'Magic' Bothwell is the main attraction in the Scenic City once again

Furman wins tough battle in SoCon opener at Chattanooga

Noah Gurley guards Chattanooga's A.J. Caldwell

Magic Mike Bothwell posted a game-high 22 points  and Furman handed Chattanooga its first loss of the season, downing the Mocs, 77-73, Wednesday afternoon at McKenzie Arena. 

Bothwell's final two foul shots helped the Paladins seal the win by making all four free throw attempts in the final 30 seconds, helping the Paladins to the all-important conference-opening win. In addition to his 22 points, Bothwell also added seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal. In his last two games in the Scenic City, Bothwell is 21-of-31 from the field with 49 points, including 3-for-6 from three-point last season. Since last season's breakout career-high 27-point effort, Bothwell has scored in double figures in 23 of the past 26 games for the Paladins. 

With the win, the preseason league favorite Paladins moved to 7-3 overall and 1-0 in Southern Conference play, while Chattanooga fell to 9-1 overall and 0-1 in SoCon action.

It looked as though Furman was going to control the game from tip, as Furman raced to a 9-0 lead before Chattanooga knew what had hit them. The Mocs promptly answered with three-straight triples to tie the game, 9-9, and the game was a tight battle from that point forward. 

Furman trailed the contest 68-67 with just over three minutes remaining, but the Paladins showed true championship grit in coming from behind to get the win. Freshman forward Garrett Hien came in and showed uncanny poise for a true freshman, as he posted back-to-back baskets after coming into the game to replace Noah Gurley, who had fouled out. Hien's second layup in the lane helped give Furman a 71-68 lead with 2:24 remaining.

After the Paladins got the rebound off a missed three-pointer from the Mocs, the Paladins ran a beautiful backdoor play, as Jalen Slawson cut to the basket and went up for the power slam, but was fouled by AJ Caldwell. Slawson knocked down 1-of-2 free throws with 48 seconds to play.

Chattanooga would score on the ensuing possession, as David Jean-Baptiste, who returned to the Mocs team just prior to tip-off after a brief time in the transfer portal, knocked down a 15-foot jumper to get the Mocs back within a bucket. 

The Mocs fouled Bothwell on the inbounds pass, and he stepped to the line to convert a 1-and-1, putting the Paladins ahead 74-70 with 29.3 seconds remaining. On Chattanooga's next possession, the Mocs saw Malachi Smith answer with a three, which appeared short after hitting the front of the rim, but bounced in the basket, bringing the Mocs to within a point and bringing even more drama to an already well-played basketball game on both ends of the floor.

With the Paladins clinging to a 74-73 lead, the Mocs called timeout to set up their defense, and Bothwell was fouled once again with 14.1 seconds to play. He stepped to the line and knocked down two more foul shots to give the Paladins a 76-73 lead. After K.C. Hankton, who finished with 17 points to tie a career-high for the Mocs, missed a three, Hien corralled the rebound and was fouled with 5.1 seconds remaining. He knocked down the first of a two shot foul to give the Paladins a 77-73, which ultimately sealed Furman's seventh-straight conference-opening win and eighth-straight overall against the Mocs. 

The story of the game was what Furman did in the paint, and that was simply dominate the game from start to finish.  The Paladins dominated the paint to the tune of a 50-18 edge in points in the paint. That help off-set a 4-for-14 performance from three-point range for the Paladins.

Meanwhile, the Mocs were red-hot from three-point range in the contest, finishing going 13-of-26 from beyond the arc. Both Furman and Chattanooga shot the ball well from the field, with Furman connecting on 51.8% from the field for the game, while the Mocs shot the ball at a 47.3% clip for the game. 

Bothwell was joined in double figures by Jalen Slawson, who posted 16 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, including 1-for-2 from three-point range and 7-of-8 from the line. Prior to fouling out, Gurley added 13 points, five boards and three assists. Clay Mounce led the Paladins with nine rebounds to go with eight points.

Furman held advantages in points off turnovers (15-10), points in the paint (50-18), second-chance points (14-2), total rebounds (33-26), and fast-break points (5-0). The Mocs held a substantial edge in bench scoring (35-9). The game featured 10 lead changes and four ties.

Much of that was because Chattanooga was staying locked in on Furman’s shooters, not giving them any air on the perimeter. That forced Furman into a lot of 2-on-2 basketball, with the pick-and-roll making the Paladins look like the Utah Jazz under Jerry Sloan at times Wednesday.

“They stayed out on our shooters and we just did a great job of attacking the paint all night. I thought we were patient with our offense and let the ball move,”  Furman coach Bob Richey told Dan Scott on the Furman Radio Network’s postgame interview.

What's Ahead For Furman:

Furman returns to Timmons on Saturday to face Mercer (7-2, 0-1 SoCon). Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.

Furman comes up short at Alabama

 

Furman junior forward Noah Gurley (photo courtesy of Alabama athletics)

Recap: Alabama 83, Furman 80

Furman has been here before. It was almost exactly a year ago when the Paladins fell in a uniquely similar fashion to the other side of the Iron Bowl rivalry, dropping an 81-78 decision to the 13th-ranked Auburn Tigers down on the plains.

On Wednesday night a 375 days later, the Paladins saw everything unfold in an almost identical fashion. In the 83-80 loss to the un-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, Furman held as much as a 16-point lead (31-16) and led 47-37 at the half only to see the homestanding Alabama Crimson Tide out-score the Paladins 46-33 in the second half to bounce back from this past weekend’s loss to Clemson, with an 83-80 mid-week victory over the Paladins. In the game against Auburn last seson, the Paladins led by as many as 14 points in the contest 

With the win, Alabama saw its record improve to 4-2 on the season, while Furman fell for the second time in three outings, to drop to 5-2. It was the second loss in as many seasons for Furman at Coleman Coliseum, as the Crimson Tide moved to 3-0 all-time against the Paladins in the win. 

Despite 33 points from Jordan Lyons in the meeting between the two back in November of 2019, the Paladins dropped an 81-73 contest.

Furman sizzled offensively from the field in the opening half of play, as the Paladins knocked down 62% of their shots from the field en route to a 47-37 halftime lead. It was arguably the best offensive performance of the season.

