Furman set to face Wichita State in the NIT

For the first time since 1991, Furman was invited to play in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), and will host the Wichita State Wednesday night, with tip-off set 7 p.m. EST at Timmons Arena.

Wichita State forward Markis McDuffie

The Paladins will be the No. 3 seed, while the Shockers will be the No.6 seed. The winner will advance to play the winner between No. 2 Clemson and No. 7 Wright State.

Furman, which posted a 25-7 overall mark and a third-place finish in the Southern Conference (13-5), will take on a Wichita State that finished the season 19-14 and finished sixth overall (10-8) in the 12-team league. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs on the college basketball hardwood.

The appearance in the NIT will mark the Furman’s 11th postseason trip in school history, and the first since going to the Final Four of the CollegeInsider (CIT) Tournament before losing to eventual champion St. Peters (L, 51-77) back during the 2016-17 season.  

The 2019 tournament will mark the second appearance for the Paladins in the NIT, with that ‘91 appearance seeing the Paladins drop an 86-67 decision to West Virginia.

The Shockers return to the NIT for the first time since the 2011, when the Shockers won the NIT title, which is the only one in Wichita State history.

Overall, the Shockers hold an 8-11 record in 13 NIT appearances. That 2011 title team included an 82-75 win over former Southern Conference member College of Charleston at Koch Arena. The 2012-13 Shockers team captured national attention, making a run all the way to the Final Four.

Coaches:

Furman head coach Bob Richey is in his second season at the helm of the Furman basketball program, having posted a 48-18 record in two seasons, including helping the Paladins to a school-record 25 victories this season. Gregg Marshall is in his 12th season at the helm of the Shockers, and has a 305-112 record at Wichita State, and a 499-195 record in his 21st season overall as a head basketball coach. Marshall spent nine seasons in Rock Hill, S.C., at the helm of the Winthrop basketball program.

Players To Watch Wichita State:

There are some intriguing individual matchups set to go against each other in this matchup. Wichita State is different than what Furman sees in the Southern Conference, but there is one team the Shockers are most like according to Paladin head coach Bob Richey, and that team is East Tennessee State. Much of that has to do with the fact that ETSU head coach Steve Forbes was once an assistant under Gregg Marshall at Wichita State.

“I wouldn’t say there are mirrors in terms of this team looks exactly like this team in our league, but ETSU is probably the closest in terms in of just the size,” head coach Bob Richey said.

“They’ve got a lot of size on the interior...They’ve got three big post players that they're gonna rotate...They’ve got a stretch four that’s different in terms of what [Jeromy] Rodriguez does for ETSU and what [Markis] McDuffie does for Wichita State, but in terms how the teams play and how the team’s coached and the intensity in how they defend and the offensive rebounding and just goes to the boards...They really attack the offensive glass, so we’re going to have to do a good job there. They’re very good in transition offense just like East Tennessee State, so I think that would be the most in terms of similarities,” Richey added.

In the backcourt, the leading trio of guards are 6-0 senior Samajae Haynes-Jones (12.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG), 6-4 freshman Jamarius Burton (6.3 PPG, 3.4 APG) and 6-5 freshman Dexter Dennis (8.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG).

Haynes-Jones’ 12.1 PPG ranks second on the team in scoring average, and he dictates the flow of the offense for the Shockers. The Paladins probably haven’t met a team in the SoCon this season that have three guards that rebound collectively as well as Wichita State does.

The southpaw Haynes-Jones is one of the quickest guards the Paladins will have seen this season, although Samford’s Josh Sharkey and LSU’s Tremont Waters were probably good preppers for the senior from Wichita. Haynes-Jones has three 20-point performances this season.

Haynes-Jones and Dennis are the Shockers decent perimeter threats. Haynes-Jones has connected on 30.3% (60-of-198) from three-point range this season, while Dennis comes into the contest having knocked down 38.6% (44-of-114) from three-point land this season. Dennis was an AAC All-Freshman team selection.

The top player for the Shockers is Markis McDuffie (18.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG), who had one of his best performances of the season against the Temple Owls in the AAC Tournament, posting 34 points in the quarterfinal win. McDuffie has a unique skillset, as the senior has a litany of skills that can stretch a defense.The 6-8 forward is probably most comparable to Furman’s Noah Gurley, in that he has an excellent inside-outside game.

As a result of that skill-set, McDuffie will have a chance to play at a high level at the next level, whether that be in a good European league, or in the NBA. McDuffie had a 32-point effort early in the campaign in an 83-80 win over Providence. All told this season, McDuffie has registered double-figure scoring performances in 30 of 32 games this season for the Shockers.

Only Louisiana Tech and UConn managed to hold McDuffie under double digits this season. He’s averaging 22.3 PPG over his last three games for the Shockers.

McDuffie was voted a second-team All-ACC performer this season, and has increased his scoring average by 10 PPG this season. Prior to his senior season, he worked out with several NBA teams to gauge his draft status, but never retained an agent.

Like Dennis and Haynes-Jones, McDuffie can step out and shoot the three, and his 74 triples so far this season lead the Shockers this season. He’s shooting 34.7% from beyond the arc this season. His 603 points so far this season rank eighth-most in Wichita State history, and currently ranks fourth overall in the AAC in scoring average.

Rounding out the starting five for the Shockers will be 6-11 junior center Jaime Echenique (8.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG). The native of Amazon-based city Barranquilla, Colombia by way of Trinity Valley Community college in Athens, TX, has been a difference-maker in the paint for the Shockers this season.  His 5.8 blocks-per-game ranked fourth in the AAC in blocked shots this season, averaging 1.4 swats-per-contest, and he has registered a block in 14-straight games.

The Shockers’ top player off the bench this season has been freshman guard Erik Stevenson (6.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG). The 6-3 guard ranks second on the Shockers roster with 30 steals this season, and has seven double-figure scoring performances this season. He posted a career-high 21 points in a win over Rice back in November. He is shooting 28.1% (41-of-146) from downtown so far this season.

All told, the Shockers are averaging 70.7 PPG and allowing 69.2 PPG, and shoot the ball at a 40.6% from the field, including 31.0% from three-point range, while limiting opponents to 42.1% shooting from the field, including 33.8% from three-point range. The Shockers come in having won 11 of their past 14 games.

Players To Watch Furman:

Furman heads into its first appearance in the NIT since 1991 continuing to be led by senior forward Matt Rafferty (17.2 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 61.7 FG%, 4.3 APG, 2.5 SPG), who will be looking to extend his career as a Paladin with a postseason win Wednesday night over the Shockers.

Rafferty has been a major key to Furman’s school-record 25 wins this season, and his 15-point and career-high 17 rebounds in the early-season, 76-68, overtime win over defending national champion Villanova helped the Paladins grabbed the attention of college basketball.

In the Southern Conference Tournament, Rafferty injured his hand in the Paladins’ quarterfinal round win over Mercer, and in the semifinal loss to UNC Greensboro, managed to post a 17-point, 10-rebound performance despite not being 100%. Rafferty is 100% healthy heading into Thursday night’s showdown with Wichita State. He’s part of a senior class that has amassed a 90-45 record during his Furman career, which is a school-record for Furman in four-year span.

Rafferty’s 79 steals this season are a single-season school record, and he finished the season ranking third in the SoCon in steals-per-game (2.5 SPG). Rafferty was recently ranked as the 34th best player in college basketball by Sports Illustrated, and he ranks in the Top five in the SoCon in eight different categories. He was a consensus First-Team All-SoCon selection.

Teaming with Rafferty in the paint will be Clay Mounce (10.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and Noah Gurley (8.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG), who have been key to helping the Paladin success this season. Mounce has come on as one of the most-improved players in the Southern Conference, while Gurley has a unique skill-set that should make him an potentially attractive as a next level prospect as he furthers his career at Furman.

