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A Night of Close Calls and Thrillers on the SoCon Hardwood; ETSU Widens Lead Atop the SoCon

Bucs Survive in the Low Country/Photo Courtesy of ETSU athletics

East Tennessee Extends Winning Streak to 13 Games in Thrilling Fashion at The Citadel

For the second time in three trips to the Palmetto State in Southern Conference play this season, East Tennessee found itself in danger of dropping its first league game of the season, and seeing the nation's third-longest winning streak come to an end, however, just as it did in a one-point, 62-61, win at Furman a little less than two weeks ago, the Bucs dug deep and found something extra to come up with a 73-71 road win over The Citadel Monday night at McAlister Field House. 

With the win, the Bucs improve to 19-4 overall and 10-0 in Southern Conference play, while the Bulldogs fell to 7-14 overall and 2-7 in league play.

With ETSU clinging to a 69-68 lead with 44 seconds left, The Citadel's Frankie Johnson had a golden opportunity to help the Bulldogs regain the lead and potentially post the biggest upset in Southern Conference play so far this season, however, in what appeared to be an easy two points for the junior guard turned into a nightmare, as his shot caromed off the backboard and then back out off the back iron only to be rebounded by Jalan McCloud who was fouled immediately. That put the Bucs in the double-bonus. McCloud made one of two foul shots with 17 seconds remaining to give the Bucs a 70-68 lead.  

On the ensuing possession, the Bulldogs turned the ball right back over to the Bucs following a Quayson Williams defensive rebound of the McCloud miss on the second foul shot, but then promptly turned the ball back over the Bucs with 12.5 seconds remaining. That forced the Bulldogs to foul freshman guard Bo Hodges, with Hodges cooly knocking down both shots to increase the Bucs' lead to 72-68.

The Bulldogs were in need of a triple on the ensuing possession, and who better to look to than junior guard Matt Frierson--a player that hit nine threes in a game earlier this season against Chattanooga--and Frierson didn't disappoint with a fade-a-way three-pointer from beyond NBA range, cutting ETSU's lead to one, at 72-71, with 7.6 seconds remaining.

The Bulldogs were forced to immediately foul once again, and it was McCloud whom Duggar Baucom's charges decided to foul McCloud once again with 6.1 seconds remaining. McCloud again connected on 1-of-2 foul shots to make it a 73-71 ETSU lead. 

The Bulldogs would get an excellent look at a three from the left wing as time expired, however, Alex Reed's shot as time expired bounced twice on the rim and caromed off to the right, and the cardiac Bucs remained unbeaten in the league and sustained the nation's third-longest winning streak. The Bucs have now won 17 out of 18 games, and a win next time out against Samford at Freedom Hall, the Bucs will have recorded their third-straight 20-win season and would mark the tradition-rich program's 19th in its 100 years of basketball. 

The Bucs took a 38-34 lead to the break, scoring the final four points of the break, which included a monster tomahawk slam from Desonta Bradford to give the Bucs some momentum heading into the locker room. Bradford went on to lead a pair of Bucs in double figures with 23 points, and combined with Jalan McCloud's 19 points to account for 42 of the Bucs' 73 points in the contest. Bradford added 10 boards to complete his double-double performace, while McCloud just missed a double-double with 19 points and nine boards. 

The win for the Bucs came despite connecting on just 2-for-23 shots from three-point range in the contest, while The Citadel went 11-of-28 from downtown. 

Mladen Armus put in another strong effort off the bench, as the freshman from Belgrade, Serbia tied Bradford for the team lead on the glass with 10 boards before fouling out late. The Bucs held a substantial 49-36 edge on the glass. The Bucs' struggles from three-point range were off-set by huge advantages in points in the paint (36-14) and points off the bench (34-14). For the game, the Bucs connected on 36.1% (22-of-61) from the field, while The Citadel knocked down 31.0% (18-of-58) from the field. 

The Bulldogs had four players finish in double figures, with Zane Najdawi posting 18 points, six boards and three blocks, while Frierson, Leandro Allende and Kaelon Harris each contributed 11 points to the Bulldogs' cause. 

ETSU will be back in action at Freedom Hall Thursday night, hosting Samford at Freedom Hall in a 7 p.m. contest. Meanwhile, The Citadel will welcome Upstate rival Wofford to McAlister Field House at 7 p.m. Thursday night.

Chattanooga sophomore guard Rodney Chatman scored 22 points against UNCG Monday night/Photo courtesy of UTC Athletics

Chattanooga Upsets UNC Greensboro in Double Overtime at the Roundhouse

Chattanooga picked up its second victory of the Southern Conference season Monday night, but it took 10 extra minutes of hard-fought basketball to do it, as the Mocs claimed an 87-85 win over UNC Greensboro at the McKenzie Arena. 

The double-overtime win by the Mocs saw Chattanooga improve to 8-15 overall and 2-8 in Southern Conference play, while UNCG fell to 16-6 overall and 7-2 in league action.

The Mocs got another standout performance by guard Nat Dixon, who finished with a game and career-high 30 points, marking his fifth game of 20 or more points this season. Dixon was joined in double figures  by backcourt mate and sophomore Rodney Chatman, who finished with 22 points and just missed a double-double, recording nine rebounds. 

Mocs forward/center Joshua Phillips did, in fact, post his first-career double-double, as he came off the bench to post 10 points and 12 boards, while the Spartans placed three in double figures with Francis Alonso finishing with a team-high 20 points and athletic freshman guard came off the bench to chip in 17 points for the UNCG.  Kyrin Galloway also added 14 points off the pine for the Spartans.  

The Mocs had to claw their way back from an 11-point deficit in the second half to make things interesting. Chattanooga trailed 49-38 with 14:51 remaining in the contest, however, used a 24-7 run over the next 13 minutes and change to take a six-point, 62-56, lead with 1:39 left following a pair of Chatman free throws. 

The Spartans, however, scored seven on the next eight points in regulation, as the game entered its first of two extra sessions tied, 63-63. It looked as though the Spartans might win their eighth out of nine conference games, as the Spartans took a, 75-68, lead with after a pair of Demetrius Troy foul shots made it a 75-68 game with just 34 seconds left. 

However, Dixon quickly converted a layup with 26 ticks remaining on the clock to cut the Mocs' deficit to five (75-70). The Mocs quickly fouled Marvin Smith immediately thereafter, and he went to the line missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and after Chatman got the board, he was fouled with 18 seconds remaining. He made both foul shots to cut the Mocs deficit to three (75-72).

The ball was then inbounded to UNCG's Alonso, who was quickly double-teamed, and Chatman stole the basketball and he launched a long-range effort that banked in off the window, and was fouled to tie the game, 75-75.It remained that way after he missed the opportunity for the four-point play and one-point lead for the Mocs by missing the foul shot, sending the game into a second overtime. 

Following the buzzer-beating effort that sent the game to the extra session by Chatman, neither team could gain much separation from the other, and the game tied, 85-85, would be tied by Miller's jumper with 50 seconds remaining, setting the stage for the dramatic finish in second conference win for the Mocs. Chattanooga turned the ball over on its next possession, but UNCG's Garrett Collins missed a three, and the Mocs forward Makinde London got the board and passed the ball to Chatman. 

Chatman then drove to the hole and was fouled by Alonso, who was called for a blocking foul after attempting to take a charge. Alonso became the fourth of five starters for the Spartans to foul out of the contest, but more importantly for Chattanooga, Chatman stepped to the line with 4.3 seconds remaining and stroked home both foul shots to give the Mocs the 87-85 lead. The Spartans got a chance to tie, but Miller's shot in the lane was off the mark, bouncing out as time expired,  and the Mocs held on for the dramatic two-point win in what was a classic Southern Conference contest. 