Unlike the game against Cincinnati, the Paladins came out and were the aggressor on both ends of the floor, and came out and took the game to the Crimson Tide from the very outset of the contest. It would end up leading to what Furman would eventually build into a 16-point lead in the opening frame, following a three-pointer from Clay Mounce to give the Paladins a 32-16 lead.

The Paladins would see the Crimson Tide cut the lead under 10 points only once the remainder of the half with 4:09 left on a Herbert Lee Jones three-pointer, which cut the Furman lead to 38-29. However, the Paladins would extend that lead back out to 15 once again, at 47-32, as Mounce canned another three-pointer with 2:15 remaining in the opening frame.

From there, the Crimson Tide carried the momentum into the halftime locker room at Coleman Coliseum, scoring the final five points of the opening frame to trim the Furman lead to 10 at the break. 

The second-to-last bucket of the opening half for the Crimson Tide would see an alarming trend start to develop, as Alabama was able to keep the ball alive for three offensive rebounds to eventually convert a layup, which was converted by Juwan Gary.

Following a missed jumper by Mike Bothwell, Gary would then be fouled on a three-pointer by Jaylon Pugh, and Gary knocked down all three foul shots to get Alabama to within 47-37 at the break. 

Early in the second half, the Crimson Tide started to chip away at the lead, trimming it to six, at 60-54, with 11:25 remaining in the contest. That Furman lead got even smaller after a pair of Jaden Shackleford free throws with 8:51 remaining, trimming Furman’s lead to just five, at 66-61.

Following a timeout, head coach Bob Richey and staff drew up the perfect elixir, using a screen-the-screener ball action off an inbounds play from the sideline, setting up Mounce for a top of the key three-pointer in which he was fouled in the process. Mounce knocked down the free throw for his 21st point of the night, completing the four-point play. More importantly, it gave the Paladins a little bit of a cushion, extending the Paladin lead back out to nine, at 70-61, with just over eight minutes remaining,. 

Following the visible emotion of trying to lead his team, yet playing with four fouls already, Mounce ended up fouling out of the contest on the Crimson Tide’s ensuing offensive possession, as he fouled James Rojas on a reach in, ending his night with 8:12 remaining on the clock.

The atmosphere and the energy level would switch sides from that point forward, as Mounce’s exit seemed to cause the Paladins to deflate a bit, and the bigger, more physical SEC program would seize that opportunity. It would result in a Crimson Tide rolling to a 22-10 run to end the game, which was in stark contrast to being out-scored 10-1 down the stretch by Clemson in its previous outing. 

A Shackleford three-pointer with 6:03 left got the Crimson Tide as close as it had been since the score was 9-6 in the opening half, as Alabama trimmed Furman’s lead to 71-68.

Richey and the Furman staff were able to use the luxury of the media timeout to draw up another ball action. This time, senior point guard Alex Hunter, who hadn’t scored all night, knocked down what seemed to be at the time at least, a 74-68 lead, which let Furman fans exhale a bit with 5:32 remaining.

However, the Crimson Tide would score the next five points, and it was Jordan Bruner’s layup with 3:42 remaining would get Alabama even closer, at 74-73, which is as close as the game had been since the score was tied, 2-2, in the early portion of the contest. 

Furman’s Garrett Hien was fouled going up for a layup attempt on the other end, and he knocked down three foul shots to give the Paladins a three point lead once again, at 76-73, with 3:28 left in the contest. 

Alabama star guard John Petty, who had struggled all game, would end up coming up big for the Crimson Tide when they needed him to the most. A driving layup cut the Furman lead to just a point, at 76-75, and then following a missed three-pointer by Mike Bothwell, Petty was fouled on a layup attempt. He connected on 1-of-2 free throws to tie the game, 76-76, with just under two minutes left.

Following a missed triple on the other end by Hunter, Alabama would take its first lead of the game when James Rojas connected on a three-pointer with 1:18 remaining to give the Crimson Tide the 79-76 lead. 

After a timeout and a missed three-pointer from Jalen Slawson, the Crimson Tide increased their lead to to five following a Jalen Slawson missed three-pointer, Alabama got a layup from Jones to increase the Crimson Tide’s lead to 81-76 with 35 seconds left. 

Mike Bothwell would trim the Alabama lead to three with a pair of foul shots with 28 seconds remaining, however, the Paladins would never get any closer, dropping a game in the Yellowhammer State by three points for the second-straight season--this time ending up on the wrong end of an 83-80 contest.

The Statistical Breaking Down  Of The Loss:

It’s been a mess in 2020 to say the least, however, there was a tinge of finality in the road loss to the Crimson Tide, as it would it will be the last chance--at least in the regular-season--for players like senior forward Clay Mounce or senior guard Alex Hunter to get a chance to take down one of the big boys. 

But, the fact is, despite what one might thing of the officiating in Tuesday night’s road loss at Coleman Coliseum, the Paladins were beaten and beaten badly on the boards, and it’s really hard to excuse those stats even with some questionable officiating at times, which Furman has become accustomed to in its last couple of trips on the road to face SEC foes. Below are both team and individual particulars, which are highlighted below.

—Furman was out-rebounded 49-28 in the contest, including getting out-worked 21-5 on the offensive glass. That led to Alabama owning a 24-3 advantage in second-chance points. —The Paladins had three players finish in double figures in the road loss, with Mike Bothwell’s 23 points leading the way on 8-of-19 shooting from the field and 5-for-11 shooting from three-point range. Bothwell has now scored in double figures in 18 of the past 21 games for the Paladins.

—Prior to fouling out of the contest, Clay Mounce continued his strong start to the season, posting 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, including 4-for-7 from three-point range and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. Mounce added six rebounds and handed out six assists to put in another strong night of work. 

—For the second-straight season, Noah Gurley stared down an SEC opponent, and he did so in excellent fashion. The junior forward finished the contest by scoring 15 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, incliding going 2-for-4 from three-point range. Gurley was also 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. The Fayetteville, GA, native also posted three rebounds , committed turnovers and blocked a shot.

—Alabama was led by four players in double figures Herbert Jones’ double-double, as he scored 18 points and posted 12 rebounds in the win. Jones finished the contest connecting on 7-of-16 shots from the field, including going 2-for-2 from three-point range and was 2 -for-4 from the free throw line. 

