanwhile, the Mocs' offensive efficiency was also at a high level for much of the night, connecting on 54.3% (25-of-46) of its shots for the game, while shooting a blistering 45.5% (10-of-22) from three-point land. The shot selection by Chattanooga was among its best in a single 40-minute outing this season.
Despite getting outrebounded by 12 (34-22) and getting blitzed (12-3) in second chance points, which included Mercer coming up with 16 offensive rebounds to Chattanooga's meager total of three, the Mocs found points from both inside and outside the entire night, showing some versatility and for once, didn't seem like a team exclusively relegated to total reliance on made perimeter shots.
Five Mocs finished the contest in double figures, led by Tate Darner's 18 points, as he connected on 6-of-11 shots from the field and was 1-for-4 from three-point range. He was also 5-for-6 from the charity stripe and added five rebounds, two assists and a steal. The freshman from Lakeland, FL., netted a career-high 18 points, while also leading the team in minutes played (35 min) and the +/- category, as he finished a +16 for the game.
Joining Darner in double figures were North Dakota State graduate transfer Tate Darner, who finished with 15 points, while Teddy Washington Jr. and local product and walk-on Houston Holland added 12 points apiece. Jordan Frison, who came off the bench and missed his first start of the season, added 11 points. It was Frison, a graduate transfer from NCAA Division II Pittsburg State, that made the biggest shot of the night, as his step-back three with just under a minute remaining extend a three-point lead to six, at 76-70, with just 59 seconds remaining.
Mercer was led in the game by Baraka Okojie's 19 points, and for a player that has been arguably the best player in the SoCon this season for much of the campaign, the Thursday night clash with Chattanooga was not at all a memorably one, finishing just 4-of-18 from the field, including 0-for-6 from three-point range. He did manage a solid 11-of-15 effort from the charity stripe, while dishing out six assists, adding two rebounds and a pair of steals.
He was joined in double figures by big man Armani Mighty, who posted 18 points and seven boards, while Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Zaire Williams rounded out the Bears in double figures, with 14 and 12 points apiece, respectively. The 31.0% shooting percentage for the Bears was its lowest since shooting 29.9% in the 76-61 season-opening loss at No. 17 Tennessee.
As far as the actual game went, the Bears held as much as a nine-point lead in the opening frame (32-23) with 5:04 remaining in the half, however, the Mocs would close strong, finishing on an 11-4 run to close to within 37-34 at the half.
In the second half, Mercer went over half of the second half at one point without scoring from the field for over 10 minutes, but the Bears stayed in the game with their performance from the charity stripe.
The final game of the opening round of games this week, it was one of the more important ones as The Citadel (9-16, 6-6 SoCon) and Samford (13-12, 6-6 SoCon) met in a game that was important, especially when you consider the implications it might have for March in Asheville.
As we get further into February, the games get a little more important and the pressure cranks to another level.
The Citadel has been punching well above its weight this season, so when they got the Pete Hanna Center on Thursday night for the 8 p.m. EST, it was another game that, like the ETSU-Furman game between two of the top teams, had a lot of importance in terms of postseason seeding.
Samford got off to a good start and maintained good offensive balance throughout the contest to come up with the 78-64 win, pulling away late in the contest. The Samford Bulldogs offensive consistency was revealed by the fact that they shot 50% or better for the entire game and took a 39-32 lead to the break.
In the second half, The Citadel did its best to get back into the game making several strong pushes to try and tie or take the lead, however, after getting as close as one point on the scoreboard when Kenyan Davis drained a three-pointer to get The Citadel to within a point, at 53-52. Davis' three-pointer came as a result of a second-chance opportunity.
The Citadel stayed in the game for a bit after that, however, there was some concern on the floor as Christian Moore--The Citadel's second-leading scorer--went out of the game midway through the second half and didn't return.
Eventually The Citadel would give way and the dam would break, as Samford would hit a final scoring run late to secure the 14-point home win. The Citadel got within three (58-61) once again when Logan Applegate knocked down a three with 7:18 remaining. However, Samford had too much down the stretch and went on a 9-0 run over the next two-and-a-half minutes, taking complete control of the game, as Dylan Faulkner's layup gave the Bulldogs a 70-58 lead with 4:53 remaining. The Citadel could never get closer than eight the rest of the way, as Samford went on to the 14-point win.