One of the keys to the win for the Mocs was their performance from the line, sinking 25-of-30 charity shots (83.3%), while the Spartans shot a season-worst 23.7% (9-for-38) from three-point range after sinking 16-of-21 from long-range in a road win over Samford just 48 hours earlier. 

Both Chattanooga and UNC Greensboro return to Southern Conference will return to action Thursday night, with the Mocs on the road to face Western Carolina in a tip time set for 7 p.m. at the Ramsey Center, while the Spartans return to the Greensboro Coliseum to face VMI in a matchup also slated to tip-off at 7 p.m. 

In the other two games, Wofford was able to hold off Western Carolina, 77-68, in Spartanburg, as the Terriers were able to claim their ninth-straight win over Wofford in Spartanburg.

Led by four Terriers in double figures, including a team-high 18 points from Fletcher Mageee, the Terriers improved to 16-6 overall and 7-2 in Southern Conference play, while sending the Catamounts home to Cullowhee with their second straight loss in their trip to the Upstate of South Carolina, as Western Carolina dropped to 9-13 overall and 4-5 in league play.

Meanwhile, in Birmingham, Samford put an end to what had become a five-game losing skid, downing VMI, 93-79, at the Pete Hanna Center on the strength of a career-high 34 points from sharp-shooting guard Triston Chambers. Chambers finished the game with eight triples, and hit 10-of-18 shots from the field.

The win saw the Bulldogs improve to 8-15 overall and 4-6 in SoCon play, putting Samford right back in the mix for a top six seed for the Southern Conference Tournament in Asheville, as we head towards March. VMI dropped to 7-14 overall and 2-8 in conference play.

Stay tuned for Southern Conference previews for Thursday night's games coming up later this week.

Updated Power Rankings Following Jan. 29 Results:

1. East Tennessee State (19-4, 10-0 SoCon)

2. Furman (15-7, 6-3 SoCon)

T-2. Wofford (16-6, 7-2 SoCon)

T-2 UNC Greensboro (16-6, 7-2 SoCon)

5. Western Carolina (9-13, 4-5 SoCon)

6. Samford (8-12, 4-6 SoCon)

7. Mercer (10-12, 3-6 SoCon)

8. The Citadel (7-14, 2-7 SoCon)

9. Chattanooga (8-15, 2-8 SoCon)

10. VMI (7-14, 2-8 SoCon)

Southern Conference Recaps For Jan. 27 and League First Half Accolades

Furman Records Fifth 100-point Game of the Season

GREENVILLE, S.C.--Furman posted its fifth 100-point game of the season, and every player that suited up scored, as the Paladins knocked off Western Carolina, 100-66, in Southern Conference action Saturday evening at Timmons Arena.

With the win, Furman improved to 15-7 overall and 6-3 in Southern Conference action, while Western Carolina drops to 9-12 overall and 4-4 in league play.

The Paladins were led in the contest by Devin Sibley, who recorded his ninth 20-point effort this season, finished with 23 points to lead five Paladins in double figures in the win. Sibley finished the contest by connecting on 7-of-12 shots from the field, including 3-for-6 from three-point land, and was also 6-for-8 from the charity stripe. Additionally, Sibley added seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.

Sibley was joined in double figures by John Davis III (18 pts), Matt Rafferty (13 pts), Clay Mounce (11 pts) and Daniel Fowler (10 pts). Sibley's performance came on the heels of a six-point effort against UNC Greensboro on Wednesday night. Sibley scored 16 of his 23 points in the opening half.

For Mounce, a redshirt freshman from Mt. Airy, N.C., posted a career-high for points, with a couple of highlight-reel dunks off alley-oops, displaying his athleticism. Mounce also added seven rebounds in his most impressive performance as a Paladin. Geoff Beans just missed double figures, posting nine points off the bench for the Paladins.

https://twitter.com/FurmanHoops/status/957369212153942017

Furman scored a season-high 58 points in the opening half of play on 57.6% shooting from the field in the opening frame to take a 30-point (58-28) lead to the halftime break. Sibley and Davis scored 24 of Furman's first 33 points in the game, and the Paladins scored the game's first 13 points to stake the Paladins to a big early lead, and Furman never looked back.

In the second half, the Paladin lead would grow to as many as 39 points with 2:33 remaining (98-59) following a Brady Schuck layup. About the only drama left to be determined in the contest was whether or not Furman would record 100 points for a fifth time on the season, and it came from one of the most unlikliest of players--Seve Severoff--who connected on the second shot of a two-shot foul with 34 ticks left on the clock to give the Paladins 100 points.

For the game, the Paladins connected on 51.6% (32-of-62) from the field, including an impressive 41.7% (13-of-36) from three-point range, while limiting Western Carolina to just 34.5 % (20-of-58) from the field, and just 17.4% (4-of-23) from three-point range in the win.

The Paladins also shot the ball at an impressive clip from the charity stripe, connecting on 75% () of its shots from the charity stripe.

Western Carolina was led in scoring by freshman guard Matt Halvorsen, who posted 15 points, while Ashley Williams finished with 10 points to finish out the double figure scorers for the Catamounts.

Furman held advantages in fast-break points (21-10), points off turnovers (12-5), while Western Carolina held advantages in bench points (48-29) and points in the paint (32-28). Both teams had 12 points in the second-chance points statistical category. The Paladins recorded 21 assists on 32 made baskets. Furman also held a 43-32 advantage on the boards.

Furman jumps back into action Thursday night, traveling to Mercer to face the Bears in a 7 p.m. tip-off set for Hawkins Arena. Western Carolina returns to the hardwood Monday night, when the Catamounts battle Wofford in a 7 p.m. clash at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg.

Desonta Bradford vs. Wofford/Photo courtesy of ETSU athletics

East Tennessee State Pulls Away From Wofford Late; Remains Perfect in SoCon Play

East Tennessee State claimed a 75-62 win over Wofford before a sellout crowd in Southern Conference action Saturday night at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. 

With its 12th-straight win, the Bucs improved to 18-4 overall and 9-0 in Southern Conference play, while Wofford dropped to 15-6 overall and 6-2 in league play. It marked Wofford's first Southern Conference loss at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The win for ETSU was its 16th in its last 17 games, and marks the longest winning streak for the Bucs since the 2003-04 season, when the Bucs claimed 16-straight wins in a season which saw the Bucs claim the SoCon's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Bucs placed four platyers in double figutes, led by Desonta Bradford's  17 points. Bradford finished the contest 7-of-10 shots from the field, including 3-for-6 from three-point range in the win over the Terriers. Bradford, a senior from Humboldt, Tenn, also went 7-for-10 from the charity stripe, and added seven rebounds, three assists and a steal to his overall stat line.

Bradford was joined in double figures by  Jalan McCloud (16 pts), while Devontavius Payne and Belgrade, Serbia native Mladen Armus added 11 points apiece.

Defense was once again the order of the day for Steve Forbes' Bucs, which held the Terriers to 37% shooting from the field for the game. Meanwhile, the Bucs were able to connect on 52.9% of their shots from the field for the game to claim the important Southern Conference win.

The Bucs took a 38-32 lead into the halftime locker room on the strength of a big run midway through the opening half of play. With Wofford leading the contest 12-9, the Bucs responded with a 19-7 run to race to a nine-point, 28-19, lead following a triple from Payne with six minutes remaining in the opening frame. 

A Trevor Stumpe three-pointer for the Terriers would cut ETSU's lead to three, at 30-27, just two minutes later, however, the Bucs would double that lead over the final four minutes by out-scoring the Terriers 8-5, capped by a Bradford jumper with just under two minutes left. Wofford would score the final points of the half on a Fletcher Magee jumper to set the Wofford deficit at six heading to the intermission.