—The Paladins finished the contest shooting 47.5% (28-of-59) from the field, and 36.5% (13-for-36) from three-point range. Furman connected on 11-of-13 shots from the free throw line to finish the contest 84.6% from the line. Furman shot 62.7% (10-of-30) in the first half of play, going 18-of-29 from the field, including going 8-for-17 from three-point range, which converted to a blistering 47.6 from three-point range. 

—Alabama finished the night connecting on 44.8% (30-of-67) from the field in the contest and 32.3% (10-of-31) from three-point range.  The Crimson Tide connected on 13-of-25 free throw attempts for the game, which converts to a percentage of 52.0% from the free throw line. 

—Alabama finished the game with advantages in total rebounds (49-28), second-chance points (24-3), points in the paint (40-28), bench scoring (34-13), assists (17-16) and offensive rebounds (21-5). Furman held advantages in total field goal percentage (47.5%-44.8%), three-pointers made (13-10), and three-point field goal percentage (36.1%-32.3%).

Furman vs. Power Conference Foes Since 2014-15:

            2014-15

                   at Duke L, 53-94

                   at TCU L, 69-80

                   at Minnesota, L, 76-86

                 

•                 2015-16

                 at UConn L, 58-83

                 at Dayton L, 50-70

•                2016-17

                at Georgia L, 78-84

                at Michigan L, 62-68

•                2017-18

                at  Butler L, 65-82

                at No. 1 Duke L, 63-92

                at No. 20 Tennessee L, 61-66

•               2018-19

             at Loyola Chicago (reigning Final Four participant) W, 60-58

             at No. 8 Villanova W, 76-68 (OT)

            at LSU L, 57-75

 •                  2019-20

             at Alabama L, 73-81

             at South Florida L, 55-65

             at No. 13 Auburn L, 78-81

•             2020-2021

              at Cincinnati L, 73-78

              at Alabama, L, 80-83

 

SoCon Power Rankings

Furman forward Noah Gurley (photo courtesy of Alabama athletics)

 As we wind down non-conference play, here’s a look at the non-conference as we get closer to the start of Southern Conference play on Dec. 30.

1. Furman (5-2)—Furman continues to be the head of the class when it comes to the Southern Conference basketball power rankings. The Paladins are coming off an 83-80 loss at Alabama this past week and head into their final major test in the non-conference, facing Winthrop Saturday in Rock Hill at the Winthrop Coliseum. Furman continues to be led by the trio of Mike Bothwell, Clay Mounce and Noah Gurley, but still must continue to develop a bench as we inch closer to conference play. Furman beat the Eagles for the first time since 1988 last season with an 80-73 win in Greenville at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Since that loss to Furman last season in downtown Greenville, Winthrop has gone 20-3. Furman is currently ranked No. 66 in KenPom. 

2. Mercer (6-1)—Mercer suffered its first loss of the 2020-21 season on Wednesday night, when it was knocked off 89-84 on the road at Georgia State—a team it already defeated earlier this season. The Bears continue to get strong play out of point guard Neftali Alvarez, who has proven to be an outstanding addition, and had a buzzer-beating layup to help the Bears to a win over Georgia Southern over the weekend. Ross Cummings continues to do his thing, sizzling from beyond the arc, ranking fourth in the league in three-point field goal percentage shooting 48% from three-point range, while averaging 15.4 PPG.

3. Wofford (3-2)—Wofford has looked good against major competition this season, and had chances to defeat both South Florida and No. 19 Richmond. The Terriers have seen Storm Murphy get off to as good of a start as any point guard in mid-major basketball, ranking third in the SoCon in scoring 19.8 PPG, ranks second in assists (4.8 APG) and is shooting 40.6% (13-of-32) from three-point range. The Terriers have one more chance ahead to claim a power conference win, facing Texas A&M on Dec. 21.

4. Chattanooga (7-0)—Despite the transfer of David Jean-Baptiste, which took the staff and fans by surprise last week, the Mocs weathered that storm by getting an outstanding home win against one of the top teams in the Big South Conference, with a 69-66 win over UNC Asheville this past Wednesday night. Not only is it the best start in the Division I history of Mocs basketball, but also learned that KC Hankton would be eligible to play against the Bulldogs. The Saint Louis transfer didn’t disappoint in his first outing for the Mocs, as he posted 16 points on 6-of-7 shots from the field and 3-for-4 from three-point range. The Mocs could enter their Southern Conference opener against SoCon title favorite Furman on Dec. 30 a perfect 9-0. The Mocs have an intriguing matchup ahead against UAB on Saturday, it will be one of the best matchups in mid-major hoops. UAB, like Chattanooga, is off to its best start in school history and have already downed one SoCon member, with a 65-61 win at UTC’s SoCon rival East Tennessee State last week. Chattanooga’s 7-0 starts marks its best start to a campaign since it was a Division II power in 1974-75.

5.  East Tennessee State (3-3)—The Bucs are slowly but surely improving, and LeDarrius Brewer continues to show why he is the league’s best newcomer, averaging 16.2 PPG to rank ninth in the league. David Sloan has also been a solid addition and is starting to come into his own for the Bucs, including his performance against Gardner-Webb in which he helped the Bucs to a 65-60 win over a good Big South team. Sloan posted a career-high 18 points in helping ETSU to its second win of the season. The Bucs then promptly blasted Columbia International, 96-54, on Thursday night and have a chance to move above .500 when the Bucs face Lee University on Saturday. 

6. UNC Greensboro (3-3)—Offense for the Spartans has been a painful experience at times so far this season, however, the Spartans have won two-straight heading into Saturday’s contest against cross-town rival Elon. UNCG has been tough defensively per usual, and without Isaiah Miller on Tuesday night, the Spartans hosted winless USC Upstate at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Spartans were able to pick up what was a 65-57 win powered by the efforts of sophomore forward Khyre Thompson, who is one of the most improved players on the roster, as he posted 16 points. For Thomspon, it looks as though he could be that player that steps up and provides scoring support for Isaiah Miller, as he has scored in double figures in three-straight games. 