A balanced offensive effort for Samford was highlighted by five finishing in double figures, with Jadin Booth leading the way finishing with 15, connecting on 5-of-9 shots from the field and going 3-for-4 from three-point range. Booth also finished 2-of-3 from the charity stripe, while
he also added four rebounds, two steals and dished out a pair of assists.
Joining Booth in double figures for the Samford was Dylan Faulkner, who posted 14 points and 11 rebounds, as he finished with his seventh double-double of the season, including his sixth in Southern Conference play.
ETSU Garners Season Sweep of Keydets
The first and last place teams in the SoCon started the SoCon Saturday of basketball, and it would be the Bucs that were able to maintain their lead in the league, as the Bucs were able to post what was an 87-70 win on the strength of 66% shooting in the second half to come away from Lexington with the win.
The Bucs led for more than 36 minutes to come away with the win, as ETSU led by as many as 13 in the opening half of play before settling for a seven-point, 40-33, halftime advantage. In the second half, the Bucs would take control of the game, using a 10-0 run to take a 17-point lead, at 50-33, following a Cam Morris III jumper at the 17:15 mark of the second half.
While converting 13 steals and forcing 21 turnovers and turning those into a 23-8 advantage in ETSU's win over Furman on Wednesday night was impressive, its 26 assists on 32 made baskets in Saturday's 17-point win at VMI might have been even more impressive.
The Keydets would battle back on the three-point shooting of Linus Holmstrom, who would get the Keydets back to within 11 with back-to-back three, and with 8:45 remaining, the Keydets would get as close as they had been since halftime, as Kaden Stuckey's two foul shots would get the Keydets back to within eight, at 66-58 with 8:44 remaining.
But the Bucs hit right back with a quick 11-0 run to take decisive control of the game once again, as Allen Strothers started the connected on a pair of free throws on the next trip down the floor, extending the Bucs lead back to double digits and a Morris jumper with 6:05 remaining gave the Bucs their largest lead of 19, at 77-58, ending the 11-0 spurt.
Following a layup by Holmstrom and a jumper by Stuckey, which was sandwiched by a Blake Barkley layup, making it a 79-62 ETSU with 4:34 remaining. The Bucs got back-to-back jumpers from Cam Morris III and Jordan McCullum to take their largest lead of the afternoon, as ETSU assumed an 83-62 lead with 2:27 all but sealing the win on the road.
VMI outscored ETSU 8-4 the rest of the way to set the final margin.
The Bucs finished the contest with four in double figures, led by Blake Barkley's double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds, as he recorded his fifth double-double of the season, including his fourth in SoCon play. It was his sixth 20+ point scoring performance of the season, including his fourth in SoCon play. Barkley finished the game going nearly flawless for the day, as he posted his scoring 7-of-9 from the field and was 2-for-2 from three-point range, while connecting on 6-of-8 from the line.
Cam Morris III added 16 points and three steals, while Maki Johnson found his way into double figures off the bench for just the second time this season, as he posted 15 points off the bench. It was his first double-figure scoring effort since pouring in a career-high 29 points in a win over South Alabama earlier in non-conference play. Jordan McCullum finished out the Bucs in double figures, finding his way into double figures for a third-straight game, as he added 12 points.
The Keydets ended the game led by the sharp-shooting of Linus Holmstrom, as he led the way with 20 points, finishing 7-of-12 from the field and 6-for-10 from three-point range. Kaden Stuckey added 13 off the bench, while Tan Yildizoglu added 12 to round out the double-figure scorers. Johnson was held to just seven points, as the junior grad transfer from Lipscomb was held below double figures for just the fourth time this season.
The Bucs shot 66% (19-of-29) in the second half, including 42.3% (11-of-26) from three-point range and were 85.7% (12-of-14) from the line.
Bulldogs Shock the Mocs; Snap Nine-Game Losing Streak at UTC
CHATTANOOGA, TN--The Citadel ended up snapping a 13-game losing streak in the Scenic City, getting a 78-71 win over defending SoCon regular-season and NIT Champion Chattanooga at McKenzie Arena.