Gurley was voted to the SoCon’s All-Freshman team, and has scored in double figures in 13 games this season, posting a career-high 19 points in a mid-February home triumph over VMI. As a perimeter threat this season, the redshirt freshman from Fayetteville, GA, is shooting 31.7% (33-of-104) from long range this season.

Mounce had a pair of 26-point performances this season, as he did so in non-conference wins over Gardner-Webb and UNC Wilmington. When Mounce has played well, it’s been a real key to Furman’s offensive efficiency and overall team performance. Mounce, a redshirt sophomore, is one of the team’s top perimeter shooters, knocking down 42.5% (51-of-120) from three-point range this season.

The Paladin backcourt will be led by sophomore guard Alex Hunter (9.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.3 APG) and junior shooting guard Jordan Lyons (16.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG). Hunter has come into his own this season as Furman’s point guard after seeing only about 14 minutes-per-game as a freshman last season.

Hunter’s consistency and care with the basketball have been key elements of the Paladins offensive success and efficiency this season. The Raleigh, N.C. native finished the season ranking seventh overall in the SoCon in assists (3.3 APG), and leads the SoCon in assists-turnover ratio (2.9). Hunter has a pair of double-doubles this season, and is shooting 37.2% (58-of-156) from three-point range this season.

Lyons has had a record-setting season for the Paladins so far this season. He tied the NCAA single-game record with 15 triples in a game earlier this season in a win over North Greenville, and has already shattered the single-season three-point field goals mark, which was previously set at 88 by Anthony Thomas back in the 2001-02 campaign, and Lyons already has 101 treys this season.

The junior from Peachtree City, GA, is shooting 34.5% (101-of-293) from long range this season, and with 14 points vs the Shockers on Thursday night, will become the 45th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone in a career.

The top player off the bench for the Paladins is senior shooting guard Andrew Brown (7.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG), who on March 20, 2018, survived life-threatening complications due to a perforated intestine during surgery for a hernia. Six years ago today, Brown survived a stroke. Earlier this summer, Brown broke his foot and then re-fractured against Loyola Chicago in the second game of the season.

Brown is Furman’s most efficient outside threat, and has connected on 44.1% (43-of-103) from three-point land this season.

Wofford's 2019 NCAA Tournament Profile

Wofford reserve freshman point guard Storm Murphy

For the fifth time in the past 10 seasons, Wofford is dancing in the NCAA Tournament. The Terriers, who knocked off No. 2 seed UNC Greensboro, 70-58, in the championship game of the 99th edition of the Southern Conference Tournament, will open the NCAA Tournament as the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Regional on Thursday against tenth-seeded Seton Hall (20-13) in a game set for 9:40 EST on CBS.

Wofford has never won an NCAA Tournament game (0-4). The No. 7 seed attained by Wofford is the best seed attained by a Southern Conference team in the NCAA Tournament since 1979 and it is the best seed the SoCon has ever received since the NCAA Tournament moved to 64 teams in 1985.

The Terriers will be looking to end the Jacksonville curse, having lost twice in the River City by a combined seven points in two of their four previous NCAA appearances. Perhaps the third time will be a charm against No. 10 Seton Hall Thursday night.

Season Recap:
The Terriers completed one of the best runs in the Southern Conference history and enter the 2019 NCAA Tournament riding the nation’s longest winning streak, having won a school-record 20-straight games and sporting the program’s first national ranking, at No. 19 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, respectively.

The Terriers, to the surprise of many, were the only qualifier from an unusually strong Southern Conference in the 2018-19 season, as Wofford raced through the 11th strongest conference of 32 NCAA Division I basketball conferences, having posted a 29-4 overall record and a perfect 18-0 mark in conference play.

The Terriers became just the third team in the 100-year history of the league to complete the season at 16-0 in or better in league play, and were the first to race through both the league and tournament since the 2007-08 Davidson Wildcats, which was led by Stephen Curry and went all the way to the Elite Eight before bowing out to eventual NCAA national champion Kansas (L, 57-59). Davidson posted a 20-0 record in conference play that particular season. It could be argued it best the best season by any team in the history of the Southern Conference history.

An opening round over Seton Hall would give the Terriers 30 wins over the first time in school history, and would be the first team to reach 30 wins in the SoCon since the 1950-51 N.C. State Wolfpack, and just the third in conference history.

Wofford went out and challenged itself during the non-conference, taking on the likes of No. 8 North Carolina (L, 67-78), at Oklahoma (L, 64-75), at South Carolina (W, 81-61), at No. 2 Kansas (L, 47-72) and at No. 17 Mississippi State (L, 87-98).

In conference play, the Terriers were only challenged on a few occasions, posting an average margin of victory of 16.9 PPG in league games. In mid-January, Wofford needed overtime to get a 107-106 win over Samford, which is a team it trailed for much of the night on its home floor. In early Jan., Mercer came to Wofford with thoughts of an upset on its mind before a late four-point play by three-point marksman Fletcher Magee allowed head coach Mike Young’s Terriers escape with a 78-74 win.

On Jan. 19, Furman, which also earned its first-ever ranking the AP Top 25 earlier this season following wins over Loyola Chicago and Villanova, came to Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium and threw a scare into the Terriers, however, Wofford held on for a thrilling 59-54 win. Of its 18 Southern Conference regular-season contests, the Terriers only had five single-digit margins of victory, with Furman accounting for two of them.

In the final month of the regular-season, the Terriers had only one major scare, and that came on Feb. 7, as the Terriers went on the road and were able to sweat out a 78-76 overtime win over East Tennessee State. It was a win that saw Wofford’s two top guns—senior guard Fletcher Magee and senior forward Cameron Jackson—combine for 52 of the team’s 78 points in getting the win. A late Magee three helped the Terriers take a 75-73 lead with 31 seconds remaining, and after the Terrier defense forced an ETSU miss, Magee closed out the contest at the line, as Wofford was able to steal a two-point win on the road.

The most impressive performances by the Terriers during the regular-season came against preseason favorite and reigning champion UNC Greensboro, as the Terriers took down the league favorites by 29 and 30 points, respectively. The 72-43 win by Wofford at UNCG back in January ended the Spartans’ school-record 17-game homecort winning streak.

In the Southern Conference Tournament, the Terriers posted wins over VMI (W, 99-72), ETSU (W, 81-72) and UNC Greensboro (70-58) to lift their first conference tournament title trophy since 2015.

Coming into the 2018-19 campaign, Wofford was the consensus No. 2 pick in the preseason Southern Conference polls, which were conducted back in mid-October. The Terriers came into the season with all five starters returning from a club that won 21 games and made a CIT appearance last season.

Past NCAA Tournament Results: (0-4)
2010: Wisconsin, L 49-53 (Jacksonville, FL/East Regional)

2011: BYU, L 66-74 (Denver, CO/Southeast Regional)

2014: Michigan, L 40-57 (Milwaukee, WI/Midwest Regional)

2015: Arkansas, L 53-56 (Jacksonville, FL/West Regional)

--The Southern Conference has not won an NCAA Tournament game since 2008, when Davidson made its run to the Elite Eight. The league has had some success in the tournament in years past, however, with Chattanooga going all the way to the Sweet Sixteen back in 1997, while VMI made the Elite Eight in 1976. The SoCon is 31-76 (29.0%) all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Players to Watch:
If you’ve been paying attention to our website the past three years, you know who Fletcher Magee is (20.5 PPG, 151-of-353 from three-point range/42.8%). He’s quite simply one of the best players in not only mid-major college basketball, but at any level of college basketball. His 151 triples leads all of NCAA Division I college basketball.