7. Western Carolina (6-2)—The Catamounts have played well out of the gates strong once again this season and look to be a team that could one again be in the mix for a top tier Southern Conference finish. The Catamounts have been led through the first eight games by the backcourt tandem of senior Mason Faulkner and Matt Halvorsen. Faulkner is averaging 16.8 PPG and ranks third in the conference in assists, dishing out 4.7 helpers per game. Halvorsen has also gotten off to a strong start to the 2020-21 campaign, averaging 16.0 PPG and is shooting 42.5% (31-of-73) from three-point range this season. Big man Xavier Cork is off to a solid start this season, leading the league in field goal percentage, connecting on 71.1% (54-of-76) from the field. The Catamounts were soundly beaten at VCU last week, dropping a 93-68 contest up in Richmond and will close out their non-conference slate Friday night at the College of Charleston.

8. Samford (2-3)—Samford has been perhaps the hardest team to figure out in the Southern Conference thus far. The Bulldogs have losses to both Alabama A&M and Troy so far this season, but also have one of the best non-conference wins of the season thus far for the SoCon, defeating Belmont on the road, 96-83. The Bulldogs also played well on an SEC floor, losing 79-75 at Georgia. Guard Myron Gordon has proven to be one of the best players in the league through the first five games, winning the league’s Player of the Week accolade in consecutive weeks. Gordon currently ranks second in the SoCon in scoring, averaging 21.0 PPG, which trails only UNCG’s Isaiah Miller, who’s averaging 21.2 PPG. Samford returns to action Saturday with a game at Kennesaw State.

9. VMI (5-2)—The Keydets haven’t exactly played the toughest schedule to this point in the season, however, VMI will be a headache for everyone when Southern Conference play gets underway. The Keydets do have a pair of Division I wins over both Hampton (W, 79-64) and Longwood (W, 84-71). The Keydets have three players averaging in double figures, led by senior guard Greg Parham, who’s averaging 15.6 PPG. Parham ranks second in the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage, at 52.8% (19-of-36) this season. The three-point happy Keydets rank third in the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 38% (81-of-213) from long-range as a team so far this season. The Keydets rank in the SoCon in three-pointers made per game (11.6) and have made more three-pointers than any other team in the SoCon (81). VMI rounds out non-conference play with tricky games at Gardner-Webb on Friday and at George Mason (Dec. 21).

10. The Citadel (5-0)—The Citadel is undefeated so how can they be No. 10? Well, the Bulldogs are better and there’s no debating that having a healthy team is going to benefit Duggar Baucom’s team come Southern Conference play. The Bulldogs have four of their five wins over non-Division I competition, so it’s hard to know just how much improved they are this season The Bulldogs lead the league in three-point field goal percentage (43.1%) and three-pointers made per game (15.6/78) this season. The Bulldogs will be on the road at Longwood Saturday, while returning home for their final SoCon game on Tuesday night against Presbyterian. 

SoCon Basketball 2020-21: updates and notes heading into an action-packed night of non-conference play

Mercer point guard Neftali Alvarez (photo courtesy of Mercer Athletics/A.J. Henderson)

Three unbeatens remain among the SoCon basketball brethren, as The Citadel (5-0), Chattanooga (6-0), and Mercer (6-0) remain the lone unbeatens as the SoCon moves closer towards the Christmas holiday. It's an important week for the league, as team's continue to navigate around COVID-19 with scheduling. 

Before we glance at the matchups directly ahead, let's take a look back at the weekend that was in the league, as their were exciting finishes throughout the league, as well as some rather shocking news coming out of the Scenic City. 

You can't start talking about the weekend that was without talking about the Mercer-Georgia Southern game, which might have been the game of the weekend in terms of thrill-seeking hoops enthusiasts. The Bears, which play nearly the entire Peach State, remained unbeaten on Saturday afternoon, as the Bears went to Hanner Field House and escaped with a 77-75 win on a Neftali Alvarez layup as time expired, allowing the Bears to move to 6-0 on the season, including having gone 5-0 against teams from its home state.

The way Mercer did was perhaps most impressive of all, as the Bears rebounded from a 16-point deficit with just under 18 minutes remaining in the game to storm back and get the win on the road. The only major program the Bears have not faced or defeated in the Peach State so far this season is the University of Georgia, and while COVID-19 has been a headache for all to deal with, perhaps it will present us with the opportunity to see that matchup in a season of what has seen some unforeseen scheduling.

Alvarez, a transfer from Fairfield, where he was a member of the MAAC All-Freshman Team two years ago, has been the type of player that has been a game-changer for Greg Gary's club. He showed that in the most literal way on Sunday evening with the game-winning lay-up. This past summer in a conversation with coach Gary, he talked about the importance of having a guy like Alvarez in the lineup, with his ability to take players off the dribble and beat people. He said was a dynamic that the Bears lacked during his first season in 2019-20, even though the Bears were much improved.

Alvarez finished off the contest by scoring just eight points, but also handed out eight assists, with five turnovers, a block, ripped down eight boards and had one steal. 

Senior guard Ross Cummings continued his strong start to the season, as he has put himself in a position as one of the early candidates for the Southern Conference Player of the Year distinction. He led the Bears in their trip south, as he posted 22 points, connecting on 6-of-11 shots from the field, including going 4-for-8 from three-point range.

What's Ahead for Mercer:

The 6-0 Bears will be on the road at Georgia State on Wednesday, as they go in search of the season sweep of Georgia State, having defeated the Panthers rather easily back on Nov. 30 in Macon, as the Bears posted what was an 86-69 win at Hawkins Arena. 

A Couple of Heartbreakers:

While Mercer was celebrating a close win on the road, the same can't be said for both Wofford and East Tennessee State, which suffered close losses to South Florida and UAB, respectively. 

Jay McAuley's Terriers continue to acquit themselves well while being short-handed, despite not having yet defeated a Division I program this season. The Terriers were at State Farm Arena in Atlanta for the Holiday Hoopsgiving Tournament, where they had the opportunity to face the South Florida Bulls for a second-straight season.

Though the Terriers came up on the short end of what was a 58-56 loss, the game went much better than it did last season for the Terriers, which dropped a 69-55 contest to the Bulls in Tampa last season. 