The win was The Citadel's first in McKenzie Arena since Feb. 18, 2012, when the Bulldogs picked up a 48-46 win over the Mocs, improving to 7-41 all-time at the Roundhouse and 2-10 in true road games this season.
Playing without second-leading scorer Christian Moore, the Bulldogs got big contributions from Braxton Williams and Sola Adebisi, who posted 18 points apiece to account for 36 of The Citadel's 78 points in the road win.
Williams finished his afternoon connecting on 7-of-14 from the field, which included a 4-for-10 effort from three-point range, as well as coming up with three big steals on the defensive end to lead the Bulldogs.
Adebisi, meanwhile, went 8-for-12 from the field for the game, which included a perfect 2-for-2 from the line, adding five rebounds and two steals. All told, Williams and Adebisi accounted for five of the team's 10 steals, as the Bulldogs posted a 16-10 advantage in points off turnovers.
Joining Williams and Adebisi in double figures were Carter Kingbury and Eze Wali, who added 16 and 11 points, respectively. Wali led the Bulldogs with five assists in the contest.
Not only did the Bulldogs edge the Mocs by the points from turnovers category but also owned a 38-36 edge in points in the paint and fast-break points (16-15), however, Chattanooga had the edge in bench scoring (40-11). The Mocs also won the second-chance points category for one of the rare times this season, finishing with a 12-11 advantage in second-chance points.
The Citadel finished the afternoon with an efficient shooting performance, completing the contest with a 50% (29-of-58) from the field connected on 9-of-29 three-pointers (31.0%). They were a near-perfect 11-of-13 from the free throw line (84.6%).
As far as the Mocs are concerned, they finished the game led by Jordan Frison, who for the second-straight game, came off the bench and led all scorers in the game with 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and 2-for-5 from three-point range, as well as a perfect 2-for-2 from the line. He also added three assists, three rebounds and a steal. Brennan Watkins was the only other Mocs player in double figures, adding 15.
The Mocs connected on 44.4% (28-of-63) for the game and matched the Bulldogs' 31.0% (9-for-29) from three-point range. Chattanooga got to the line only eight times, as the Mocs shot 75% from the line.
The Citadel's story has been remarkable. The Bulldogs are now 6-6 in league play for just the fifth time in the past 17 seasons, with Conroy at the helm for four of those five teams. The Bulldogs currently sit in the top six of the standings, which is a half-game ahead of UNCG at the end of Saturday'
;jbaT8[\s action. UNCG will take on Furman in Greenville on Sunday.
The win over the Mocs in Chattanooga marks the first win by a Bulldogs team in the Scenic City since
Saturday's win also reveals another thing about the job Ed Conroy is doing at the helm of the other basketball program in Charleston.
It's an interesting contrast that the beautiful, historic city known for its church spires and ports, plays host to both the most successful hoops program in the Palmetto State and one of the least, in College of Charleston and The Citadel.
The other interesting thing is that Ed Conroy has been the engineer of two turnarounds now. The first was one of the most drastic in Southern Conference history, as the Bulldogs went from 6-24 and 1-19 in league play in 2007-08 under Conroy to 20-13 and 15-5 in league play in 2008-09, which was also under Conroy.
A 16-16 mark and a 9-9 league mark in the 2009-10 season would be enough to lure Conroy away to another historic, port city with plenty of church spires a year later, as he took the open head coaching post at Tulane.
After not being given in my mind the fair opportunity to fully restore that program and unceremoniously let go, Conroy rebounded to get jobs as an assistant at a couple of power five programs, in Minnesota and Vanderbilt.
Conroy now finds himself once again doing what he does best, and that is restoring a program as a head coach at The Citadel. The Bulldogs had just eight league wins from 2022-25 and now already have six this season.
The Citadel returns to action Wednesday night, traveling to Cullowhee, N.C., to face Western Carolina (8-15, 4-8 SoCon) in a tip-off time set for 7 p.m. EST at the Liston B. Ramsey Center. The Bulldogs won the previous meeting between the two this season, claiming what was a 79-77 overtime win in Charleston back on Jan. 10. Chattanooga returns to the hardwood on Wednesday, as the Bucs will be on the road to face arch-rival East Tennessee State (18-7, 10-2 SoCon) in 7 p.m. EST battle at Freedom Hall.