Magee won’t be playing too far from his central Florida home of Orlando, where it would be hard to imagine family and friends not making the short two-hour and 15-minute drive to see if the senior sharp-shooter try and make history. With three three-pointers in the opening round vs. Seton Hall, Magee would be the all-time NCAA career leader in three-pointers made, with 505 in his career. He was surpass former Oakland standout and sharp-shooter Travis Bader. Magee has been the Southern Conference Player of the Year each of the past two seasons, and was a consensus pick in 2018-19.

Magee isn’t the only weapon that head coach Mike Young has at his disposal in the Wofford backcourt, however. As a team, Wofford is one of the ball extremely well from the perimeter, highlighted by guards Nathan Hoover (13.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 84-of-184 from three-point range/45.7%) and point guard Storm Murphy (8.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 47-of-97 from three-point range/48.5%).

Hoover dropped 30 points in a game in a win at South Carolina earlier this season, while Storm Murphy hit two critical game-winning shots in wins over Samford and Furman earlier this season. As a team, the Terriers have been tough to handle from long-range all season, connecting on 42.0% (357-of-851), which ranks second in the NCAA this season.Tray Hollowell (5.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 41-of-99 from three-point range/41.4%) and Ryan Larson (3.2 PPG, 1.3 RPG) are solid role players off the bench, with Hollowell being an excellent shooter and Larson being wise beyond his years in maturity handling the basketball at the point.

In the paint, senior First Team All-SoCon Cameron Jackson (14.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG) is one of the top big men in mid-major basketball, and has been a major catalyst for Wofford’s success in this historic season. Add to that Keve Aluma (6.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG) and College of Charleston transfer Chevez Goodwin (4.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG), and all the ingredients are in place for a good run in the NCAA Tournament. Add to that senior center Matthew Pegram (5.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG), and his toughness and ability to step out and hit the occasional outside shot, you have a complete, connected team that all know their respective roles and share the basketball well.

Final Prediction:
With three players shooting well over 40% from three-point range, and a player in Cameron Jackson that shoots nearly 60% (58.1%) from the field, it’s pick your poison with Wofford. It’s why Wofford will have a great chance to win its first-ever NCAA Tournament game against Seton Hall, and with the right shooting night, a potential second round nightmare for the second-seeded Kentucky Wildcats. One of the things that makes Wofford such a difficult out is how well it takes care of the basketball.

A four-point deficit against the Terriers can often seem like a double-digit deficit because if you don’t capitalize on the few mistakes the Terriers do make, their highly efficient offense and their ability to shoot the three, they will make you pay dearly. Enjoy picking your bracket, and note the Terriers will be and should be a trendy upset pick in your bracket given the uncanny strength of the SoCon in 2018-19.

Quotable:
“We went to Portugal this summer, and those practices were invaluable for us,” head coach Mike Young said. “I’ve said many many times, if you’re looking for easy don’t come here [Wofford] . They're challenged academically and they are in class everyday. I love the caliber of recruit I can get here you know...Life’s too short to be surrounded by knuckleheads, he added.”

The summer trip to the Iberian Peninsula, and the type of grueling academic work ethic, and the work ethic that Young demands is the kind of thing that pays off for mid-majors in the off-season, and may well pay off for Wofford in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

Wofford finishes off SoCon perfection Monday night

Wofford senior forward Cam Jackson

ASHEVILLE, N.C.--Greatness has been defined by the likes of UNC Greensboro (28-6), Furman (25-7) and East Tennessee State (24-9) in Southern Conference basketball this season, however, only one team could claim perfection against everyone in a season unlike any other in the league’s 100-year basketball history, and that team was the 20th ranked Wofford Terriers (29-4).

For a team already 20-0 against its Southern Conference brethren and 2-0 against UNCG with victories by 29 and 30 points, respectively, over the Spartans already this season, the game was in doubt for most of the 40 minutes of basketball action Monday night.

In fact, the UNCG Spartans led for 33:23 of Monday night’s championship contest, but when the confetti finally fell at the end of the night, the scoreboard read, Wofford 70, UNCG 58, in front of what was a raucous sellout crowd of 6,400 at the US Cellular Center.

Despite trailing most of the night, Wofford showed the poise of a champion. It was the perfect way to end one of the best single season's turned in by one team in Southern Conference history. After all, the league came into the night with a NET ranking of No. 10 out of 32 conferences in college basketball, and Monday night’s win by the Terriers marked its 21st-straight against league competition. It’s the most conse

For head coach Mike Young, who is now in his 17th season as the head coach of the Wofford Terriers, he won his fifth league title in the past decade, and improved to 5-0 all-time in SoCon title games. For Young, he admits the journey hasn’t always been easy.

He reflected on just what it meant to win his fifth league crown in just the last 10 years, and if he could have ever imagined the Terriers would be the 20th ranked team in the country and cutting down the nets following a perfect season in a uniquely powerful SoCon. He mentions how the winning and standard to be elite in the SoCon has created some pressure.

“ I’d be less than honest with you if I told you I envisioned all this,” head coach Mike Young said. “It’s been gradual. But it’s all about players. Anyone can coach this bunch.”

“It’s been gradual. We weren’t very good early in my time...2002 I wasn’t very good but got a little bit better. I think back to [Noah] Dahlman and [Tim] Johnson and that 2010 team and that mountain and it hasn’t been all ice cream and rainbows since that time but this is five of them and that is five in 10 years and three different teams. The [Karl] Cochran, [Lee] Skinner, C.J. Neuman and [Eric] Garcia era and there’s pressure now. There just is and those guys are coming through in the summer and that’s not comfortable and this was very important to Cameron [Jackson], Fletcher [Magee] and Matthew [Pegram]to do it and now they have.”

For Wofford, the 29th win was also its 20th in a row, as the Terriers improved to 29-4 win the victory and remained undefeated in the new year. The 29 wins eclipsed the previous wins high water mark for the Wofford basketball program achieved by the 2014-15 outfit, which finished 28-7 following an opening round, 56-53, defeat against Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament. Wofford, who has been projected as high as a No. 7 seed by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, will find out its NCAA fate at 6 p.m. Sunday evening when the NCAA pairings are released on CBS. The 20-straight wins is the sixth-longest streak in Southern Conference history.

Monday night’s win for Wofford had a different feel to it, and it was thanks in large part to the effort brought by defending champion UNCG, as Wes Miller’s club was not interested in going quietly into the cool, brisk Asheville night. The 28-win Spartans were a worthy title competitor. While talented All-American guard and Southern Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player Fletcher Magee has been the catalyst to the Wofford perfection all season, it was Memphis, TN native and junior guard Nathan Hoover, who stepped up and led the charge for the Terriers in a tense championship battle Monday night.

With UNCG leading 55-50 with 5:41 remaining following a jumper by Spartan freshman guard Angelo Allegri, it would be Hoover who took over with his play on both ends to help will inject enthusiasm into the Terriers, and help will them past the Spartans. It was a spurt that we often see championship games by good teams in college basketball. With the Terriers trailing by five, Hoover scored eight-straight points to turn a five-point deficit for Wofford into a three-point lead. He started by connecting on a jumper, and followed three-pointer from the right elbow and three free throws after being fouled by UNCG star guard Francis Alonso on another perimeter attempt, giving the Terriers a 58-55 advantage with 3:22 left.

Wofford would eventually extend that advantage to 62-55 after four free throws by Magee and Hoover, with the final two charity shots being set up by Hoover’s play on the defensive end, as he jumped in front of a Demetrius Troy pass only to be fouled by talented Spartan sophomore guard Isaiah Miller. Hoover’s two free throws put Wofford ahead seven (62-55) with 2:14 left. A layup by Keve Aluma and a pair of made foul shots by Jackson extended Wofford’s lead to its largest all night, at 66-55, with a little over a minute remaining. Hoover’s scoring spurt ignited what would turn out to be a pivotal 16-0 run over 4:33 stretch, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the basketball game.