In the second half, the Terriers trimmed the ETSU lead to four early in the frame, however, it would be as close as Wofford would get the remainder of the game. Clinging to a 59-54 lead with 7:20 remaining, the Bucs would break open the game with a 10-2 spurt, powered by a pair of Bradford triples and a jumper from the senior, as well as a layup by senior center Peter Jurkin, stretching the ETSU lead to 69-56 with 3:50 remaining. The lead by the Bucs would never dip below double digits the remainder of the game.

The Terriers, who played without forward and second-leading scorer Cameron Jackson, were paced by a game-high 21 points from Fletcher Magee. Magee connected on 6-of-17 shots from the field and was 5-for-13 from three-point range in the loss. He also connected on 4-of-6 shots from the charity stripe. The only other Terrier in double figures in the contest was center Matthew Pegram, who finished with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field and was 2-for-2 from the line.

ETSU returns to action Monday night with a trip to McAlister Field House to face The Citadel, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. The Terriers will host Western Carolina Monday night at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.

The Citadel gets first win over Mercer since 1927/Photo courtesy of Charleston Post and Courier

The Citadel Produces Upset of the Day in Macon

The Citadel produced the upset of the day in Southern Conference play, as the Bulldogs downed Mercer, 76-74, in Southern Conference basketball action Saturday afternoon at Hawkins Arena.

With the win, The Citadel improved to 7-13 overall and 2-6 in Southern Conference play, while Mercer fell to 10-12 overall and 3-6 in league action. The win marked the Bulldogs' first over Mercer since 1927. The win broke a 13-game, 91-year streak against the Bears.

The Bulldogs trailed 33-25 at the break and the Bears extended their lead to as much as 10 points (40-30) early in the second half, however, Duggar Baucom's club mounted a 23-1 run to take a 12-point lead, at 53-41, following a Frankie Johnson three-pointer with 10:41 remaining in the game. Mercer freshman point guard Marcus Cohen ended The Citadel run by connecting on a jumper a little less than a minute later to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 10.

The Bulldogs' lead would grow to as much as 16 points (61-45) following a Zane Najdawi triple with 8:10 left, however, Mercer would come storming back. Over the next six minutes of game action, the Bears mounted a 16-4 run to cut The Citadel's lead to 65-62 with 2:13 remaining after a pair of made free throws by Jordan Strawberry.

But The Citadel didn't fold under pressure. The Bulldogs would use another key Johnson three and a pair of free throws from Kaelon Harris charity shots to stretch the Bulldogs' lead back to eight, at 70-62, with 1:16 remaining.

The Bulldogs' lead would grow to double digits, at 74-64, with 16 seconds remaining following a pair of Quayson Williams foul shots, however, just like the UNC Greensboro game, Mercer attempted a furious rally. The Bears, however, relying on The Citadel missing foul shots, would run out of time and a Strawberry three-pointer with one second left would set the final deficit at two for the Bears, as the Bears closed on a 10-2 run, but ran out of time, relinquishing their first setback to the Bulldogs since joining the SoCon prior to the 2014-15 season.

The Citadel was led in the contest by junior guard Matt Frierson, who posted 14 points, and was one of four Bulldog players to score in double figures. Frierson finished the contest going 4-of-9 from three-point range and was 2-for-2 from the charity stripe to finish off his team-high 14-point scoring performance. Additionally, Frierson added six rebounds, two assists and two steals. He was joined in double figures by Zane Najdawi (13 pts), Kaelon Harris (13 pts) and Quayson Williams (13 pts).

Mercer got a game-high 22 points from Jordan Strawberry, who connected on 5-of-13 shots from the field, including 3-for-8 from three-point range. The senior guard also connected on 9-of-10 from the charity stripe, and also added four boards, three assists and a steal to his stat line. He was one of three Mercer players in double figures, as he was joined by Ross Cummings (16 pts) and Marcus Cohen (10 pts).

After struggling shooting the ball in the opening half of play, the Bulldogs shot the ball at a blistering 60.7% in the second half to finish the game with an overall shooting clip of 46.3%. The Citadel also shot the ball well from the charity stripe, hitting 12-of-14 foul shots to finish the game at 85.7% clip.

The Citadel returns to action Monday night, hosting SoCon leader East Tennessee State in a 7 p.m. showdown at McAlister Field House. Mercer returns to action Thursday, hosting Furman in a 7 p.m. showdown at Hawkins Arena.

Vereen's Basket With Six Seconds Remaining Helps VMI to an Important SoCon Road Win

Junior forward Austin Vereen dropped in a backdoor layup with six seconds left, helping VMI to a 70-69 Southern Conference road win over Chattanooga Saturday night at McKenzie Arena.

With the win, the Keydets eclipsed last season's win total of six, as VMI improved to 7-15 overall and 2-7 in Southern Conference play, while Chattanooga fell 7-15 overall and 1-8 in league action. The win marked VMI's second-straight win in the Scenic City over the Mocs. 

The Keydets got a game-high 26 points from Bubba Parham, while he also dished out seven assists en route to helping the Keydets to their first SoCon road win of the 2017-18 season. Both the 26 points and seven assists were new career highs for the true freshman. 

Chattanooga's Rodney Chatman put the Mocs up 69-67 with a pair of free throws with 28 seconds remaining. On the other end, VMI's Tyler Creammer converted 1-of-2 from the stripe to get the Keydets within a point, at 69-68, with 17 seconds remaining. 

The Keydets decided to apply pressure as soon as Chattanoog inbounded the basketball, and they were rewarded, as the Mocs turned the ball over when Chatman was whistled for traveling with 12.5 seconds to play, giving VMI the ball back and a chance to take the lead and potentially win the game.The Keydets connected on an impressive 10-of-18 three-pointers in the win. 

VMI returns to action Monday night, when the Keydets will be in Birmingham to face Samford at the Pete Hanna Center in a tip-off set for 8 p.m. EST. Meanwhile, UNCG will also be in action Monday evening, traveling to face Chattanooga at McKenzie Arena, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.

After head coach Dan Earl drew up a play, VMI executed it to perfection, as the ball was inbounded to Parham who drove down the lane and leaped, as if he was going to shoot the ball and then dropped off a pass to Vereen going back-door, and Vereen did the rest, laying the ball in and giving the Keydets to the one-point, 70-69, lead. The points proved to be enough to help the Keydets to the road win. 

In the final game of the evening, UNC Greensboro was on the road to face Samford in yet another key Southern Conference clash. The Spartans set a school-record with a 76.2% from three-point range, as UNCG connected on an amazing 16-of-21 shots from long range en route to a 98-82 Southern Conference win Saturday night at the Pete Hanna Center. 

With the win, the Spartans improved to 16-5 overall and 7-1 in Southern Conference play, while the Bulldogs fell to 7-15 overall and 3-6 in league play. 

Junior guard Francis Alonso led five Spartans in double figures, posting 24 points on 8-of-10 shots from the field, including a near-flawless night from three-point range, hitting 8-of-9 shots from three-point range. Alonso would be joined in double figures in the contest by Marvin Smith, Jr (18 pts), Jordy Kuiper (16 pts), and James Dickey (10 pts). 

Kuiper and Smith also led the Spartans on the backboards, grabbing seven boards apiece en route to helping the Spartans to a massive 37-19 edge on the backboards. That massive rebounding edge led to a 15-7 advantage for the Spartans in second-chance points.

The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Josh Sharkey's career-high 25 points, while Demetrius Denzel-Dyson added 19 and reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week Justin Coleman chipped in with 16 points. 

