February’s slate of SoCon that could play a major role in deciding the regular-season champion

February’s slate of SoCon that could play a major role in deciding the regular-season champion

Championship Chase

As we get closer towards the Southern Conference title, there are several matchups that will prove pivotal in deciding the regular-season champion and No. 1 overall seed in Asheville in a few weeks. The games listed below likely will be the ones to decide the Southern Conference regular-season champion. 

• Western Carolina at UNC Greensboro (Feb. 12, 2020) —The Catamounts likely are out of the running for a shot at the regular-season title now, but could go a long way in playing the role of spoiler for East Tennessee State or UNC Greensboro down the stretch. The good news for the Bucs and Spartans is both have them at home in the friendly confines, and both won relatively comfortable matchups the first time each played the Catamounts. The Spartans claimed a 72-58 win in the previous matchup a couple of weeks back at the Ramsey Center after trailing 40-39 at the half. The Spartans are currently just a game back of Furman and East Tennessee State, who sport identical 10-2 records atop the league standings. Following a 95-67 win over Samford Saturday, the Spartans moved to 19-6 overall and 9-3 in league play. 

• Western Carolina at Wofford (Feb. 15, 2020)—Wofford suffered a crucial setback this past Saturday evening, as Chattanooga came to Spartanburg and completed the season sweep of the Terriers, claiming an 84-77 win over the defending Southern Conference champions. The loss could have seriously hampered first-year head coach Jay McCauley’s club from defending their regular-season title from a year ago, as Wofford fell to 16-9 overall and 8-4 in league play, and are sitting alone in fourth-place in the league standings. Western Carolina was able to hang on for an 81-72 win in Cullowhee a few weeks back. The Terriers got a career-high 31-point effort from Nathan Hoover in the loss to Chattanooga the last time out. Wofford will face Mercer Wednesday night (Feb. 12) and the Catamounts will be the third game in a three-game home stand. In the first matchup between the Catamounts and Terriers, Catamount point guard Mason Faulkner led the Catamounts to the win with 25 points. Wofford’s Chevez Goodwin fouled out with just under eight minutes left. 

• Furman at East Tennessee State (Feb. 19, 2020)—It’s likely the game that will go a long way in deciding the Southern Conference regular-season champion, especially since the Bucs now own the series sweep of UNC Greensboro. Since losing to Mercer at home back on Jan. 29, the Bucs have won three-straight games, which included a 73-60 win at Mercer this past Saturday night. The Bucs and Paladins were the first two teams in the SoCon to reach 20 wins this season. Since Furman lost 66-52 at Wofford, the Paladins have won five-straight following Saturday’s 82-73 win at Western Carolina. Furman, which is 20-5 overall and 10-2 in SoCon play, won the first matchup with ETSU, 65-56, back on Jan. 4. A win by either team in this one puts them in great shape for a Southern Conference title, especially with an ETSU win given the fact they have already swept UNCG. In the first matchup between the two, the Paladins got a game-high 14 points from Jordan Lyons. 

• Wofford at UNC Greensboro (Feb. 19, 2020)—In what is part of a crucial two-game stretch for Wofford, the Terriers will be on the road to face UNC Greensboro on the same night Furman and East Tennessee State face off against each other in Johnson City. This loser of this matchup probably all but sees their SoCon title hopes evaporate. The Terriers claimed a hard-fought, 98-82, double-overtime win in Spartanburg back on Jan. 4. Wofford had six players post double-figure scoring performances, with Nathan Hoover and Storm Murphy leading Wofford 17 points apiece.  Isaiah Miller led all scorers with 28 points before fouling out in the second overtime. The Terriers have won four-straight in the series, however, over the past 10 matchups, the Spartans and Terriers are tied 5-5 in the last 10 matchups against each other.  The Terriers hold a 29-17 lead in the all-time series. 

• Wofford at Furman (Feb. 22, 2020)—Furman will look to avoid the season-sweep at the hands of the Terriers for the second-straight season when the two meet on the Southern Conference hardwood at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in late February in a game that could exceed 6,000 fans. Furman didn’t look so hot in its last appearance in downtown Greenville, dropping Ann 86-73 contest to UNC Greensboro back in mid-January. Furman also sports an impressive, 80-73, Winthrop at the Well back in December. Wofford held Furman to its lowest point total in the first matchup of the season at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. In the first clash between the two, Furman had trouble containing Chevez Goodwin, who led all scorers with 18 points, while Nathan Hoover added 17 points in a nationally-televised broadcast on ESPNU. Wofford has won 14 out of the past 17 meetings with Furman. 

• East Tennessee State at Wofford (Feb. 26, 2020)—Maybe the toughest road game remaining for East Tennessee State in their chase for a regular-season title is at Wofford on Feb. 26, as the Terriers will be celebrating Senior Night. The Bucs claimed a defensive struggle in the first matchup between the two back on Jan.1, winning 49-48 at Freedom Hall. The Bucs won in their first game at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium back in 2018. In the first matchup between the Bucs and Terriers this season, a key steal by Isaiah Tisdale late in the game on Wofford’s Tray Hollowell prevented Wofford from getting off a potential game-winning shot allowing the Bucs to hang on for the one-point win. Patrick Good was the lone Bucs player in double figures with 12 points.

• Furman at UNC Greensboro (Feb. 26, 2020)—Another huge game in determining the No. 1 overall seed in Asheville will be the one between Furman and UNC Greensboro. It would greatly help the Spartans for Furman to beat East Tennessee State in Johnson City a week earlier so the Paladins would earn the season sweep over the Bucs. If the Spartans could beat Furman at the Greensboro Coliseum, it could force a three-way title for the Southern Conference title. The Spartans have owned the Paladins of late, having won seven out of the past 10 meetings and six of the past seven. In the first meeting between the Paladins and Spartans this season, Furman turned it over 19 times, with 16 of those coming from steals. The Spartans had five players scoring in double figures, led by SoCon preseason Player of the Year Isaiah Miller, who poured in 18 points, dished out five assists, recorded six steals and collected four rebounds en route to leading the Spartans to the win. Miller connected on 8-of-17 shots from the field, which included going 0-for-4 from three-point range. He was also 2-for-2 from the charity stripe.

• Western Carolina at East Tennessee State (Feb. 29, 2020)—The final game that could factor in to the Southern Conference title race will take place on the final day of the regular-season, as East Tennessee State hosts Western Carolina. The Bucs won an 85-66 contest last month with all-conference forward Carlos Dotson sidelined with an injury. That game saw ETSU’s Isaiah Tisdale go crazy, scoring 26 points. Dotson will be on the floor this time around, however, the Bucs have been so dominant in this series of late, having won nine-straight and 26 of the past 27.