“I know I have to bring energy every time, that’s my main goal,” junior guard Nathan Hoover said. “I might score 20 or I might score zero, but as long as we get the win that’s all I care about.”

“We’re in a bad place and then Nathan hit a big three for us,” head coach Mike Young said of his junior guard. “He hit eight foul shots. He was just phenomenal and he put us on his shoulders tonight.”

Ignited by the play of Hoover’s 20 second-half points, the Terriers ended the game on a 20-3 run. It was a nearly six-minute masterpiece of basketball by Wofford against a good UNCG team, which showed why Wofford is the class of Southern Conference basketball and legitimately one of the best 20 teams in the country.

Matching Hoover for team-high scoring honors was Magee, who also dropped 20 points, while Jackson added 15 and a team-best seven boards. UNCG got a game-high 21 points from Francis Alonso, while backcourt mate Isaiah Miller added 19 points and a pair of steals.

It will be interesting to see just where the Terriers land Sunday, and if any other SoCon teams join them in the field of 68.

Samford and VMI move on to Saturday

ASHEVILLE, N.C.—Bubba Parham recorded a career-high 41 points and posted the highest point total since TJ Cromer scored 41 points for East Tennessee State two years ago in a SoCon semifinal matchup with Samford, as No. 8 VMI captured a 96-83 opening game win over No. 9 Western Carolina at the 2019 Ingles Southern Conference Tournament at the US Cellular Center.

VMI center Jake Stephens

The win means that VMI (11-20) move into tomorrow’s noon quarterfinal clash with top-seeded and SoCon unbeaten Wofford (26-4). Western Carolina’s season comes to an end with a final mark of 7-25 in head coach Mark Prosser’s first year in charge. The win for VMI marked its first in the tournament since 2003, when the Keydets made a run all the way to the semifinals of the tournament.

The 2003 tournament saw the Keydets win games over Furman (63-56) and then shocked No. 1 seed Davidson (W, 66-60) before eventually falling to Chattanooga (L, 58-77) in the semifinals. Led by Radee Skipworth, VMI made one of the more memorable Cinderella runs in the SoCon Tournament back in that 2003 edition, which was played at the North Charleston Coliseum and eventually won by East Tennessee State.

The story of the night was the guard play for the Keydets, as a trio of backcourt teammates combined for 75 of the team’s 96 points in the SoCon Tournament opening victory.

Parham finished his historic night against the Catamounts, connecting on 9-of-16 shots from the field, including going 6-for-8 from three-point range. Also having a big night for the Keydets was Sarju Patel, who finished with 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, which included a 4-of-6 from the three-point land and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

Garrett Gilkeson rounded out the trio of starting guards that accounted for all but 21 of the Keydet points, as he posted 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field, and 1-for-4 from long range.

Not to be outdone were Western Carolina’s Carlos Dotson (27 pts, 13 rebs) and Kameron Gibson (23 pts), as both finished off outstanding inaugural seasons in the Purple and Gold.

Dotson, a junior transfer from Central Florida Junior College, finished out his first season as a Catamount by connecting on 9-of-16 shots from the field and 9-of-12 from the line. It marked his 13th double-double of the season, and the 27 points tied a career-high for Dotson, which he also established earlier this season against Furman.

Both teams came out shooting the basketball well in the opening minutes of the second half prior to the first media timeout, with Gibson opening the half with a three for the Catamounts, giving the Catamounts a brief lead, however, five-straight points from Myles Lewis and Sarju Patel, extending the Keydets lead to four (50-46), and the Keydets took a 53-48 lead into the first media timeout of the second half.

Following the first media timeout, a bucket by the Catamounts made it 53-50, but the Keydets began to flex their muscles and show why they were one of the hotter teams coming into the 2019 Southern Conference Tournament, using a 10-0 run to assume a 13-point (63-50) lead, capped by a Garrett Gilkeson three-point play the old-fashioned way. That’s the way the score would remain heading into the second media of the second half.

The Catamounts would respond, however, using an 8-2 spurt to get the deficit back under 10, slicing VMI’s lead to seven on a Dotson rebound and put-back, however, Dotson picked up his fourth foul on the other end.

Following a pair of free throws from Parham, a Gibson jumper kept it at seven (67-60) and prompted a VMI timeout with 8:26 remaining. Off the timeout, Stephens nailed a three to extend the Keydet lead back to double digits.

VMI led 70-60, with 7:41 to play. That lead remained ten (81-71) at the final media timeout, with 4:15 left, and grew to as many, with Parham scoring eight of 11 points during the stretch, as his monster night continued.

The Keydets closed out the game by knocking down its foul shots, never letting the Catamounts to get closer than seven points over the final five minutes of the game. 

Gibson led the Catamounts in the opening half of play offensively, posting a team-high 10 points, while Dotson chipped in with nine points and four boards. VMI’s Bubba Parham led all scorers in the opening half of play, posting 15 of his 41 points in the opening half of play, as the Keydets took a 41-39 lead into the halftime locker room.

The Catamounts shot 46.9% in the opening half of play, while the Keydets connected on 45.2% from the field in the opening frame. VMI connected on eight first-half threes, and finished the half connecting on a solid 44.4% shots from long range.

“Bubba has shown throughout the year that he knows how to score the ball. He’s doing a good job on knowing when to distribute and when to score. He’s making really good decisions. Sarju Patel is playing his best basketball, just a phenomenal game from him as well,” VMI head coach Dan Earl said.

For the game, VMI sizzled from both the charity stripe and the three-point line, thanks in large part to the performances by both Parham and Patel. 

Samford point guard Josh Sharkey

The Keydets shot 83.3% (25-of-30) from the line, including going 20-for-24 from the line in the second half, and also shot a season-high 51.7% (15-of-29) from three-point land. That led to a substantial advantage from the Catamounts in the paint, finishing with a 28-10 advantage in that category.

In the second game of the night, No. 7 Samford took advantage of a short-handed tenth-seeded Citadel club, as the visitors from Birmingham picked a solid 100-71 Southern Conference Tournament opening round win.

The win means Samford improves to 17-15 overall and moves on to the quarterfinal of the Ingles Southern Conference Tournament presented by General Shale, facing No. 2 UNC Greensboro in a game slated for a 2:30 p.m. tip-off Saturday afternoon at the US Cellular Center. The loss saw The Citadel conclude its season with a 12-18 overall record.

Less than 24 hours before its Southern Conference opener, The Citadel would receive a big blow, when it was learned senior graduate transfer guard and the SoCon’s third-leading scorer Lew Stallworth (20.2 PPG) was declared academically ineligible for the Southern Conference Tournament due to a mis-communication regarding a dropped class.

Without Stallworth, the Bulldogs had to employ the services of true freshman point guard Jerry Higgins III, who showed flashes of brilliance at times and a promising future, but lacked the maturity and know-how of a Stallworth.

Samford was led in the contest by Alabama transfer Brandon Austin, who poured in 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, including going 6-of-12 from long range. He was also 4-for-4 from the line and grabbed seven rebounds.

Austin was one of five Samford players in double figures in the contest, and was joined by Josh Sharkey (16 pts, 8 assts, 2 stls), Myron Gordon (15 pts, 4 assts), Ruben Guerrero (12 pts, 8 rebs), and Robert Allen (11 pts, 8 rebs). Sharkey’s eight assists set the Samford new single-season school record, at 232, breaking Christen Cunningham’s former single-season mark of 225 set back in the 2016-17 season.

The Citadel was paced by senior center Zane Najdawi, who posted 15 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and a steal playing in his final game for The Citadel. It was Najdawi’s seventh double-double of the season. In his first start of the season, Higgins III finished with 12 points and six assists, while
Alex Reed’s 10 points rounded out the double-figure scorers for The Citadel.