Samford will host visiting VMI Monday night in an 8 p.m. EST tip-off against the Keydets at the Pete Hanna Center, while 

SoCon Notes of Interest:

--The last Southern Conference team to coamplete the season unbeaten was Davidson in 2008, completing the league slate a perfect 20-0. The Steph Curry-led Wildcats advanced all the way to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual national champion Kansas. Eleven teams in the 97-year history of the Southern Conference have gone wire-to-wire from regular-season play to going unblemished in the tournament. With ETSU's 9-0 start, the Bucs are halfway to that goal of becoming the 12th.

--With his 23 points Saturday in a win over Western Carolina, preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year Devin Sibley needs just five points to break into the top 10 in Furman history in scoring. He needs just five points Thursday night at Mercer to surpass former Furman great George Singleton (1981-84), who finished his career with 1,690 points. Sibley's 23-point effort against

--ETSU's 12-straight wins marks the third-longest winning streak in NCAA Division I hoops. It also marks the longest winning streak by a Southern Conference team since Davidson won 17-straight in its final season as a league member in 2013-14.

--Though Wofford suffered a 75-62 home setback to league-leading East Tennessee State on Saturday night at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, junior guard Fletcher Magee registered his thirteenth 20-point game of the season, which leads the SoCon.

--Injuries have played a big role for key players in the Southern Conference this season, with Samford center Wyatt Walker, Wofford center Cameron Jackson and Mercer guard Ria'n Holland all missing in action right now as key components for their respective teams. Holland will return in a couple of weeks, while Jackson is day-to-day. Walker's status is still unknown. Furman has missed Devin Sibley in two games this season due to injury, including a win over Samford a little over a week ago. Sibley dislocated a finger in the one-point loss to East Tennessee State a couple of weeks ago. He scored just six points in a 71-61 road loss in his first game back before turning around and having a big game the next time out in a 100-66 win over Western Carolina. No team has been ravaged as much by injuries than Samford this season, who have had the likes of veterans Christen Cunningham, Alex Peters Alex Thompson and Walker miss a combined 40 games for the Bulldogs this season.

--ETSU, UNCG and Furman all tied for the regular-season title in 2016-17. Those three teams have been ultra successful in the SoCon since the start of the 2015-16 season. ETSU has posted a 37-8 record in SoCon play since the start of the 2015-16 season, while Furman is 31-14 and UNCG has posted a 31-13 conference mark since the start of the 2015-16 season. The top five Southern Conference teams in the standings this season are a combined 32-10 in league play this season, while the bottom five teams are a combined 11-33 in SoCon action.

--The Citadel's 76-74 win over Mercer this past weekend marked the first win over the Bears for the Bulldogs since Mercer re-joined prior to the 2014-15 season, and marked the first win for the Bulldogs over the Bears since 1927. The Bulldogs out-scored the Bears 51-41 in the second half.

--Desonta Bradford has been "big-game Bradford" for the Bucs this season, especially down the stretch. The senior from Humboldt, Tenn helped the Bucs to a clutch road win with a floater in the lane with 4.5 seconds left, as ETSU held off league rival Furman, 62-61, back on Jan. 18. In the final nine minutes of a 13-point win at Wofford, Bradford helped the Bucs break the game open. Leading just five points with nine to play, Bradford scored eight of his team-high 17 points during a decisive 10-2 run down the stretch to hand the Terriers their first SoCon loss in their new facility.

Updated Power Rankings Following Jan. 27 Results:

1. ETSU 18-4, 9-0 SoCon

2. UNCG 16-5, 7-1 SoCon

3. Furman 15-7, 6-3 SoCon

4. Wofford 15-6, 6-2 SoCon

5. Mercer 10-12, 3-6 SoCon

6. Samford 7-15, 3-6 SoCon

7. Western Carolina 9-12, 4-4 SoCon

8. VMI 7-13, 2-7 SoCon

9. The Citadel 7-13, 2-6 SoCon

10. Chattanooga 7-15, 1-8 SoCon

First Half All-SoCon Team: (10 players just like the league does it in preseason and postseason)

G-Desonta Bradford (ETSU)
G-Devin Sibley (Furman)
G-Fletcher Magee (Wofford)
G-Francis Alonso (UNCG)
G-Ria'n Holland (Mercer)
C--Zane Najdawi (The Citadel)
G-Justin Coleman (Samford)
G-Jalan McCloud (ETSU)
F-Cameron Jackson (Wofford)
F-James Dickey (UNCG)

First Half Honorable Mention: (10 Players)

G-Daniel Fowler (Furman)
G-Marvin Smith Jr (UNCG)
G-John Davis III (Furman)
G--Rodney Chatman (Chattanooga)
F/C--Makinde London (Chattanooga)
F--Mike Amius (Western Carolina)
F--Stephon Jelks (Mercer)
F-Matt Rafferty (Furman)
C--Peter Jurkin (ETSU)
G--Nat Dixon (Chattanooga)

First Half All-Freshman Team: (Just six)

F--Bo Hodges (ETSU)
G--Tariq Simmons (The Citadel)
G--Matt Halvorsen (Western Carolina)
G-Marcus Cohen (Mercer)
F--James Lewis, Jr. (Chattanooga)
G--Isaiah Miller (UNCG)

First Half Freshman of the Year:

Bubba Parham (VMI)

First Half Coach of the Year:

Steve Forbes (ETSU)'

First Half Sixth Man of the Year:

Devontavius Payne (ETSU)

First Half Player of the Year:

Fletcher Magee (Wofford)

First Half Defensive Player of the Year:

Cam Jackson (Wofford)

Southern Conference Previews For Jan. 27

Furman's Jonathan Jean/Photo Courtesy of Furman Athletics

Western Carolina (9-11, 4-3) at Furman (14-7, 5-3)

Preview: 

Furman and Western Carolina meet in a crucial Southern Conference basketball game Saturday at Timmons Arena--a place where the Paladins have won 19 of their past 21 league games--and the two rivals that don purple as their main color will be meeting for the 71st time on Saturday, with the Paladins holding a 41-29 series edge.

The Paladins have claimed three of the past four meetings between the two, including one of the the most lopsided wins against a conference opponent in school history, as the Paladins picked up an 85-37 win over the Catamounts last season.

But this is a different Western Carolina team than the one Furman thrashed in Timmons Arena and beat 74-62 at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee last season. In fact, Western's 4-3 conference record is surprising to some and a testament to just how good of a coach Larry Hunter is.

The Catamounts had one of the youngest teams in the country last season, and the team took its share of lumps last season and early on this season, however, a tough schedule, along with those lumps, have made the Catamounts a dangerous out for anyone in the Southern Conference.

The Catamounts enter Saturday's "Battle For Purple Supremacy" coming off a resounding 108-48 win over Southern Wesleyan Thursday night in what was the Catamounts' final non-conference game of the season. Furman will be looking to rebound from what was a disappointing performance in a 71-61 road loss at UNC Greensboro this past Wednesday night.

Who To Watch:

The Catamounts have some youth, but they also have plenty of experienced and veteran talent, and the mesh of those two throughout the lineup makes this an exciting team to watch. The one-two punch of true freshman guard Matt Halvorsen (8.6 PPG, 1.2 RPG) and JUCO transfer and junior forward Mike Amius (12.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG) have been huge additions for head coach Larry Hunter this season.

Halvorsen, like VMI's Bubba Parham, is a prime contender for SoCon Freshman of the Year. He  reminds me of former Catamount guard Kyle Greathouse with his smooth rotation on his perimeter shots.