Wofford Keeps Momentum Going Against Western Carolina
SPARTANBURG, S.C.--Wofford used a strong shooting performance (54.5%) and Nils Machowski (19 pts, 11 rebs) added his second double-double of the week, as Wofford held off Western Carolina 77-66, in Southern Conference Basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium completes the season sweep of the Catamounts.
In 35 minutes of action this past Saturday, Machowski connected on 8-of-15 shots from the field, including 1-of-4 from three-point range, and posted a 2-for-2 effort at the line to finish off his 19-point scoring performance, leading four Terriers that found their way into double figures in the contest.
His 11 rebounds in the contest was enough to see the UCF transfer log his third double-double of the season, including the second this week, as he also posted 15 points and 11 rebounds in Wofford's previous win at VMI during the mid-week. Machowski also added two blocks and one assist to his stat line.
Central Michigan transfer Cayden Vasko also continued his strong play of late, joining Machowski in double figures, with 18 points, five assists and four rebounds. Freshman guard Chace Watley and George College and State University transfer Brendan Rigsbee rounded out the Terriers in double figures, adding 16 and 10 points, respectively.
The Terriers finished the afternoon connecting on an impressive 54.5% (30-of-55) from the field and 33.3% (6-for-18) from three-point range.
Western Carolina also placed four in double figures, with Marcus Kell and Cord Standberry leading the way, posting 13 points apiece, while point guard tandem Julien Soumaoro and freshman Tahlan Pettway added 12 points apiece, rounding out the Catamounts in double figures.
The Catamounts had trouble finding their shooting touch most of the afternoon, thanks to Wofford's outstanding defensive performance, as WCU finished the contest connecting on just 40% (26-of-65) from the field and just 30.8% (8-of-26) from three-point range.
Neither team could gain a foothold in the opening half of play, as both teams went back-and-forth, and it was Western Carolina that actually jumped out to an early eight-point advantage, at 10-2, on a Marcus Kell layup a little less than two minutes into the game. However, Wofford would storm back to take its first lead of the contest, at 16-15, when Cayden Vasko connected on a triple at the 14:22 mark of the opening half.
After Rex Stirling's layup pushed the Wofford lead to three, Soumaoro answered with a layup and Kell a three, giving the Catamounts a 20-18 lead at the 12:12 mark of the opening half. Nils Machowski answered with a short jumper with just under 12 minutes remaining in the half to knot the score, 20-20.
With the game tied, 25-25, following Machowski's only three of the game, it was the start of an 11-0 run that would see Wofford take control of the basketball game, ending with a dunk and a layup from freshman forward Brian Sumpter, making it a 33-25 Terrier lead with 6:02 left in the half.
The Terriers would pull ahead by nine on two occasions in the closing stages of the first half, with the last being at 39-30 when Brendan Rigsbee converted a layup at the 2:48 mark of the opening stanza, however, the Terriers would settle on a 41-36 halftime advantage.
In the second half, the Catamounts came out fast again and trimmed the deficit to four at the 15:46 mark to make it a 48-44 contest following a Kell layup. However, the Terriers would then put together what would ultimately prove to be the most decisive run of the contest.
The Terriers posted a 13-4 run, which was capped by a Rigsbee layup to make it a 61-48 Terrier lead, as the nearly 2,000 (1,932) fans at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium erupted, and Wofford took its biggest lead to that point in the contest with 8:43 remaining.
The Terriers would eventually push their lead to as much as 15 with 3:31 left, at 74-59, following another Rigsbee layup off the window, and the Catamounts could only get within single digits just once over the remaining eight minutes, as the Terriers closed out the impressive 11-point, 77-66, win inside the friendly confines.
The victory sees the Terriers remain within a game of first-place ETSU in the standings with a game left to play with the Bucs in Johnson City coming up on Feb. 25. The Terriers improved to 17-8 overall and have a two-game lead in second-place ahead of Furman (16-9, 7-5 SoCon) and Mercer (15-10, 7-5 SoCon) as a result of both losing their most recent games in league play this past weekend. Wofford will be in Homewood, AL to face off against the Samford Bulldogs (13-12, 6-6 SoCon) in a big SoCon game slated for Wednesday evening at the Pete Hanna Center. Tip-off for that contest is set for 7 p.m. EST.