Samford led most of the way en route to victory, leading for 38:03 of the 40 minutes of game action. The Citadel was never able to find its cutting edge offensively without Lew Stallworth in the lineup, but things were good early on in the contest, as Kaiden Rice’s jumper got The Citadel within two, at 24-22, with 11 minutes remaining in the opening half of play.

However, Samford would break open in the game from this point and went on a 13-4 run to take command of the contest, as the Samford lead swelled to 11 points following a Myron Gordon jumper with 4:33 remaining in the opening half of play. That run would eventually reach 19-4, as Samford senior center Ruben Guerrero slammed it home to make it a 43-26 game with 2:36 remaining in the opening half of play. The Bulldogs took a 45-30 lead into the halftime locker room.

In the second half, it was more of the same from Samford, as the Bulldogs from Birmingham would increase their lead to 20 or more points three times over the final 20 minutes of basketball, with the Samford lead only dipping below 20 points for the final time on a Jerry Higgins III jumper with 4:52 remaining, which cut The Citadel’s deficit to 19, at 84-65.

However, a dunk by Guerrero off an alley-oop from Austin and a three-pointer by Austin off a Samford steal saw the lead balloon back to 24, at 89-65, with 4:04 to play. The Bulldogs were able to close out the night with an emphatic 29-point win.

Samford finished the game shooting a blistering 60.7% from the field for the game, while holding The Citadel to just 38.4% for the contest.

Quarterfinal Session 1 Notes:

--Wofford won a pair of contests vs. VMI during the regular-season, claiming a 90-76 win in Lexington, and a 95-84 win in Spartanburg.

--UNC Greensboro claimed both regular-season meetings against Samford, posting an 83-75 in late December, and 75-67 at UNC Greensboro in early February.

--Wofford has won 12-straight against VMI heading into Saturday afternoon’s quarterfinal matchup. The last VMI win in the series came on Feb. 10, 2001, as the Keydets posted an 68-60 win at Cameron Hall in Lexington, VA.

--Mike Young is 12-0 all-time vs. VMI, with the last time the Keydets won being the final season for Richard Johnson as the head coach.

Furman avenges late January loss to Samford

Furman junior guard Jordan Lyons

Furman recorded its school record 23rd regular-season win, as the Paladins had each of their starting five players score in double figures en route to a 90-81 Southern Conference win over Samford Thursday night at the Pete Hanna Center.

With the win, Furman improved to 23-6 overall and 12-5 in Southern Conference action, while Samford dropped to 16-14 overall and 6-11 in league action. Furman's 23 wins also ties the school record--regular-season and postseason--which has been achieved three other times in program history, including each of the two previous seasons. The 1979-80 Paladins, which was the last to visit the NCAA Tournament, also claimed 23 victories.

Furman was led by a pair of double-doubles, as Matt Rafferty registered 15 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore point guard Alex Hunter added 15 points and 10 boards to lead the Paladins to the school record-tying win.

For Rafferty, a senior from Hinsdale, Ill, it was his 14th double-double of the season, while Hunter picked up his second of the campaign. Rafferty also added six assists, a steal and a block, while Hunter added a pair of helpers and a swipe.

The Paladins were led in scoring by junior guard Jordan Lyons' 17-point effort. Lyons more than doubled his total of eight points, which he totaled in that 75-73 loss to Samford a month ago at Timmons Arena. He finished the night connecting on 2-of-7 shots from the field, which both came from beyond the arc to extend his single-season record to 91 triples this season, and he was a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe.

Clay Mounce (15 pts) and Noah Gurley (11 pts) rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Paladins, while Andrew Brown narrowly missed double figures off the bench, finishing with nine points.

The Paladins used a 15-0 run spanning two halves to take control of the game for good, despite having to weather a furious Bulldog rally down the stretch. Mounce and Hunter scored the final six points of the opening half on a pair of three-pointers, as the Paladins took a 50-35 lead into the Pete Hanna Center locker room.

To open the second half, it was more of the same, as the Paladins opened the frame with a 9-0 run on a triple and layup by Lyons, a pair of free throws by Gurley, and a Hunter made jumper, which prompted a Samford timeout by head coach Scott Padgett, and staked the Paladins to their largest lead of the night at 24 points, as the Paladins led 59-35 with 15:48 remaining.

Samford would attempt to make things interesting down the stretch, however, the Paladins never let their lead be trimmed beyond nine points. A Myron Gordon layup with 2:23 remaining (76-67), a Kevion Nolan three-pointer with 23 seconds left (86-77) and a Brandon Austin made jumper as time expired (90-81) were the only three times the Bulldogs were able to trim the game to nine points inside the final 15 minutes of the contest.

Furman was an impressive 18-for-18 from the charity stripe in the second half alone, and finished the contest an impressive 23-of-24 for the night from the line. The Paladins connected on an impressive 50% (27-of-54) of their shots for the game, while going 46.4% (13-of-28) from beyond the arc. The Paladins' cumulative shooting performance was highlighted by an opening 20 minutes of play, which saw the Paladins sizzle the nets to the tune of a 58.1% (18-of-31) clip, including a 52.9% (9-of-17) from beyond the arc.

Samford was limited to 39.1% (27-of-69) from the field for the game, including just 37.0% (10-of-27) from three-point range. The Bulldogs did out-score the Paladins 46-40 in the second half. The Paladins, who only forced nine turnovers in the contest, made the most of the Samford miscues by netting 25 points. Samford, which forced 13 Paladin miscues, could only muster 15 points off those Furman turnovers.

Aside from out-scoring Samford, 25-15, in the points-off-turnovers category, the Paladins also recorded advantages in fast-break points (4-2) and assists (15-8). The Bulldogs notched advantages in bench scoring (45-34) and total rebounds (37-35). Both teams finished even in points in the paint (34-34) and second-chance points (13-13).

Furman will look for its school-record 24th win Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale at Chattanooga, with a 2 p.m. tip-off slated for McKenzie Arena. Samford will welcome No. 24 Wofford to the Hanna Center Saturday to close out its regular-season. Tip-off for that contest is slated for 4 p.m. EST.

Furman ends UNC Greensboro's eight-game winning streak

Following Furman’s 59-54 loss at Wofford in mid-January, Terrier head coach Mike Young said something simple, yet profound.

“This is a good basketball team, believe me. Not one of the other three has had had to go to play at East Tennessee State, at UNC Greensboro, and had to come to us yet except Furman,” Young said after the Furman game on Jan. 19.

Head coach Bob Richey echoed a similar sentiment to that of Young had hinted at following conference losses to UNCG, ETSU and Wofford on the road in the first time through conference play, urging his young team to not get down on itself, despite the media questioning just how good Furman was following the minor swoon last month.

You’ll find that good coaches in this profession can provide far greater perspective about the broader picture of a college basketball season than sometimes the hyper-focused, in-the-moment media can.

“I told our team that this team was going to turn in favor and that we just had to wait for it when people were starting to get down on us after a couple of losses,” Richey said.

“I think this group’s physicality and toughness has been questioned by a couple of people,” Richey added. “You don’t hold teams that are that good offensively under 60 without being physical and tough.”

Furman (21-5, 10-4 SoCon) needed to make another statement at Timmons Arena against another good opponent similar to Saturday’s win over ETSU. After all, the UNCG (22-4, 11-2 SoCon) Spartans had claimed four-straight against the Paladins. The Paladins did it with another strong defensive effort, downing UNCG, 67-57, Thursday night at Timmons Arena.

No doubt, it wasn’t easy for Furman to pick up its 50th win at Timmons Arena since the start of the 2015-16 season, including its 30th against SoCon competition. UNCG had accounted for two of Furman’s home losses to SoCon span over the past three seasons.

“Coach Richey did a great job of telling us and getting it in our minds that anything that happened in the past is irrelevant and that we have to do is focus on tonight and focus on the task at hand,” junior guard Jordan Lyons said.