So far this season, Halvorsen ranks second to only Deriece Parks (10.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG) in overall three-point field goals made for the team this season, having knocked down 40 trifectas on the campaign. Halvorsen has been coming off the bench as of late, but he has been one of the more efficient freshman scorers in the SoCon this season.

Devin Peterson (7.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG) has been the veteran leader for the Catamount backcourt this season, and he will team with Desmond Johnson (4.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG) and the aforementioned Parks in the backcourt. Johnson poured in a career-high 22 points last season in a 12-point home loss to the Paladins last season. Parks is one of two Catamounts averaging in double figures this season, and leads the team with 45 triples. 

The Catamounts have some excellent players in the front court, with the best of those being Amius. Amius is athletic, and his emphatic dunk in the waning seconds earlier this season helped the Catamounts to a win over arch-rival Appalachian State. Ironically, he reminds of a former Mountaineer named Marshall Phillips (1996-99), who like Amius, was a bit undersized, but made up for it with his explosive leaping ability. Amius will offer a similar challenge for Furman forward Matt Rafferty that he encountered the last time out against UNCG's James Dickey on the defensive end of the floor, even though Amius does not possess the heighth that Dickey has.

Rounding out the starting five for the Catamounts will be 6-5 forward Ashley Williams (4.7 PPG, 1.2 RPG), who is a versatile performer, as well as being a good defender. He is comparable in size and all-around versatiliy to Furman's Daniel Fowler. Williams can stretch a defense with his ability to step out and shoot the perimeter shot, having connected on an impressive 10-of-21 from three-point range this season. He earned his first start of the season last time out, and he didn't disappoint, leading the Catamounts with 17 points in the win over Southern Wesleyan Thursday night.

Off the bench, keep an eye on sharp-shooting forward Marc Gosselin (8.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG), as well as Onno Steger (2.9 PPG, 0.9 RPG), who adds depth underneath. Veteran Haboubacar Mutombo (3.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG) adds depth and a scoring presence off the bench for Western.

Furnan counters with a four-guard offense, led by preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year Devin Sibley (15.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG), who has struggled a bit of late, posting just six points the last time out against UNC Greensboro. In Sibley's defense, the senior from Knoxville, TN has been suffering from a dislocated pinky finger, which he suffered in the loss to ETSU. It forced him to miss last Saturday's 78-67 win over Samford.

Sibley has eight 20-point scoring performances this season, but hasn't reached that mark since a 26-point effort in a win over The Citadel back on Jan. 4. He is just 4-for-29 from three-point range in his past five games. He shot better than 45% from downtown last season, but is shooting just 36% from downtown through the first 21 games for the Paladins so far this season. If he gets going, it should get the Paladins going from long range, as shooting struggles can sometimes be contagious.

Daniel Fowler (11.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG), Andrew Brown (7.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG), and John Davis III (11.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 35 steals) are set to start for the Paladins alongside Sibley in the backcourt. Fowler is a do-it-all performer for the Paladins, and stepped up big in a recent SoCon home win over Mercer, posting a season-high 22 points. He is also the SoCon's active career-leader in steals (141) and is third in career-active assists (325). Davis is coming off a team-high 19-point effort in the 71-61 midweek loss to UNCG, while Brown posted one of his best games of the season in a recent SoCon road win at Chattanooga, posting a 16 points, while finishing with 15 points in last Saturday's home win over Samford.

Rounding out the starting five for the Paladins will be 6-7 forward Matt Rafferty (11.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 35 steals), who has arguably been Furman's MVP through the first 21 games this season. Rafferty has posted double-figure scoring efforts in each of the past three games, and has found his way into double figures in 16 of Furman's 21 games this season. He enters ranking tied for third in the SoCon in steals (35) along with teammate John Davis III, WCU's Desmond Johnson and ETSU's Desonta Bradford. Rafferty also is fourth in the SoCon in rebounding, averaging 7.7 RPG.

Off the bench, keep an eye on sophomore guard Jordan Lyons (7.9 PPG, 1.3 RPG), who is a pure scorer and perimeter threat off the Paladin bench. Alex Hunter (3.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG) has been an asset off the bench, scoring nine points and dishing out of a pair of assists in the win over Samford last week.

Who Wins: Furman 82, Western Carolina 70

Tevin Glass goes up for a shot as Wofford's Matt Pegram tries to take a charge in last season's meeting between Wofford and ETSU at the Benjo/Photo Courtesy of the Johnson City Press

East Tennessee State (17-4, 8-0 SoCon) at Wofford (15-5, 6-1 SoCon)

Preview: 

ETSU Buc nation is set to invade the brand new Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium Saturday night for a monster Southern Conference matchup with the Wofford Terriers. It should be a rocking atmosphere inside the cozy, but immaculate 3,400 seat arena,. 

The Bucs own a commanding 35-9 lead in the all-time series between the two, but as of late, Wofford has been pretty good at home against the Bucs, winning four-in-a-row against the Bucs in Spartanburg, and the Terriers have claimed five of the last seven contests between the two school.

Both have championship pedigree, as the defending SoCon champs face a program in Wofford that has won the SoCon Tournament title in four of the past eight seasons. The interesting thing about this particular matchup is in the clash of styles. The Terriers favor a half-court game, with a tremendous ability to shoot the outside shot, while ETSU prefers a more up-tempo game, but can play either at pace or in the halfcourt. That's because through the first seven Southern Conference games this season, the Bucs have offered up the SoCon's top defensive unit. 

ETSU comes into Saturday night's clash of SoCon titans leading the SoCon in field goal percentage defense (40.1%), and blocked shots (4.2 BPG). 

The matchup between the Bucs and Terriers also offers a chance to see two of the league's most successful head coaches, with Wofford's Mike Young--the longest tenured SoCon head coach and second all-time in SoCon wins (264), trailing only Davidson's Bob McKillop (447). Perhaps no coach in Southern Conference history has experienced the type of success that Steve Forbes (68-24) has in his first three seasons at the helm in the Tri-Cities, having already lead the Bucs to a SoCon Tournament title appearance (2016) and a SoCon Tournament title (2017) and a pair of postseason appearances, including an NCAA Tournament appearance last season following a 27-8 season and a 79-74 SoCon title game win over UNC Greensboro.

Who To Watch:   

The matchup is a sumptuous treat of Southern Conference basketball. It offers us players like star Wofford guard Fletcher Magee (22.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG) and standout, do-everything ETSU guard Desonta Bradford (14.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 35 steals). If you are a fan of mid-major hoops, there aren't too many greater matchups to watch.

Magee, of course, has been the talk of mid-major hoops this season, with his pursuit of former Davidson guard Stephen Curry's NCAA record of 162 three-pointers in a season, and enters the matchup with the Bucs ranking second nationally in three-pointers made, having connected on 89 triples this season. Magee has made former Terrier sharp-shooters like Ian and Seth Chadwick, and Shane Nichols look very human. Magee leads the SoCon with 13 games with 20 or more points this season. The junior from Orlando, FL., also has a league-leading four games with 30 or more points this season. 

Bradford has done it all for the Bucs this season, and leads the team in scoring, steals and rebounds. He has proven to be a clutch player all season for the Bucs, highlighted by his game-winning floater in the lane with 4.5 seconds remaining in a key, 62-61, SoCon road win over Furman. Bradford is a veteran leader for the Bucs, but he isn't the only one. 

Enter defensive stopper Jermaine Long (3.7 PPG, 2.5 APG), Texas Southern transfer Jalan McCloud (12.4 PPG, 3.8 APG) in the backcourt and you have three guards that all bring something different to the table. McCloud is coming off what was a career-high performance against Mercer the last time out, with 25 points, with an outstanding performance from three-point range, hitting 6-of-7 shots from long-range in the win. He was part of a performance that saw the Bucs connect on a season-high 13 triples in the win over Mercer Wednesday night.