Western Carolina, meanwhile, fell to 8-15 overall and 4-8 in league play and will host The Citadel (9-16, 6-6 SoCon) in a 7 p.m. EST contest on Wednesday evening at the Ramsey Center.
Samford Remains Hot with Win Over Suddenly Reeling Mercer
HOMEWOOD, AL--Samford remained hot in Southern Conference play, winning its third-straight in league play, as the Bulldogs held the league's best offensive team to just 27.1% shooting and 49 points en route to a 69-49 win over the Mercer Saturday afternoon inside the Pete Hanna Center.
The win also meant the Bulldogs pushed their overall record back to above .500, improving to 13-12 overall, while evening up their Southern Conference mark, at 6-6. Meanwhile, Mercer dropped its second-straight game on the road, as the Bears drop to 15-10 overall and 6-6 in league action.
The Bulldogs jumped out to an 11-4 lead following a Jadin Booth jumper and the Bulldogs would then increase their lead to double digits shortly thereafter, and that's where the margin would remain for a majority of the afternoon. When Cade Norris connected on a three-pointer at the 7:06 mark of the first half, the Bulldogs increased their lead to 30-16.
With just under a minute remaining in the opening 20 minutes, the Bulldogs increased the margin to 18 when Kam Martin connected on a three, making it a 40-22 margin. That's where the score would remain as the two teams entered the halftime locker room.
With just under seven minutes remaining in the contest, Samford pushed its lead to its largest of the afternoon, at 23 when Keaton Norris connected on a triple to make it a 63-40 game with 6:44 remaining. The Bulldogs never let the margin dip below 20 the rest of the way en route to a lopsided 69-49 SoCon win at the Pete Hanna Center.
The Bulldogs would be led in the game by Booth once again, who was once again outstanding scoring the basketball, as he finished the night with 28 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and was a perfect 14-of-14 from the charity stripe. Booth also went 2-of-4 from the charity stripe, recording his 13th performance of 20 or more points in league play this season.
The only other Bulldogs player to finish in double figures in contest was Dylan Faulkner, who finished his contest by posting 16 points and 12 rebounds, finishing of his eighth double-double of the season, which includes his seventh overall in Southern Conference play.
The Bulldogs finished the afternoon connecting on 48.0% (24-of-50) from the field, including 31.6% (6-for-19) from three-point range. Powered by Booth's flawless 14-for-14 effort from the charity stripe, Samford finished the evening 15-of-20 at the charity stripe to finish the contest at 75.0% from the free throw line.
Mercer, meanwhile, scored a season-low 49 points on a season-low 27.1% (16-of-59) shooting clip, which included a 23.5% (4-for-17) effort from three-point range. The Bears were 76.5% (13-of-17) from the charity stripe in the game.
The Bears finished the two-game road trip at UTC and Samford firing an ice cold 29.0% (34-of-117) from the field, including 27.9% (12-of-43) from three-point range. The Bears were led by Baraka Okojie's 25 points against the Bulldogs, as he connected on 9-for-17 shots from the field, including 2-for-4 from three-point range and finished 5-for-8 from the line. Okojie's 20+point scoring performance marked his ninth 20+point scoring effort this season, including his sixth of the season.
Armani Mighty finished the game with 11 points and nine rebounds, just missing a double-double. Okojie and Mighty accounted for all but 13 of the team's points in the loss.
UNCG's Efficiency Enough to Help Spartans Edge Furman
GREENVILLE, S.C.—Justin Neely was once again the dominant force in the paint for UNCG, as he posted 24 points and 13 rebounds, as the Spartans led for 31:42 of the game and didn't trail at all during the second half, despite Furman cutting it to a single point twice inside the final five minutes, as UNCG held on for the 67-64 road upset Sunday afternoon before an announced crowd of 2,497 fans on-hand at Timmons Arena.