Tray Hollowell continued his superb play to start the season for Wofford, canning at least three three-pointers in all four games this season, and finished the contest against the Bulls with a career-high 21 points. Hollowell certainly wasn't shooting the basketball, either, as he connected on 8-of-21 shots from the field, which included a 4-for-15 performance from three-point range.

In a conference that has been defined by its stellar point guards over the past couple of seasons, Storm Murphy has certainly made his argument as the best true point guard in the league. He can shoot, pass, and plays excellent defense, while he doesn't mind being called upon in the clutch, which he has been called upon to be a shot-maker in crucial moments several times in his career. On Saturday against the Bulls, Murphy had quite the impressive stat line, posting 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists and a steal to complete what was another solid performance.

The game did not lack opportunities for the Terriers to tie the contest inside the final minute, including the final 20 seconds, as the Terriers had a chance to tie or win the game twice inside the final 19 seconds, but missed a shot in the lane as well as a three-pointer, allowing the Bulls to pick up a win over the Terriers for a second-straight season. 

What's Next for Wofford:

The Terriers will be back at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on Tuesday evening for a 6 p.m. contest against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Things haven't only gone unbeaten for Jamey Chadwell's football version of the Chanticleers, but Cliff Ellis' Chanticleers of the basketball hardwood are also off to a 4-0 start to begin the season. Like Wofford in its first game of the season, however, the Chants have feasted on mostly non-Division I programs this season, with Coastal's lone Division I win coming in a 78-71 win over North Carolina Central.

Bucs fall in home opener or the first time in six years:

While Wofford dropped a close contest on a neutral court, reigning Southern Conference champion East Tennessee State finally got to open its home slated in what was a drastically different atmosphere inside Freedom Hall against the UAB Blazers.

What transpired was a 65-61 loss to UAB, marking the first home-opening loss for ETSU at Freedom Hall since dropping what was a 65-61 decision to UAB to fall to 1-3 on the young season. Meanwhile, UAB is off to its first 6-0 start in program history.

There continued to be signs that the Bucs were on the right track under first-year head coach Jason Shay, despite what has been a bit of a rough start to the season. The Bucs continued to play tough on the defensive end of the floor, which has been a trend for a majority of the season so far. The Bucs held UAB to just 22 first-half points and just 29.0% shooting from the field. That helped the Bucs take a 25-22 lead into the halftime locker room.

The Blazers started the second half with a 14-4 run and led for most of the second half until a LeDarrius Brewer three-pointer with just under a minute remaining tied the game tied the contest, 59-59. However, the next trip down the floor saw Andy Kennedy's Blazers make the game-winning play, as a second-chance opportunity came off a blocked shot from Brewer, and the ball found its way into the hands of Tavin Lovan, who stepped up and made a clutch three-pointer to give UAB the boost it needed to come away with the win.

While holding UAB to just 22 in the opening half of play, the Blazers got things going more at their pace in the second half, as they out-scored ETSU 43-36 in the second half. 

Brewer was one of two Bucs players in double figures, posting 18 points, while forward Silas Adheke added 10 points and eight boards. While the Bucs yielded nearly double what they did in the first-half points-wise to the Blazers, the fact remains ETSU played good enough defense to win the basketball game, holding the Blazers to a meager 36.1% shooting from the field for the game. UAB's Michael Ertel led all scorers with 19 points, while Jalen Benjamin added 16 points off the bench.

What's Next For The Bucs:

The Bucs will be back on the home hardwood on Tuesday night, welcoming the North Carolina A&T Aggies to Freedom Hall. oach Will Jones, who had his interim head coaching status extend to full-time head coach this season after leading the Aggies to a 14-5 record down the stretch last season. In all, the Aggies are coming off a campaign in which they finished with a 17-15 overall record, which includes 12-4 record in MEAC play, and that was good enough for a tie for second-place in the regular-season standings. North Carolina A&T has already lost close battles to a pair of ETSU's SoCon rivals, having dropped a 78-70 decision at The Citadel, and were a 104-98 loser at home to Western Carolina in overtime.

Cardiac Cats have gotten a quick start from Matt Halvorsen:

If you could actually go to games this year as a fan, the Catamounts would be worth the price of admission. Western Carolina, which is off to a 6-1 start this season, has seen five of its seven games decided by 10 points or less. 

From Mason Faulkner's buzzer-beating three against Tennessee Tech, to Saturday afternoon's overtime win at North Carolina A&T, Mark Prosser's Catamounts have more often than not pulled games out in the clutch this season. The Catamounts have already won three games in overtime this season, and it was senior guard Matt Halvorsen, who continued his good play early on in the season, posting a team-best 23 points in Saturday's road win over the Aggies, which saw the Cardiac Cats improve to 6-1 early on this season.

Halvorsen has arguably been Western's best player in the early portion of the SoCon basketball season. He also had a 20-point effort in the win over UNC Asheville a couple of weeks ago. 

In the 104-98 win over North Carolina A&T, the Catamounts won their fifth-straight game heading into Tuesday night's big clash against VCU in Richmond. The six-point win over the Aggies marked the first time the Catamounts have won three overtime games in one season since the 2013-14 season. Halvorsen's performance against the Aggies was notable, as the three-point marksman connected on seven triples for the contest, which was also a career-high for the senior guard from Kingsport has is shooting a sizzling 43% (29-of-67) from long-range this season. 

For his career, Halvorsen in shooting 37% from three-point range, having knocked down 243-of-654 career three-pointers. In fact, he ranks second to only Faulkner in scoring for the Catamounts this season, averaging 16.6 PPG. So far this season, 67 of his 77 field goal attempts have been from long range, and he went a blistering 7-for-10 from deep in the win over the Aggies. 

What's next for the Catamounts:

As mentioned above, the Catamounts return to the court Tuesday night when they face off against Mike Rhoads' VCU Rams. Despite only one starter returning for Mike Rhoads’ bunch this season, excpect the Rams to once again be a strong factor in the Atlantic 10. 

The Rams are coming off a solid 2019-20 campaign, which saw them finish the campaign with an 18-13 overall mark, while posting what was an 8-10 record in conference play, which was good enough for a tie for eighth in arguably the nation’s toughest mid-major conference. Still, the 8-10 conference mark is well below what those have come to expect out of a mid-major team that made the Final Four back in 2011. 