In the paint, the Bucs will look to both Peter Jurkin (8.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and David Burrell (7.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG) for scoring in the paint. Jurkin, a seven-foot transfer from Indiana, continues to be a force in the paint for the Bucs and Forbes this season, especially on the defensive end of the floor. Jurkin comes in ranking fourth in the SoCon in blocks (27/1.4 BPG) so far this season. 

Burrell is a tremendous athlete, and certainly is a fun player to watch on both ends of the floor. He has enjoyed some outstanding performances on the floor this season for the Bucs, including an 11-point effort in the recent, 62-61, win at Furman. He also posted 17 points in the lopsided home win over VMI. Burrell might be ETSU's best athlete and has a cupboard full of highlight-reel dunks already this season.

Off the bench, keep an eye on senior guard Devontavius Payne (9.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG) and exciting freshman guard Bo Hodges (8.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG), who have both had excellent seasons thus far for the Bucs. Hodges remains a game-time decision for the Bucs Saturday night.

Payne has proven to be one of the Bucs' best outside shooters so far this season, having connected on a team-high 42 triples this season, and has hit 36.2% of his shots from downtown. Hodges has been outstanding in his first season for the Bucs, ranking just behind Payne in scoring and enjoyed his best night of the season with a 20-point effort in a win over Atlantic 10 member Fordham.

Joining Magee in the Wofford backcourt will be a trio of guards in Mike Young's four-guard offense. Trevor Stumpe (12.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.1 APG), Storm Murphy (6.0 PPG, 3.7 APG, 2.0 RPG) and defensive stopper Derrick Brooks (3.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG). Stumpe has been the biggest surprise for the Terrier backcourt this season, displaying a nice compliment in scoring to what Magee can do. Stumpe ranks second to only Magee in scoring on the team, and is a player that can score in a variety of different ways, and is shooting 45.9% from three-point range (28-of-61) from three-point range this season.

The biggest feeling of unease for Terrier fans concerning this game must surround the availability of Cameron Jackson (12.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG), who did not play in the road win at VMI Wednesday night. No word has been released on whether Jackson is suffering from injury or illness, but his availability for Saturday night's game vs. ETSU remains unknown. Jackson is having a season worthy of All-SoCon praise, leading the league in steals (39 steals/2.2 SPG) and field goal percentage (60.3%), while ranking second in blocks (26 blocks/1.4 BPG) and fifth in rebounding (6.3 RPG). 

If Jackson can't go, look for Matthew Pegram (6.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG) to step in the starting five for the Terriers Saturday night. Pegram is not a stranger to having big games at times for the Terriers this season, having posted six double-figure performances this season, with maybe his most impressive performance coming in the season-opener against South Carolina, with 12 points and a couple of assists. 

Off the bench for the Terriers, keep an eye on Nathan Hoover (9.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG), who has been excellent once again in his sophomore season for the Terriers shooting from the perimeter. If Jackson can't go, look for 6-9 freshman forward Keve Aluma to take on a much bigger role under the basket for the Terriers. Aluma is athletic, but young.

This game should be a dandy, but I think ETSU's ability to defend a little better will once again be a difference for the Bucs, as the Bucs hand Wofford its first SoCon loss at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. 

Final Score Prediction: ETSU 79, Wofford 75

The Citadel (6-13, 1-6 SoCon) at Mercer (10-11, 3-5 SoCon)

Preview:

The Citadel and Mercer will square off in Southern Conference basketball action Saturday afternoon at Hawkins Arena in Macon, GA. 

The Bears come in off a hard-fought 84-75 road loss to East Tennessee State Wednesday night, while the Bulldogs have not been in action since last Saturday, when the Bulldogs dropped an 88-81 decision on the road at VMI.

The two programs will be meeting for the 20th meeting between the two programs, with Mercer holding a commanding 15-4 series advantage. The Bears are 7-0 against the Bulldogs since joining the Southern Conference prior to the 2014-15 season.

Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman recently celebrated his 500th win as a head coach when the Bears downed VMI, 62-56, at VMI nine days ago. Mercer comes into the matchup looking to put an end to a two-game road skid. The Citadel will also be looking to put an end to a two-game skid coming into Saturday's showdown with the Bears.

Who To Watch: 

Traditionally, the matchup between Mercer and The Citadel has been one of a contrast of styles, with The Citadel fun-and-gun offense against the half-court, hard-nosed defense of Bob Hoffman's Mercer. 

The Bulldogs come into the matchup with a plethora of scoring options to look to. Though the Bulldogs might have missed last year's SoCon Freshman of the Year Preston Parks a little bit, Duggar Baucom has seen a few young players step up in Parks' stead this season. 

One of those has been newcomer and former Manning HS standout Tariq Simmons (10.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.6 APG). Though Simmons struggled for a stretch, hitting a bit of a freshman wall by scoring just a combined nine points in five games from Jan. 4-18, he is coming off an 11-point effort the last time out against VMI. It marked the 12th time Simmons has scored in double figures this season. Simmons has been a nice scoring compliment off the bench as of late for the Bulldogs.

Junior starters Matt Frierson (13.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG) and Zane Najdawi (13.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG) have given the Bulldogs a nice inside-outside punch this season, especially since the departure of Parks in December. Najdawi, the Bulldogs' center, posted the top scoring performance by a SoCon player this season, with a 37-point effort in The Citadel's lone Southern Conference win, which came against Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago. For his performance against Chattanooga, Najdawi was the SoCon Player of the Week. Najdawi's 114 career blocked shots ranks him tied for third in Citadel basketball history in that category.

Frierson, who plays shooting guard for The Citadel, has proven to be one of the top perimeter shooters in the SoCon this season, connecting on a SoCon-high nine triples in a game in the win over Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago. Frierson ranks second in the league to only Wofford's Fletcher Magee in three-pointers made so far this season, having knocked down 68 triples through 19 games so far this season.

Kaelon Harris (9.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG) and Frankie Johnson (5.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG) round out the starting backcourt for the Bulldogs. Harris, a 6-4 sophomore, has been instrumental as a scorer and facilitator over the past couple of seasons for Baucom's club. Harris has 10 double-digit scoring games this season. Johnson, a 5-5 guard from Darlington, S.C., enjoyed his best performance of the season in a win over James Madison, posting 15 points.

Freshman forward Alex Reed (5.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG) rounds out the starting five for Baucom's Bulldogs. The 6-5 athletic forward enjoyed his best game of the season against Samford, posting a season and career-high 19 points in a loss to Samford.

Off the bench, keep an eye on Quayson Williams (6.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.8 APG) and 6-8 freshman guard Rob Johnson, who can cause matchup problems with his size. 

Mercer counters with a talented three-guard offense of its own, although the Bears are without top scorer Ria'n Holland, who is out for a couple of weeks with a wrist injury suffered in the loss at UNCG. Holland ranked second to only Wofford's Fletcher Magee in scoring in the SoCon, at 19.0 PPG.

The Bears seemed to do okay without Holland Wednesday night in Johnson City before finally succumbing to the Bucs in an 84-75 loss. The Bears have compensated in Holland's absence with the likes of Jordan Strawberry (8.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG), Demetre Rivers (10.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG) and Ethan Stair (6.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG) in the backcourt.

Rivers is one of the top athletes in the SoCon, and has a solid inside-outside game. Rivers, a native of Ladson, S.C., will be visiting his former stomping grounds this afternoon with the trip to The Citadel. The athletic guard enjoyed his best game of the season in a one-point loss to Alabama, posting a career-high 24 points. 