With the win, UNCG improved to 10-15 overall and 6-6 in SoCon play, while Furman fell for the second-straight outing, dropping to 16-9 overall and 7-5 in SoCon play and stayed in a tie for third in the league standings along with Mercer (15-10, 7-5 SoCon), as the two will face each other at Hawkins Arena Wednesday night where the Bears are a perfect 11-0 this season.
Neely was sensational Sunday, as he finished 8-for-14 from the field and 2-for-2 from three-point range, which were just his 11th and 12th made triples of the season. He also finished 6-for-10 from the free throw line.
Neely's overall game hearkens back to a Spartans player from almost two decades ago, in Kyle Hines (2004-08), who was a walking double-double. For Neely, it marked his 16th double-double of the season, which leads the SoCon and ranks second in all of NCAA Division I.
Noah Norgaard and Donald Whitehead Jr. rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Spartans, adding 11 points apiece.
The Paladins got another strong effort from Cooper Bowser, who led Furman with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, while adding six rebounds, two assists, one steal and a block.
Furman freshman phenom Alex Wilkins was the only other Paladin player to finish in double figures, posting 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the field and a 5-for-6 effort at the line. He finished the game 0-for-3 from long-range, and after posting a 13-for-19 effort from three-point range during a three-game winning streak for the Paladins, he is just 1-for-8 in each of the past two games.
With his 15 points on Sunday, however, Wilkins moved into second place in Furman history when it comes to points in a season scored by a freshman, as he surpassed former Furman great and 2,000-point scorer Karim Souchu (1999-2003), who posted 459 points in his freshman season of 1999-2000.
Wilkins now has 463 points in his freshman season, which is 99 points away from setting a new school record, surpassing 561 points scored by Jonathan Moore (1976-80). He also added five assists, two steals and blocked a shot.
The Paladins, who won 89-66 a couple of weeks ago over UNCG with only seven scholarship players, were without Collin O'Neal due to illness, however, were as close to full strength as they have been since Dec. 18, and that included having all top three scorers in the lineup Sunday afternoon, with Asa Thomas the latest to return to the Furman lineup.
In his first game since Jan. 10, the Clemson transfer added nine points, five rebounds and three rebounds in 31 minutes of work. He connected on three of the team's five three-pointers in the loss.
The loss sees Furman settle for the season split with the Spartans, as the Paladins have not swept UNCG in a season since the 2015-16 season.
The Paladins have now dropped consecutive league games for the second time this season and it marks the first time Furman has lost four games in a season at Timmons Arena since the 2014-15 season, when the Paladins finished 7-7 overall at Timmons, including a 4-5 record against SoCon foes. The three conference losses are now also the most since 2014-15.
Unlike last year's home setback to UNCG, Furman actually played decently enough, and for the second-straight game won key categories that are usually included in any formula for winning a basketball game. The Paladins dominated the points in the paint (32-18), second-chance points (8-5) and total rebounds (36-32), yet its inability to both make threes (Furman went 5-of-19/26.3%) and defend the three in key moments (UNCG went 10-of-19/52.6%).
One concerning trend is the fact that both ETSU and UNCG have combined to shoot 47.2% (17-of-36) from three-point range in each of the past two games. Meanwhile, Furman has connected on just 26.6% (12-of-45) from long-range in each of the past two games. Furman has shot 13.3% (2-of-15) from three-point range in its past two outings against the Bucs and Spartans.
The other statistical differences in the game were very miniscule one way or the other. The Spartans held advantages in free throw attempts (19-17), and both teams ended tied in free throw points (13-13), as well as fast-break points (5-5). The Paladins also held a 13-11 advantage in total assists.
The Paladins trimmed their turnovers down to 11 from 21 against ETSU Wednesday night, however, the Spartans were able to turn those miscues into 16 points. Furman forced nine UNCG turnovers but could only muster 10 points from those Spartans mistakes. The Spartans held a slight 17-11 edge in bench scoring.
Furman made one more field goal than the Spartans (23-22) while both teams attempted the exact same number of field goals (53-53), with Furman shoot a slightly better percentage for the game, as the Paladins connected at a 43.4% clip, while UNCG went 41.5% from the field for the game.
Furman took a 12-11 lead into the first media timeout of the game, which was highlighted by threes from Charles Johnston and Tom House, while UNCG made its first three shots of the game, with two of those coming from Justin Neely.