Lyons and senior forward Matt Rafferty carried the offensive load for the Paladins in the first half, scoring 24 of the team’s 27 opening-half points, as the Paladins managed to take a 27-25 lead into the locker room.

It was a big half of basketball for the junior guard from Peachtree City, GA, as he scored 15 of his 22 points in the opening half of play, while the second half belonged to Rafferty, who 15 of his 24 in the second half. Rafferty added 10 boards for his 12th double-double of the season, and also recorded five steals. All told, Lyons and Rafferty accounted for 48 of Furman’s 67 points.

Clinging to just a two-point halftime lead, there was the feeling that at some point, the Paladins were going to have to weather a run by UNCG in the second half.

The Spartans showed their championship mettle with just over 12 minutes remaining, and Furman holding on to a 36-34 lead. It would spark an 8-0 run by UNCG, with a pair of three-pointers by sophomore guard Isaiah Miller, and a steal and a layup by Francis Alonso, suddenly staking the Spartans to a 42-36 lead, and prompting a Bob Richey timeout with 11:52 remaining.

Furman’s response was direct and to the point. Get Matt Rafferty touches. The timeout by Richey was meant to get the pace back to the way Furman wanted it, and more importantly, get Rafferty touches.

“There were also four, five or six trips where Matt didn’t touch it. So in the timeout, it was, ‘take care of the basketball and make sure our big fella gets it.’ I think we did that from that point forward and played a much cleaner game,” Richey said.

Rafferty answered Richey’s instructions off the timeout, connecting on a left elbow triple, cutting the Spartans’ lead in half, at 42-39, with 11:25 left.

Back-to-back misses on a layup by Kyrin Galloway and a three-pointer led to four more Rafferty points off layups, and all the sudden it was UNCG’s Wes Miller forced to take a timeout and Furman had a 43-42 lead with 9:52 remaining.

It was the turning point of the game. Furman would never relinquish its lead from that point forward in the contest. In, the Paladins would increase their to nine, at 57-48, following a Noah Gurley three-pointer with 4:10 left, and it was all part of a 21-14 run by the Paladins.

UNCG would have one charge left in it, however. Following a layup by Gurley, the Paladins led 59-50 with 3:13 left. A Demetrius Troy three-pointer and a Miller layup following a pair of Furman empty possessions got it back to a four-point deficit, at 59-55, with 2:15 left. Furman scored the next five points over the next 1:30 of game action to put the game away.

Richey’s club has now reeled off five-straight, and is trending upwards. The Paladins are starting to capture some of that attention they lost in the mid-major and national sports media. The Paladins were a bit of an afterthought for some after losses to ETSU (79-56), UNC Greensboro (89-79), and Wofford (59-54).

In truth, the Southern Conference’s top four teams were 82-19 coming into tonight’s games, which is comparable to the top four in any conference throughout the nation.

The Spartans, which had won eight-straight coming into tonight’s clash, were facing their toughest portion of the conference slate with their upstate swing to face a pair of 20-win teams.

Add to that the defending champions, who are chasing SoCon unbeaten Wofford down the stretch for top spot in the SoCon, and there was a slight bit of pressure coming into games against red-hot Furman and Wofford.

Despite some uncharacteristic turnovers, which were forced by Furman’s stout defensive effort, the Spartans were able to keep the game in front of them at crucial times.

This game was far different than the ETSU last Saturday for the Paladins, which saw the Paladins shoot percentage drop from 64%, last Saturday in a win over ETSU to just 43.1% Thursday night. This was a grinder. It was a phyiscal war.

UNCG had been 14-0 this when holding foes to less than 45% shooting from the field coming into the showdown in Greenville, but emerged 14-1. Meanwhile, Furman limited the Spartans to just 35.5% shooting from the floor.

The uptick for Furman on the defensive end has been noticeable over the past month. Over the past eight games, Furman is allowing just 59.8 PPG, holding four of those opponents to less than 60 points during that span, and all but one foe to less than 70 points.

Furman’s defensive performance Thursday night could be summed up by the play of redshirt freshman forward Noah Gurley, who posted just seven points, but finished with a career-high five blocks and four boards to highlight the Paladins’ defensive effort.

Furman had just five players score in the contest. Gurley’s progression as a defender and shot-blocker has noticeable.

“I’ve been trying to focus more on not fouling and just trying to let guys try and score over my length and I find that’s very effective and that’s one of the focuses that coaches have been working on with me lately,” redshirt freshman forward Noah Gurley said.

Miller, who had a career-high 25 points against the Paladins in the first meeting, was held scoreless in the opening half and finished with 16 points. Miller was one of four players in double figures in the loss. Furman’s defensive effort also limited Alonso, who averaged better than 17 ppg coming into the contest, to just 10 Thursday night.

The past couple of games the Paladins have done a nice job of turning opponent miscues into points, posting a 27-18 advantage off 16 ETSU turnovers on Saturday, and finished Thursday night with a 15-12 edge off an uncharacteristic 17 UNCG miscues.

The Spartans came in with the best assist/turnover ratio in the Southern Conference and one of the best in the nation, and the 17 forced turnovers by the Paladins were a season-high for UNCG.

Meanwhile, Furman, which saw a season-high 22 turnovers turned into 26 UNCG points in the loss to the Spartans last month, turned it over just 13 times Thursday night, surrendering just 12 points.

In years past, this league has been won with defense. I think about the John Kresse-led College of Charleston team of 1998-99, which gave up just 59.2 PPG to rank eighth nationally, or the 2017-18 Wes Miller-led UNCG team that surrendered just 62.5 PPG to rank fifth nationally in points allowed. If the Paladins continue their current trend on the defensive end, they’ll be right there in Asheville with a chance to make their first NCAA Tournament in 39 years.

Following Saturday’s game vs. VMI slated for 4 p.m. at Timmons Arena, Furman will have a week off to prepare for its showdown with Wofford on Feb. 23., as the Paladins look to continue their payback tour against the other top three teams in the SoCon.

UNCG will head just up the road to face Wofford Saturday night for a 7 p.m. contest in Spartanburg. With UNCG’s loss to Furman coupled with Wofford’s 95-84 win over VMI, the Terriers have now opened up a two-game lead in the SoCon standings in the chase for the regular-season league title chase.

Bucs Blitzed by Furman

Furman redshirt sophomore Clay Mounce

Furman made a statement. Maybe a statement the Paladins have been trying to make since a 76-68 overtime win over defending national champion Villanova. Saturday afternoon at Timmons Arena, it was definitive, as the Paladins knocked off East Tennessee State, 91-61.

It was the biggest win by the Paladins in series history. Furman, which has not lost back-to-back home games since Feb. of 2015, was not interested in making it a home losing streak.

After all, the Paladins are now 49-9 at Timmons Arena since the start of the 2015-16 season, and 29-4 against SoCon foes in the friendly confines during that same span.

With the win, Furman improved to 20-5 overall and 9-4 in Southern Conference play. The loss drops ETSU to 19-7 overall and 9-4 in SoCon action. The Paladins and Bucs are now tied for third in the SoCon standings.

The win is Furman’s fourth-straight, and the Paladins became the fastest team to reach the 20-win mark since the 1952-53 season. The win helped avenge a 79-56 loss by the Paladins to the Bucs in Johnson City back on Dec. 29.

It all started with two seniors--Matt Rafferty and Andrew Brown--as the two roomates played like veterans all night, combining to score 36 points, and were two of five players in double figures Saturday night.

Rafferty finished the night doing what Rafferty does, as he finished with 19 points, three rebounds, dished out five assists and recorded three steals. With those three steals, Rafferty now has 67 this season, which set a new school single-season record at Furman, breaking the previous mark of 64 in a season set by Guillherme Da Luz in the 2001-02 season.