Another player that has stepped up and provided some good play of late in the paint has been Desmond Ringer (8.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG). Ringer had 22 points in a narrow loss to Furman three weeks ago, and is coming off a 21-point effort in the loss at ETSU. The 22 points against Furman tied a career-high.

Rounding out the starting five for the Bears will Stephon Jelks (10.8 PPG, 7.9 RPG), who continues to be one of the top rebounders in the SoCon. Jelks currently ranks third in the SoCon in rebounding so far this season, bringing down 7.9 boards-per-game. 

Off the bench, keep an eye on point guard Marcus Cohen (5.3 PPG, 1.1 RPG), who has been one of the most exciting young guards in the SoCon to watch this season. He is coming off a 16-point performance against ETSU last time out. 

Final Score Prediction:  Mercer 88, The Citadel 75  

ETSU and UNCG Win Hard Fought SoCon Games To Highlight Jan. 24 SoCon Action

Francis Alonso led UNCG with a team-high 17 points in a key win over Furman/Photo Courtesy of UNCG athletics

Francis Alonso paced four Spartans in double figures, as UNC Greensboro knocked off Furman, 71-61, in a key Southern Conference tilt Wednesday night at the Greensboro Coliseum.

With the win, UNCG improved to 15-5 overall and 6-1 in Southern Conference play, while Furman drops to 14-7 overall and 5-3 in league action. The loss marks Furman's third in its last four SoCon outings, with two of those setbacks coming on the road. It marked UNCG's third-straight win and fifth victory in its past six outings. The game also marked a milestone for UNCG head coach Wes Miller, who claimed his 100th win as the head coach of the Spartans.

Alonso connected on 4-of-8 shots from the field, including going 2-for-3 from three-point range in the win. He also knocked down 7-of-8 shots from the foul line. The native of Malaga, Spain was joined in double figures by Marvin Smith, who posted 13 points, while James Dickey posted 12 points and nine boards. Demetrius Troy rounded out the Spartans in double figures, as he finished with 11 points. 

The game see-sawed back and forth in the second half, with neither team able to create any separation from the other in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, with the largest lead for either team being a five-point edge for the Spartans early in the frame.

However, with the Spartans trailing 54-50 following a Daniel Fowler three-pointer with 9:54 remaining to cap a 7-0 run by the Paladins, the Spartans offered an emphatic response. UNCG mounted a 17-1 run to take control of the game over the final 10 minutes and took a 67-55 lead following a pair of foul shots from Troy with 1:36  left to play.

During that 17-1 run by the Spartans, the Paladins went on an 8:12 scoring drought from the field. Furman's John Davis III would snap the scoring drought with a jumper in the lane with 1:27 left in the contest, trimming the Paladin deficit to 10, at 67-57. 

The Spartans would close out the win by hitting four free throws to seal the win, with UNCG senior center Jordy Kuiper knocking down three of those four shots down at the charity stripe in the final minute.  

Furman used a Fowler buzzer-beating tip-in helped Furman take a 34-32 lead into the halftime locker room. The largest lead for either team in the opening half was six points, at 27-21, by the Spartans The Paladins were just 4-for-15 from three-point range in the opening half of play, while the Spartans went 4-for-6 from long-range in the opening half. 

The Paladins were led in the contest by John Davis III, who posted 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including going 2-for-3 from long range. Davis was a perfect 3-for-3 from the line, dished out one assist, collected a career-high seven rebounds and registered two steals. The only other Paladin in double figures was junior forward Matt Rafferty, who finished with 14 points. In his first game back after suffering a dislocated finger against ETSU last week, preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year Devin Sibley finished with six points. 

One of the biggest advantages the Spartans enjoyed came at the free throw line, amassing 13 more free throw attempts in the contest. The Spartans knocked down 21-of-28 (75%) shots from the free throw, including going 15-for-21 (71.4%) in the second half alone. The Paladins knocked down just 9-15 (60%) from the stripe for the game, and after going 4-for-4 from the line in the first half, the Paladins connected on just 5-of-11 (45.1%) from the stripe in the second half. All told, the Spartans out-scored the Paladins 21-9 at the line. 

The Spartans finished connecting on 46.8% (22-of-47) from the field for the game, while Furman shot 41.8% (23-of-55) from the field for the game. The Paladins shot just 26.1% (6-of-23) from the three-point line, while the Spartans finished the contest hitting 40% (6-of-15) from three-point range for the game.

Furman scored 23 baskets on just six assists, while UNCG scored 22 baskets on 12 assists. The Spartans had a 33-28 edge on the boards. Furman held a 26-22 edge in points in the paint and a 7-2 edge in points in the paint, while UNCG held advantages in points off turnovers (14-11), bench points (13-9) and fast-break points (10-5).

The 61 points for the Paladins matches a season-low established a couple of other times this season--both in losses--which came on the road at #21 Tennessee (L,61-66) and last week's SoCon home loss to East Tennessee State (L,61-62). UNCG has held all seven of its SoCon foes to less than 70 points this season, with only ETSU able to upend the Spartans when scoring less than 70, taking a 68-58 win over the Spartans back on Jan. 11 in Johnson City.

After turning the ball over just five times in a win over Samford this past Saturday, the Paladins committed 14 in the loss, while forcing UNCG into just 12 miscues. 

Both teams return to action Saturday, with Furman returning home to Timmons Arena to face Western Carolina, with tip-off time set for 4 p.m. UNCG will be on the road at Samford at the Pete Hanna Center for an 8 p.m. EST tip-off with the Bulldogs. 

ETSU Remains Perfect With Hard-Fought Win Over Mercer

ETSU Guard Jermaine Long/Photo Courtesy of Johnson City Press

East Tennessee State connected on a season-high 13 three-pointers en route to getting a hard-fought, 84-75, victory over Mercer to complete the season sweep of the Bears in Southern Conference action Wednesday night at Freedom Hall.

With its 11th-straight win, the Bucs improved to 17-4 overall and remained perfect in Southern Conference play, improving to 8-0. Mercer, the preseason pick by the league's coaches to win the SoCon, dropped to 10-11 overall and 3-5 in league play. The 11th-straight win for the Bucs is the longest winning streak since that Southern Conference championship squad of 2003-04. That squad was able to reel off 16-straight wins before succumbing in defeat to the College of Charleston, 91-89, in the final Southern Conference regular-season game and finished off a 15-1 league season.

Leading the Bucs in scoring in the win was Jalan McCloud, who scored a game-high and career-best 25 points and was among three players to score in double figures Wednesday night, and connected on 9-of-15 shots from the field, including a blistering 6-for-7 from three-point range in the win. McCloud also dished out an assist, and recorded a pair of rebounds and steals.

Joining the senior Texas Southern transfer guard in double figures were senior guards Devontavius Payne (18 pts) and Desonta Bradford (15 pts).

Mercer, which played without leading scorer and star guard Ria'n Holland, also had three in double figures, led by Desmond Ringer's 21 points on perfect 9-of-9 shooting from the field, which included hitting a shot from beyond the arc. The senior center was also 2-for-3 from the line, and also added three rebounds to his stat line. Ringer was joined in double figures by point guard Marcus Cohen, who scored 16 points and added five assists off the bench, while Demetre Rivers chipped in with 14.

Mercer had cut the ETSU to just one point (36-35) inside the final minute, as Jordan Strawberry connected on a triple. However, the Bucs finished out the half with the momentum, after McCloud canned one of his six triples in the game at the buzzer from NBA range, as the Bucs assumed a 39-35 halftime edge. Not surprisingly, the Bears out-scored the Bucs, 20-8, in points in the paint.