Asa Thomas also returned to the Furman lineup for the first time since Jan. 10 early in the first half against VMI, when he suffered a lower body injury and did not return. His return completes the trifecta, as the Paladins now have all three of their top three scorers back in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 18, 2025.
The two teams headed to the second media timeout tied, 17-17, with Clifton Efinda giving the Spartans a brief 14-12 before Thomas scored his first points since returning from injury on a corner pocket three-pointer, making it a 15-14 lead for the Paladins. After a UNCG turnover, Ben Vander Wal’s layup extended the Paladin lead to three, at 17-14, but Neely connected on a left wing three to tie it 17-17 with a little over 11 minutes remaining in the opening half.
Out of the media timeout, the Spartans gained a bit of a foothold in the game, using a 9-2 run to take a seven-point lead following a three-pointer in transition from the top of the key from Lillian Marville to take a 26-19 lead with 8:55 left in the half and forced a Furman timeout. Furman got a bucket from Cooper Bowser to trim the lead to five, at 26-21 by the next media timeout.
Both UNCG and Furman struggled for find their rhythm over the next four minutes, however, the Spartans maintained their advantage, thanks to offensive aggression from Neely and a three from Norgaard, as the Spartans extended the advantage back out to six on a free throw by KJ Younger, which made it 32-26, and that’s how the two teams would head to the final media of the half at the 3:50 mark. The lead could have been more substantial, however, UNCG missed four-straight foul shots before Younger’s make.
Eventually, Neely’s two 1-and-1 foul shots extended the Spartans lead to eight at 34-26, but Wilkins alley-ooped Cooper Bowser for two and cut it back to six almost immediately to cut the deficit to four.
Then following a head-fake and layup to lose a defender by Wilkins, Furman got within four, at 34-30, however, Neely responded with a desperation three at the shot-clock buzzer to push the lead back to seven. Cooper Bowser answered on Furman's next possession when he caught another alley-oop from Wilkins to get the ‘Dins back to within five, at 37-32.
A Lillian Marville layup pushed UNCG’s lead back to seven, at 39-32, and after Thomas missed a three in the waning seconds, Whitehead's 36-foot heave at the halftime buzzer kept the margin at seven at the half.
Both teams shot 50% in the opening half, with Justin Neely scoring 15 of UNCG’s 39 points, while both teams shot 50% from the field on 13-of-26 shooting, the Spartans connected on 70% (7-of-10) from three-point range in the opening half, while the Furman made shot 40% (4-of-10).
The Spartans also attempted nine more free throws than the Paladins in the opening half (11-2), outscoring the Paladins (6-2) Furman the charity stripe. Furman owned a substantial 16-8 advantage in the opening half. UNCG’s lead, while impressive, felt a little like fool’s gold.
In the second half, UNCG extended its lead immediately to double digits on a three-point play the old-fashioned way by Younger. The Paladins cut it back to seven thanks to some strong play from Cooper Bowser and Tom House, who eclipsed the number of free throws shot in the entire opening 20 minutes in the first five minutes.
Cooper Bowser scored on a three-point play the old-fashioned way and then Tom House connected on a pair of three throws after Valentino Pinedo picked up his third foul, getting the Paladins to within 42-37, however, a Norgaard jumper from about 15 feet out extended UNCG’s lead back to seven, at 44-37.
A dunk and a layup by Cooper Bowser gave the Paladins some life and got the deficit back to five. An Alex Wilkins driving layup cut Furman’s deficit to three, but Wlkins picked up his fourth foul on the next trip down the floor, and UNCG’s lead remained three, at 46-43, as the two teams headed to their respective sidelines for the second media timeout of the game at the 11:53 mark of the second half.
Out of the timeout, A three by White Jr. and a foul by Eddrin Bronson allowed the Spartans to push their lead back to seven, at 50-43. Thanks to the four-point play. Bronson answered with a layup and Cooper Bowser had one too, as Furman cut it to three. A pair of free throws by Whitehead following a foul by Bronson and a well-guarded three-pointer by Chane Bynum pushed it back to eight, at 55-47.