"When you’ve played for four years, it’s pretty easy to predict where the ball’s going to go or what plays are going to be run, especially if you start to know the systems,” senior forward Matt Rafferty said. “Getting hands on passes, rolls and post-ups, turning the ball over and getting out and running. I think it helps our team a lot.” The single-season steals record for Rafferty was indicative of the type of defense played the entire evening, coming up with 35 ball deflections--a stat the coaching staff charts meticulously.

Brown was simply on fire all afternoon,and connected on all six of his shots from the field and all five of his three-pointers, finishing with 17 points. Brown also recorded a steal.

Brown and Rafferty were joined in double figures by Clay Mounce (15 pts), Jordan Lyons (14 pts), and Alex Hunter (11 pts). Hunter continues to be the model of consistency at the point for the Paladins, as he dished out five assists and also recorded a pair of steals without registering a turnover in 30 minutes of floor time. All Lyons’ 14 points came in the second half.

"It was one of those nights where the ball just kept going in. It’s fun when that happens and it hasn’t happened a lot for me this year,” senior guard Andrew Brown said. “Credit to my teammates like Raff, who just kept finding me. Whenever I was open, the ball was in my hands.”

Furman rushed out of the gates quickly, as the Paladins returned to Timmons Arena for the first time since blowing a 10-point lead in the final 4:21 to drop a 75-73 decision to Samford. Three three-pointers by Mounce and a three-point play the old-fashioned way by Rafferty staked Furman to an early 12-4 lead with 16:13 remaining in the half.

The Bucs answered by scoring the next seven points in less than two minutes, cutting the Furman lead to one, using a Patrick Good three-pointer and a pair of layups by Jeromy Rodriguez to make it a 12-11 game with 14:35 remaining in the half. ETSU took its only lead of the game with 11:51 remaining in the first half on a layup by Tray Boyd.

Furman managed to take a 41-32 lead into the halftime locker room, despite the fact that Rafferty was saddled with two early fouls in the opening frame. Brown came off the bench to supplement Mounce and the Paladins’ first-half offense and perimeter scoring, posting 11 of his 17 points in the opening half of play.

In fact, Brown and Mounce combined to score 22 points of the Paladins’ 41 first-half points, as the duo combined to connect on 6-of-7 shots and from beyond the arc. The Paladins shot the ball at a 59.1% (14-of-27) clip in the opening half of play, while ETSU shot an impressive 51.9% (13-for-22) from the field.

ETSU would seemingly come out strong in the opening minutes of the second half, scoring the first four points of the second half, slicing Furman’s lead to five. A Boyd triple cut Furman’s lead to six once again (49-43) with 14:31 to go in the game, however, it was all Furman from there. The Paladins out-scored the Bucs 41-18 over the remainder of the game to provide the substantial winning margin.

Over the past seven games, the Paladins have allowed 70 or more points just once, which came in that aforementioned home loss vs. Samford, and are allowing just 60.2 PPG over that same span. The 61 points scored by the Bucs was their second-lowest total scoring output this season, as Illinois, which held the Bucs to 55, was the only game where ETSU was held to a lower point total over 40 minutes of basketball.

For the game, Furman shot a season-high 64% (32-for-50) from the field, while ETSU ended the contest connecting on 47.1% (24-for-51) from the field. The Paladins also held advantages in points in the paint (38-36), points off turnovers (27-18), fast break points (8-6), and bench points (23-22).

ETSU out-rebounded Furman, 26-23, and held a 15-8 advantage in second-chance points. The Paladins recorded 15 assists on 32 made baskets, while ETSU had just seven assists on 24 made buckets. Furman forced ETSU into 16 turnovers, while the Bucs forced the Paladins into 13 miscues. The Bucs connected on just 2-of-14 three-point attempts for the game, which converts to 14.3%.

ETSU was led by Rodriguez, who scored a game-high 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field. Tray Boyd was the only other ETSU player in double figures, finishing with 13 points.

"That was fun. Proud of our group. Proud of our team. Proud of our program and we’re playing as hard as we have played all year on the defensive end and they’ve just bought into it,” said head coach Bob Richey. “We obviously had to make some adjustments to the game plan after what they

[ETSU] did to us up in Johnson City and I thought we stuck to the game plan and all of our guys were connected for the most part,” Richey added.

Furman will be back in action Thursday night, welcoming UNC Greensboro to Timmons Arena for a 7 p.m. tip. ETSU is back in action Thursday, hosting The Citadel, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. at Freedom Hall.

Thriller in Johnson City highlights Thursday night's SoCon action

Wofford senior foward Cam Jackson/Photo courtesy of Wofford Athletics

Wofford keeps at-large hopes alive with tough road win

In what was arguably the Southern Conference game of the year, the game that had been much anticipated for both fanbases since the SoCon schedules came out last summer, lived up to its billing, as Wofford remained perfect in the Southern Conference, with a thrilling, 78-76, win over East Tennessee State in Johnson City. 

The game had it all, and it would be Wofford's two big guns--senior guard Fletcher Magee and senior forward Cameron Jackson--that seemingly responded to each haymaker and potential knockout punch the Bucs could throw at them Thursday night before sold out crowd of 5,911 fans at Freedom Hall.  The duo combined to score 52 of the Terriers' 78 points in the contest. 

The win saw the Terriers improve to 20-4 overall for the season, while improving their Southern Conference mark to 12-0. ETSU fell to 19-6 overall and 9-3 in league action. The loss likely took ETSU out of the SoCon regular-season race, with just six games in conference play remaining. 

The regular-season championship will now likely be decided on Feb. 16, when Wofford hosts UNC Greensboro at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The Terriers have now won 11 games in a row. The win also gave Wofford the rare regular-season sweep of East Tennessee State, as the Terriers claimed a 79-62 win over the Bucs back on Dec. 1 in Spartanburg. 

The last time the Terriers swept ETSU in the regular-season was 2015, defeating the Bucs 72-64 in Spartanburg and 74-64 in Johnson City. The 2014-15 season, of course, marks the last time the Terriers went dancing. Maybe that's a good omen for head coach Mike Young and his Wofford Terriers. 

Magee posted 32 points came on 9-of-20 shooting from the field, including going 7-for-15 from three-point range. Magee was also 7-for-9 from the charity stripe. With his performance from three-point land, Magee moved into third place all-time in NCAA Division I basketball history, and now has knocked down 452 three-pointers. 

Jackson added 20 points on 7-for-12 from the field, and went 6-of-12 from the charity stripe, while also adding eight rebounds and four assists to the Terrier cause. 

The game was nip-and-tuck most of the way, with neither team holding more than a six-point lead the entire night. The Bucs took a narrow 38-37 lead into the halftime locker room. 

ETSU led for much of the opening frame, and extended that into the second half, and Wofford wouldn't assume its first lead since the 13:07 mark in the first half until a Nathan Hoover three from the corner, which was followed up by a Jackson layup, which gave Wofford a 51-50 lead with 8:31 remaining in the game. 

The lead would change hands four times over the next seven minutes, and it would be an electrifying dunk by Bo Hodges off an alley-oop that would tie the game, 60-60, with 1:46 left in regulation. A pair of Magee foul shots gave Wofford a 62-60 lead with 1:22 remaining. After Jeromy Rodriguez connected on 1-of-2 foul shots on the other end, a Keve Aluma layup gave the Terriers a 64-61 lead with just 37 seconds remaining.

That set the stage for Hodges. His three pointer from the left elbow with 22 seconds remaining tied the game, 64-64, and after a missed jumper by Magee with two seconds remaining, the game headed for overtime. 

In the extra session, most ETSU might have had some flashbacks. Flashbacks? Yes flashbacks to the 2017-18 season and Furman. Devin Sibley hit a three-pointer and was fouled with 1:25 remaining in the regular-season finale, completing the rare four-point play to help Furman to a 79-76 road win.