The second half was see a see-saw affair much like the Furman-UNCG game, until the Bucs eventually pulled away for good, and led by as many as 11 points  (74-63) with just about five minutes remaining. A 9-2 run by Mercer would cut ETSU's lead to just four, at 76-72, with two minutes to play, however, four-straight free throws by Jermaine Long stretched the Bucs' lead to eight (80-72), and the Bucs to close out the nine-point win at the line.

ETSU shot a blistering 51% from the field, and were red-hot from long range, connecting on 50% (13-for-26) from three-point land. The Bucs were efficient once again from the line, posting an 82% clip (23-of-28) from the charity stripe. The Bucs recorded 18 assists on 24 made field goals.

Mercer finished shooting the ball at a 46.7% from the field, but were just 6-for-24 (25%) from beyond the arc in the game. The Bears connected on 76.5% (13-of-17) from the line. The Bears recorded 11 assists on 28 made field goals.

The Bucs return to action Saturday evening for a huge Southern Conference clash at Wofford. Tip-off for that contest is set for 7 p.m. at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Mercer returns home to Hawkins Arena to face The Citadel in a SoCon clash set for 4 p.m.

Wofford Remains a Game Back of ETSU With Win at VMI

Cameron Hall has not been the easiest place for Wofford to play in its basketball history, however, the Terriers notched a 10th-straignt win over VMI with relative ease with a 63-46 win over the Keydets Wednesday night to notch a key road Southern Conference win.

With its seventh-straight victory, the Terriers improved to 15-5 overall and improved to 6-1 in Southern Conference play, while VMI dropped to 6-13 overall and 1-7 in league play.

Trevor Stumpe led the Terriers with 19 points, which was one shy of tying his career-high of 20 points established a week-and-a-half ago. For the game, Stumpe connected on 6-of-10 shots from the field, including going 3-for-4 from three-point land. He was also a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe in the win. He also added five rebounds and an assist. Stumpe has been a key to success for the Terriers through the first seven conference games, averaging 17.1 PPG in those contests.

Stumpe was one of three Terriers in double figures, as he was joined in double digits by Storm Murphy and Fletcher Magee, who added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Magee, who was second in the nation in three-pointers made coming into the contest, went just 1-for-10 from downtown in the win over the Keydets.

The Terriers got off to a strong start against the Keydets. After a Tyler Creammer jumper gave the Keydets an early 2-0 lead, the Terriers responded with a 14-0 run to take a 14-2 lead and were never seriously threatened the remainder of the game. That 14-0 run came on the heels of the Terriers missing their first five shots of the game.

The Terriers were stout defensively all game, including holding the Keydets to 0-for-8 from three in the opening half, while Wofford sunk 6-for-13 threes in the opening half en route to a 31-18 halftime edge. The Terriers also held the Keydets to just 13% (3-for-23) shooting from three in the game, and in the opening half, the Terriers limited the Keydets to just 30% (6-for-20) shooting from the field. The Keydets ended up managing just a 30.4% (14-of-46) shooting percentage for the game, and the 46 points marked a season-low for head coach Dan Earl's club. The one major positive for VMI was its 15-for-18 (83.3%) performance at the charity stripe.

VMI was led in the contest by Bubba Parham's 11 points, as he was the lone VMI player to visit double figures. Creammer added eight points, while guard Austin Vereen and forward Fred Iruafemi added seven points apiece.

The win by the Terriers sets up a huge SoCon matchup this weekend for the Terriers, who welcome SoCon unbeaten and winners of 11-straight East Tennessee State to the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium for a 7 p.m. tip-off. VMI will be on the road at Chattanooga in a battle of a pair teams looking to battle out of the bottom half of the conference. Tip-off for that contest is set for 5 p.m. at McKenzie Arena.

With the win, Wofford claimed a sweep of the season series against the Keydets.

Finally, in the Scenic City, Chattanooga earned its first Southern Conference win of the season after getting a 78-71 win over Samford Wednesday night in the friendly confines of McKenzie Arena.

The Mocs snapped an eight-game losing streak and improved to 7-14 overall and 1-7 in Southern Conference play, while Samford dropped to 7-14 overall and 3-5 in Southern Conference play.

Makinde London and Nat Dixon led the Mocs with 21 points apiece, and London added a school-record 19 rebounds for a resounding double-double en route to leading the Mocs to the win in front of the home folks. His 19-rebound effort led to a resounding +26 on the boards for the Mocs, who out-boarded the Bulldogs 55-29 in the contest.

Samford's Demetrius Denzel-Dyson led all scorers with 27 points, while Eric Adams contributed 11 points and 11 boards in the road setback. The win by the Mocs gives the two teams a regular-season split in the series.

The Mocs led most of the way, and went to the halftime locker room with a 15-point (37-22) advantage, which also marked the largest halftime lead of the season. The lead grew to as much as 19 points (43-24) in the second half following a London basket in the lane with 16:57 remaining.

A 17-3 run by Samford would cut Chattanooga's lead to just 46-41, following a Triston Chambers layup with 13:23 remaining, but the Mocs were resilient and responded with a 16-3 run to take the lead back to 18, at 64-46, following a Dixon jumper in the lane with 8:54 left to play.

With 5:35 remaining, the Mocs led 69-53 following anouther Dixon basket--this time a triple--however, Samford proved to be just as resilient as the Mocs, posting an 18-2 run to get within two, at 71-69, following a Denzel-Dyson triple with a little under three minutes to play. But the Mocs would be stingy on the defensive end the rest of the way, out-scoring the Mocs 7-2 the rest of the way to help first-year head coach Lamont Paris grab his first Southern Conference win.

Chattanooga will return to action Saturday, when it faces VMI in a 5 p.m. contest in the friendly confines of McKenzie Arena. Samford will also be at home, hosting red-hot UNC Greensboro at the Pete Hanna Center, with tip-off set for 8 p.m. EST Saturday night.

Notes of Interest:

--Furman, the preseason favorite of the league's media, has now lost three of its last four games in SoCon play, making Saturday's game against Western Carolina a very pivotal matchup. The Catamounts sit just a half-game behind the Paladins in the league standings, and Larry Hunter's club is never an easy out in league play. Just ask Mercer. Western Carolina has to be one of the surprises of the league season thus far, and have relied on newcomers like freshman guard Matt Halvorsen and transfer forward Mike Amius.

--Both UNCG and ETSU are once again shaping up as the two league favorites this season, and they are both doing it on the defensive end of the floor, but don't count out Wofford. The Bucs have a huge game Saturday night at Wofford, when they take their first-ever trip to the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Wofford has been pretty good wherever they play the last eight years, however, have struggled all-time against the Bucs, as Wofford is just 9-35 against ETSU all-time. However, the Terriers have five of the past seven matchups between the two, including each of past four in Spartanburg.

--Furman has struggled to get Devin Sibley going, who was the SoCon's preseason Player of the Year, since SoCon play started. Sibley is averaging just 12.7 PPG since conference play has commenced. He finished the 2016-17 season ranking sixth in the league in scoring in conference games, averaging 18.6 PPG. If he should get going, expect the Paladins to be right back in the mix. Of course SIbley gets the benefit of the doubt with his recent injury to his pinky finger on his shooting hand.

--UNCG has held all seven league opponents it has faced this season under 70 total points, and of course, are 6-1 in those games. The only loss was a 68-58 setback at ETSU back on Jan. 11.


Updated Power Rankings Following Jan. 24 Games:

1. ETSU

2. Wofford

T-2 UNCG

4. Furman

5. Mercer

6. Western Carolina

7. Samford

8. Chattanooga

9. VMI

10. The Citadel