The Paladins got it back to six on a Ben Vander Wal layup and after the timeout cut it to three, at 55-52, following a Thomas three. Layups by Norgaard and Neely pushed it back to seven with just over six minutes remaining, at 59-52.
A pair of Alex Wilkins free throws got it back to five with 5:58 remaining. The Paladins cut it three again on a pair of Johnston free throws and after Valentino Pinedo missed free throw, Furman’s Bob Richey called timeout with 4:41 remaining and the Paladins trailing 59-56 with possession of the basketball.
Furman and UNCG exchanged turnovers before Thomas’ right wing three missed the mark in transition, giving the Spartans the ball back with a three-point lead going the other way, however, Wilkins tipped away a UNCG pass and it appeared to go off UNCG’s Neely, however, and the Paladins were awarded the ball with 3:47 left.
UNCG's bench opted to challenge the call, but the call was upheld and Furman maintained possession. On that crucial possession, Wilkins go the Paladins even closer with a driving layup to make it 59-58, with 3:35 left but UNCG converted a layup and Neely was fouled on the other end to push the lead back to two possessions, at 62-58, with 3:13 remaining.
A Wilkins fade-a-way jumper got Furman to within a bucket, at 62-60, and then Wilkins was fouled on the next trip down going to the hole by Younger to go to the line for two shots with 2:01 remaining.
The freshman would make 1-of-2 foul shots to get the Paladins back to within a point for the second time in the final five minutes. After Furman rebounded a Norgaard missed jumper, Bronson took it across the timeline and Furman used a timeout trailing 62-61 with 1:32 remaining.
After Furman turned it over on the ensuing possession, UNCG ran the shot clock down to 15 and burned a timeout with exactly one minute to play. Norgaard connected on a three to put the Spartans back up four, at 65-61, with 47 seconds remaining. The Paladins took their final timeout with 43.6 remaining. UNCG fouls Wilkins off the ball with 41.9 remaining for two free throw opportunities.
Neely would make both, getting the Paladins back to within two with 41.9 remaining. UNCG’s Neely missed a layup on the other end and Wilkins raced up the floor and found Cooper Bowser and he would be fouled before he could get a shot up with 8.9 remaining. He went 1-of-2 from the line to make it a 65-64, missing the second.
Neely got the rebound and was fouled with 6.2 remaining to go to line for two free throws and he made both to increase UNCG’s lead to three and the Spartans would hold on for the 67-64 win.
The Paladins return to action on Wednesday night to take on Mercer (15-10, 7-5 SoCon) at Hawkins Arena, with tip-off for that contest set for 7 p.m. EST. UNCG will host VMI (6-19, 1-11 SoCon) at First Horizon Coliseum in a 7 p.m. EST contest.
Power Rankings For Week of Feb. 1-8
1 East Tennessee State (18-7, 10-2 SoCon)---------2-0 this week
2. Wofford (17-8, 9-3 SoCon)----------2-0 this week
3. Furman (16-9, 7-5 SoCon)-----------0-2 this week
4. Samford (13-12, 6-6 SoCon)---------2-0 this week
5. Mercer (15-10, 7-5 SoCon)-----------0-2 this week
6. The Citadel (9-16, 6-6 SoCon)-------1-1 this week
T-6. UNCG (10-15, 6-6 SoCon)---------1-1 this week
8. Chattanooga (10-15, 4-8 SoCon)----1-1 this week
9. Western Carolina (8-15, 4-8 SoCon)-----0-2 this week
10. VMI (6-19, 1-11 SoCon)--------------------0-2 this week
Schedule for Feb. 11, 2026:
The Citadel at Western Carolina, 6 p.m. EST (Nexstar SoCon Game of the Week)
Furman at Mercer, 7 p.m. EST
Wofford at Samford, 7 p.m. EST
Chattanooga at East Tennessee State, 7 p.m. EST
VMI at UNC Greensboro, 7 p.m. EST
Schedule For Feb. 14, 2026:
Mercer at The Citadel, 1 p.m. EST
Furman at VMI, 1 p.m. EST
Samford at ETSU, 4 p.m. EST
Western Carolina at Chattanooga, 4:30 p.m. EST
Wofford at UNCG, 5 p.m. EST