The Rams were picked to finish ninth in the 14-team A-10 preseason coaches and media poll in early November. For the Catamounts and Rams, it will mark the fifth meeting between the two schools, and the first since 1978, with VCU having won 88-61. The Rams have won all four previous meetings. So far this season, the Rams are off to a 5-2 start this season. 

VCU made the famed run all the way to the Final Four back in 2011 under the direction of Shaka Smart, who is now the head cToach at Texas. On that staff were two assistants that would go on to become head coaches, in Rhoads and current UNC Asheville head coach Mike Morrell. Morrell offered the Catamounts a similar version of the chaotic press the Catamounts will see the entire night in the Siegel Center--a place the Rams were nearly unbeatable in the pre-COVID era when fans flocked to see the Black and Gold play. Tip-off for the contest is slated for 7 p.m.

The strange week in the Scenic City

Chattanooga is one of those teams that has gotten out of the gates quickly in the Southern Conference play, off to a 6-0 start and has a chance to head into its Southern Conference opener against Furman unbeaten. In fact, the 6-0 start in this strange year may be even stranger to believe that the all-time most-decorated program in SoCon men's basketball is off to its best start as a Division I program.

Making the year even stranger in a much more negative way. The team's scoring leader at 18.8 PPG announced he will be entering the transfer portal effective immediately. Jean-Baptiste was the one player that had been there since the start of the rebuilding project undertaken by former Wisconsin assistant and current head coach Lamont Paris, who is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Mocs. 

For one reason or another, the Mocs have had players transferring out of the program at a record rate even dating back to Matt McCall's final season. 

Players like Nat Dixon, Makinde London, Jerry Johnson Jr., Rodney Chatman, Makale Foreman and Maurice Commander are just several of those that have decided to leave the Chattanooga program in the three previous seasons under Paris' leadership. But the Haitian-born Jean-Baptiste had remained loyal, and so it came with great surprise to Lamont Paris when it he learned of Jean-Baptiste had decided to enter the portal. Add to that, Jean-Baptiste had developed into one of the best guards in the Southern Conference garnering preseason All-SoCon praise. 

FULL STATEMENT FROM COACH PARIS:

“Based on David’s deciding to return for his final season, his role on the team, how he was executing it at a high level, our record of success and our personal relationship, I’m stunned by his decision. I can only surmise from our discussions this is a personal choice more than about basketball.”

(Story From WDEF in Chattanooga)

https://wdef.com/2020/12/12/mocs-leading-scorer-jean-baptiste-enters-transfer-portal/

What's next for Chattanooga:

Chattanooga returns to the hardwood where it will face UNC Asheville Wednesday night in McKenzie Arena. The game against UNC Asheville will be against one of the upper echelon teams in the Big South coming into the season. Chattanooga was able to go in and take a narrow 68-64 win over the Bulldogs at Kimmel Arena last season. 

After losing their first two games without two key starters, the Bulldogs have since won three-straight, including getting out to a 2-0 start in conference play with a pair of wins over High Point last weekend. One of Asheville's losses this season was to Chattanooga's SoCon rival Western Carolina, which was an 83-81 decision in overtime. 

The Mocs will have the advantage of being able to host the Bulldogs this season. Asheville head coach Mike Morrell heads into his third season at the helm of the Asheville basketball program, and led them to an 11-win improvement last season, as the Bulldogs finished with a 15-16 overall mark, which included an 8-10 finish in the league. 

That was good enough for a tie for fifth place in the Big South standings.  The Bulldogs will return all five starters from last season, including leading honors candidates DeVon Baker and LeVar Batts Jr at two of the guard positions. 

The Bulldogs play much like VCU, as that where much of Morrell’s influence came from Morrell’s days as an assistant coach at VCU under Shaka Smart, meaning the Bulldogs will press you all over the floor, much like Mocs fans saw Chattanooga employ when another former Smart assistant Will Wade was the head coach at Chattanooga from 2013-15. The Mocs and Bulldogs will be meeting for eighth time in the history of the series, with the Mocs holding a 7-0 all-time series edge.

UNCG Rebounds from a tough shooting night vs. Coppin State to defeat Norfolk State Sunday:

It's been a weird start to the season for Southern Conference co-favorite UNC Greensboro. Following the shocking, 85-80, midweek loss at Coppin State, the Spartans put the Spartans on lockdown en route to a 64-47 win at the Greensboro Coliseum in the home opener. The UNCG defense stifled Norfolk State all afternoon, holding the Spartans to just 34% shooting for the game. 

UNCG struggled themselves shooting the basketball once again, hitting shots at just a 36% in the win, however, it was good enough due to the fact that UNCG's big-time defensive effort held the visitors to just 20 points on 23.8% shooting from the field.

Also of note was the fact that it was a milestone afternoon for star guard and preseason mid-major All-America selection Isaiah Miller. The senior from Covington, GA., reached the 1,500-point scoring milestone with a 17-point effort in the win, and now had 1,516 points in his career. He became just the ninth player in program history to reach the 1,500-point milestone for a career. His 1,516 points ranks eighth all-time in UNCG history in scoring, moving past Yusuf Stewart into eighth-place over the course of the contest. 

Not to be lost in the winning effort was the performance of Kaleb Hunter, who totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds in the win. It was the third double-double of his career, while Khyre Thompson rounded out the double-figure scorers for UNCG with `12. The win marked the 68th home win for the Spartans since the start of the 2015-16 season. 

What's Next For UNCG:

The Spartans ended up tying for seventh in the Big South standings last season, completing the campaign with a 13-19 overall record, including a 7-11 record in league action. All five starers return for Dickerson’s club heading into the 2020-21 campaign, and Upstate was recently selected to finish fifth in the 11-team Big South at the league’s preseason virtual media day. 

Upstate has continued to make strides as a program since moving to the Division I classification back in 2007-08, originally as a member of the Atlantic Sun before joining the Big South a couple of years ago. Upstate is the home of current Denver Nuggets guard Torrey Craig, who is the ultimate example of a small-school player, making to the big-time from a lower-tier mid-major. 

This current collection of talent, which includes the likes of guard Tommy Bruner (14.0 PPG, 2.3 APG), Everette Hammond (14.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG) and sharp-shooter Bryson Mozone (8.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG) to the fold, is comparable to its heirs from about a decade ago, which included the likes of the aforementioned Craig, Ty Greene, Ricardo Glenn and Jodd Maxey to name a few. 

However, it's been a rough start to the 2020-21 season for Upstate, which has been without its coach, Dave Dickerson,  who is spending time away from the team to be with his wife, who is ill, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Upstate Spartans are off to an 0-6 start, and have already played a couple of foes on UNCG's 2020-21 slate. The Spartans lost a pair of games to Winthrop and an early-season setback at Furman. The Spartans continue to be led by Bruner--the talent scoring guard--as he is currently averaging 18.5 PPG. 

For UNCG and USC Upstate, it will mark the sixth all-time meeting in the series between the two, with Upstate holding a narrow 3-2 lead. UNCG was victorious the last time the two met on the hardwood, with UNCG claiming a 76-70 win on Nov. 24, 2007.

An interesting sidebar to the matchup is that Winston-Salem native and local star Chris Paul has a  brother, C.J. Paul, who was a guard for the Upstate Spartans back in the mid-2000s. Chris Paul signed a contract a month ago tomorrow to play the 2020-21 NBA campaign with the Phoenix Suns.

Furman heads to Alabama Tuesday night for SEC Battle:

Prior to last season’s clash with Alabama, which saw the Crimson Tide get a hard-fought, 81-73, in the 2019-20 campaign inside the friendly confines of Coleman Coliseum, hadn’t met since the mid 1980s, and Tuesday night’s meeting between the Paladins and Crimson Tide will mark just the third meeting between the two on the college basketball hardwood, with the Crimson Tide owning a 2-0 lead in the all-time series, which also included a 96-69 win over the Paladins in 1986.

Alabama comes into the matchup having played five on the season, sporting a 3-2 mark. The Crimson Tide have claimed wins over Jacksonville State (81-57), Providence (88-71), and UNLV (86-74), while the two losses by the Crimson Tide have come against Stanford (L, 64-82) and Clemson (L, 56-64) the last time out.

Furman comes into the matchup against the Crimson Tide with a 5-1 overall record, having posted wins over Tusculum (W, 95-62), USC Upstate (W, 91-63), Southern Wesleyan (W, 89-49), at College of Charleston (W, 81-57), and Flagler (W, 86-61). Furman’s lone loss came on the road the road at Cincinnati (L, 73-78).

Furman comes in holding a 67-135 all-time mark against SEC competition, with the last time the Paladins tasting victory over an SEC foe being Dec. 22, 2010, as the Paladins were able to knock off South Carolina 91-75 in Greenville. The Paladins were also victors over Vanderbilt (W, 70-62) back in November of 2006 under then first-year head coach Jeff Jackson. 

The two programs are under the direction of a pair of up-and-coming head coaches, in Furman’s Bob Richey (78-27) and Alabama’s Nate Oats (115-59, sixth season/19-17 at Alabama). Oats has a Crimson Tide basketball team that comes into the matchup ranked No. 51 Alabama and No. 67 Furman in the latest KenPom rankings. 

Like this season’s loss to Cincinnati, Furman’s 81-73 setback at Alabama accounted for one of the worst shooting performances in one game last season. In fact, Furman’s 30.9% shooting percentage was a season-low for the 2019-20 campaign, and the Paladins went just 11-for-41 from three-point range, which accounted for just a 26.8% clip from beyond the arc. The Crimson Tide also owned a 43-34 edge on the backboards. 

Alabama was able to out-score the Paladins 38-16 in points in the paint, and posted a 28-9 advantage in bench scoring. One of the areas Furman head coach Bob Richey is hoping to see his team improve in is bench scoring, and at least the last time out, there were some bright spots, namely a 15-point effort off the bench from Jaylon Pugh, as the Paladins out-scored the Flagler bench 25-11.

Aside from last season’s clash with the Crimson Tide last season, the Paladins have also faced SEC competition with games against No. 13 Auburn (L, 78-81/2019-20), LSU (L, 57-75, 2018-19), and Tennessee (L, 61-66, 2017-18). 

In Furman’s other matchup against power conference competition—a 78-73 loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats—the Paladins struggled shooting the basketball, knocking down just 39.7% from the field and just 25.0% from three-point range. Furman’s bench was also out-scored in the contest 21-2 and out-rebounded 33-23. 

The most disturbing number of course for Richey is the bench scoring stat. The fourth-year head coach knows that that trend must change if the Paladins are to fulfill preseason expectations this March in Asheville. The Paladins will be in search of their first win over power conference foe since defeating Villanova, 76-68, in overtime a couple of years ago. 

The SoCon will have a conference record five games nationally-televised by ESPNU

Story from SoConSports.com

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Five Southern Conference men’s basketball games will air on ESPNU this season, representing the most home-originating national broadcasts in league history.

 

“It’s exciting to see the significant growth in our national television coverage for this year in men’s basketball with our relationship with ESPN,” SoCon Commissioner Jim Schaus said. “I believe it is a testament to the enhanced image Southern Conference men’s basketball is developing nationally.”

 

The first game in the package will be Dec. 29, when Mercer hosts Wofford for its first national home broadcast since joining the league. The contest was moved up one day from its previously announced date. Wofford is 2-2 with losses to No. 19 Richmond and USF by a combined seven points, while the Bears are off to a 6-0 start to the season and are ranked No. 7 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25.

 

Defending SoCon regular-season and tournament champion ETSU visits Furman at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Jan. 16 in the next ESPNU broadcast. The Paladins are ranked No. 3 in the mid-major poll.

 

Furman hosts UNC Greensboro for the first of two meetings between the preseason SoCon favorites on national television on Jan. 25 at 9 p.m. That contest was moved up two days from its previously announced date. The Feb. 10 contest in Greensboro, North Carolina, will air on ESPNU at 5 p.m. The Spartans were the SoCon coaches’ preseason pick to win the league, while the Paladins were the media’s favorite.

 

The SoCon’s fifth home ESPNU broadcast takes place Feb. 22, when Samford hosts Wofford at 7 p.m. Eastern in a contest that was originally slated for Feb. 24. The Bulldogs earned an impressive win at defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Belmont on Dec. 5 and played to a four-point loss at Georgia on Saturday.

 

ESPN will assign the on-air talent for each contest.

 

2020-21 Southern Conference Men’s Basketball games on ESPNU

Dec. 29    Wofford at Mercer, 7 p.m. (moving from Dec. 30)

Jan. 16    ETSU at Furman, 4 p.m.

Jan. 25    UNCG at Furman, 9 p.m. (moving from Jan. 27)

Feb. 10    Furman at UNCG, 5 p.m.

Feb. 22    Wofford at Samford, 7 p.m. (ET) (moving from Feb. 24)

Why has the league's overall demand increased?

In recent seasons, the SoCon has taken off as one of the premier mid-major leagues. A big reason for that has been due to the wins over the likes Villanova, North Carolina and most recently, Georgia Tech. Below is a link to a PDF document that takes a look at the notable wins against big name programs over the past 20 years.

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:a21652e0-2d99-4a77-ab4b-8533525046e3

Clay Mounce scores 1,000th point to lead Furman in victory over Flagler

Furman senior forward Clay Mounce scored his 1,000th point on the first basket of the game in Furman's win

Head coach Bob Richey was not pleased with his team’s lack of motivation on either end of the floor in Wednesday night’s game at American Athletic Conference foe Cincinnati. On Saturday afternoon, he was certainly pleased with how his team started the game.

“I am proud of our guys and how they came out today especially in the first half of play with a great focus on defense and I thought our movement on offense was good and we put 50 on the board and held them to 25,” Richey said. 

It was also a special day for Furman senior forward Clay Mounce, who scored his 1,000th point on the game’s first play, as Furman’s all-time winningest player, Jordan Lyons, looked on. Mounce is the 46th player in the rich history of Paladin basketball to achieve the feat. 

Mounce finished the contest by going 9-for-11 from the field and was 2-for-4 from three-point range to finish off his third 20 or more point effort of the season. 

“We ran that play to get Clay that bucket and get that out of the way. I was proud of Clay’s performance. In the first half, he really carried over from what he did in the second half at Cincinnati,” Richey added..

“Jordan texted me yesterday and said he wanted to come see the game and be there for Clay’s 1,000th point. It was great to see him and have him in the locker room after the game. It’s always great to have family back,” he added.

It speaks to the culture that Bob Richey has helped build upon and elevate since he took over for Niko Medved some in the spring of 2017. Interestingly enough, both Richey and his counterpart on the other sideline, Chad Warner, took their head coaching jobs on the same day of 2017, both accepting their current positions on April 7, 2017.

Lyons remains the all-time winningest player in Furman history—for now at least. He finished out what was a standout career as a Paladin by finishing his four years as at Furman with 96 wins, as well as holding the all-time record for three-pointers made in a career (281). Mounce and teammate and point guard Alex Hunter are quick on the trail of Lyons, however, having won their 78th game in the 25-point victory over the Saints. 

Should the Paladins win 19 more games in a season that has already been shortened, the current class would eclipse Lyons’ games won mark. With only 19 games remaining in the regular-season, if Mounce and Hunter finish their respective careers with the record it will be a good indicator that the Paladins will have done pretty well in Asheville at the Southern Conference Tournament, but that’s still a along way off.

“I think it’s exactly what you said. It’s culture. Seeing him up there was special and it’s what culture is about. It’s about loving your brother, and leaving the jersey you wear better than when you found it,” Mounce said.

The Paladins were sharp on both sides of the ball in the early going, jumping out to a 13-2 lead to force a timeout by Saints head coach Chad Warner take a timeout. Furman senior forward Clay Mounce was the catalyst in the fast start by the Paladins, as he scored 12 of Furman’s 23 points, as the Paladins ran out to a 23-8 following a layup by the Elkin, N.C. native with 10:36 remaining in the half. 

Despite holding a 25-point lead at the break, Flagler, who had knocked off Division I foe and MAC member Central Michigan, 92-73, in a recent exhibition, would make things somewhat interesting in the second half.

Furman saw Flagler make a bit of a run in the second half, however, chipping away at Furman’s 25-point lead. With 5:21 remaining, Derrick Ellis, Jr. a foul shot, as the Saints made it a 71-58 contest following Ellis Jr.’s offering.

With mostly reserves in the lineup at the time to try and get them game experience and build depth prior to conference play, with the only starter on the floor at the time being Mike Bothwell, Furman subbed in Mounce, Hunter and Jalen Slawson to help the Paladins build back what once was  a comfortable cushion, eventually reaching the halftime margin by the time the final buzzer sounded. The Paladins held the Saints without a field goal for the final 6:51 of the game. 

That helped the Paladins close the game in strong fashion, as Furman put together a 15-3 run to close the game, which was sparked by Mounce’s only points of the second half—a three-pointer from the left corner on a feed from Joe Anderson with exactly five minutes remaining—and the Paladins assumed a 74-58 advantage, and the shot seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for any thoughts a comeback by the Saints. 

Mounce would score 18 of his team-high 21 points in the opening half. Mounce got into some foul trouble early on in the second half. 

Mounce was one of five Paladin players in double figures. He was joined by junior forward and fellow Lou Henson Award candidate Noah Gurley (17 pts, 5 rebs, 2 blks, 2 stls), Jaylon Pugh (15 pts), and Hunter (10 pts, 6 rebs, 5 asts, 3 stls). Pugh was 5-for-6 from three-point range off the bench, which marked a career-high, eclipsing his previous career-best performance of 11 points in an overtime loss to No. 13 Aubrun last December.

For the game, Furman held a 39-30 advantage on the boards and shot 50% (31-of-62) from the field, while holding the Saints to 42.6% (23-of-54) from the field. The Paladins also held advantages in points in the paint (38-34), points off turnovers (22-14), second-chance points (8-5), bench scoring (25-11), and fast-break points (6-2).

The win saw Furman improve to 5-1 overall on the season, while Flagler starts its season on Jan. 9 when it opens Peach Belt play against North Georgia in Daholonega.  Furman heads on the road, where it will face Alabama on the SEC Network for a nationally-televised contest Tuesday night. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m.