Now cue Magee. Like Sibley last season, the reigning Southern Conference Player of the Year provided the ultimate dagger, as with just eight seconds remaining and the game tied, 73-73, Magee connected on a three-pointer from the right elbow and was fouled. He connected on the free throw to give Wofford a two-possession lead, at 77-73. That play came on the heels of another three-pointer for the senior marksmen, and he would score the final seven points of the night for Wofford, which was of little surprise. 

Following a Patrick Good triple with two seconds left, Magee was fouled following a long pass down court with 1.1 seconds remaining. He converted 1-of-2 foul shots to give Wofford the 78-76 lead, and ultimately, the win. Jackson rebounded the second missed free throw by Magee and time expired on a memorable game and win for Wofford basketball.

The Bucs were led in the contest by Good's 18 points, while Rodriguez continued his strong play this season with 15 points and 17 boards. Bo Hodges and Mladen Armus rounded out the double-figure scorers with 15 and 12 points, respectively. 

Paladins grind one out in Cullowhee

Matt Rafferty scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while also tying the school’s single-season steals record, as Furman defeated Western Carolina, 64-45, in Southern Conference action Thursday night at the Liston B. Ramsey Center. 

With the win, Furman improved to 19-5 overall and 8-4 in Southern Conference action, while Western Carolina dropped to 6-19 and 3-9 in Southern Conference. For the Paladins, it was their ninth true road win of the season. 

Rafferty finished the night connecting on 6-of-10 shots from the field and 1-of-2 from the charity stripe. 

In addition to his scoring night, the senior from Hinsdale, Ill, also added two assists,a block and a steal. Rafferty’s one steal gave him 64 for the season, which tied Guillherme Da Luz’s 64 thefts during the 2001-02 season for the school-record for single-season steals. With one steal vs. East Tennessee State Saturday, Rafferty will be the single-season record holder.

It also marked Rafferty’s 11th double-double of the season, which is second-most in the Southern Conference this season. Furman’s defense has been noticeably improved during its past five games, holding opponents to just 59.4 PPG over that stretch.  

One of Thursday night’s goals for the Paladins collectively as a defensive unit was to make sure Carlos Dotson, who posted 27 points and 14 boards against Furman in the first meeting between the two teams back in December, was to make sure a game like that didn’t happen again for the talented junior college transfer.

“We kinda modeled what we wanted to do against him after the first half at our place,“ senior forward Matt Rafferty said. “He didn’t have a great first half there [in the game at Furman] and then we started letting the ball get into him in the second half and that’s when he really started cooking.”

“So today was all about limiting his touches and shrinking the floor when he got it in there .He’s a great offensive rebounder, but others helped me and Noah on the boards by crashing down. Our guards also did a great job shutting down their shooters,” Rafferty added.

Dotson finished the contest with just seven points, but did counter with 14 rebounds, including six offensive boards, showing his overall strength as a rebounder. Furman also forced Dotson into committing five turnovers. 

The Paladins were able to force 22 Western Carolina turnovers, and held the Catamounts to just 31.4% shooting from the field, and in doing so, polished off another win heading into Saturday’s showdown with East Tennessee State. 

Furman set the defensive tone from the outside, and it was Rafferty on the offensive end, posting eight of Furman’s first 11 points of the game, and helping the Paladins to an early 11-2 lead following a layup on a fast break, forcing Western Carolina head coach Mark Prosser to take a timeout with 12:08 remaining in the opening half. 

Noah Gurley, a redshirt freshman forward, who finished with a team-leading 14 points, added a triple moments later to stretch Furman’s early advantage to 14-2 with 10:44 remaining in the opening frame.  

From there, Furman never looked back, taking as much as a 15-point lead in the opening half before eventually taking a 26-13 lead into the halftime locker room. 

The 13 points in a half were the lowest point total for the Catamounts in a half this season, and were the lowest total a SoCon opponent has scored in a half vs. Furman in a half in 40 years. The Paladins also held the Catamounts to just 19.2% from the field and just 14.3% from beyond the arc.

The second half would see the Paladins grow their lead to as many as 25 points, before settling for the 19-point road triumph. 

Gurley finished the night by connecting on 5-of-10 shots from the field, including a pair of thunderous dunks, with one coming in traffic as he drove straight down the middle of the lane in the opening half. 

The redshirt freshman from Fayetteville, GA, was also 2-of-5 from three-point range and 2-for-3 from the charity stripe, while also adding four rebounds, two blocks and an assist. 

Joining Gurley and Rafferty in double figures for the Paladins was point guard Alex Hunter, who finished with 10 points.

Western Carolina was led in scoring by Marcus Thomas, who finished with a game-high 16 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. The only other Catamount to reach double figures in the contest was talented freshman guard Kameron Gibson, who posted 10 points.

The Paladins will back in action Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. before a sold-out crowd, when the Paladins square off against East Tennessee State (19-6, 9-3 SoCon) at Timmons Arena. The Bucs claimed a 79-56 win over Furman back on Dec. 29, and are coming off a heartbreaking, 78-76, overtime loss to Wofford in Johnson City. Western Carolina will be on the road at Wofford, facing the Terriers at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m.

Quotables from Western Carolina:

Mark Prosser on his first year at WCU:

"There have been some exciting things that have happened along the way and I mean it's a lot of fun. We work at a really great institution with a great administration and athletic department so they make it fun to come to work every day. We have good kids that do very well academically and they come in and give effort every day. The ups and downs of any season are hard. We're going through some transistion and learning a brand new style of play offensively and defensively. You know any win at the Division I level is hard and understanding how to win and that's something we have to expect from one another on a day-to-day basis because winning is hard. "

Onno Steger on his recent SoCon Player of the Week honor

"The player of the week honor is pretty special and I have been working my butt off and I am seeing its paying off and I think Carlos Dotson put it really well earlier in the season when he said you'd rather trade in your personal accolades for team accolades and I would much rather win games than get those personal awards."

Other SoCon Action Thursday Night:

UNC Greensboro improved to 21-3 overall and 10-1 in the SoCon with a 75-67 win over the Samford Bulldogs at the Greensboro Coliseum Thursday night. It's the best start for the Spartans in school history through 24 games. The 10 Southern Conference wins for the Spartans marks the third season in a row which UNCG has accomplished the feat. 

The Spartans held the Bulldogs to just 38% shooting for the game en route to the season sweep of Samford, and sophomore guard Isaiah Miller led four Spartans in double figures with 22 points, three steals, an assist and a block. Miller was joined in double figures Kyrin Galloway (13 pts), Kaleb Hunter (12 pts) and Demetrius Troy (11 pts).

Samford, which fell to 14-11 overall and 4-8 in SoCon action, was led by point guard Josh Sharkey, who scored a game-high 24 points and added seven assists, but also turned it over 11 times. Sharkey was joined in double figures by freshman forward Robert Allen, who continued his strong play of late, with a double-double of 16 points and 14 boards, while Deandre Thomas rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures with 11.

UNCG returns to action Saturday at Chattanooga, with tipoff time slated for 7 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum. Samford will be in Lexington, VA to face Samford for a 1 p.m. game with the Keydets at Cameron Hall Saturday afternoon.

The final game of the night to recap is Chattanooga and VMI, which was also an exciting affair. While most had their eyes trained on what was happening in Johnson City, they might have missed the Mocs' thrilling 71-70 win at VMI Thursday night. 

That win saw Lamont Paris' club get to 11 wins on the season, which officially eclipsed last year's 10-win campaign. It also helped the Mocs improve to 6-6 in SoCon action, taking a firm grip on fifth place in the league standings, which at this point, would guarantee Chattanooga an opening-round bye in the SoCon Tournament next month in Asheville. Meanwhile, VMI fell to 7-16 overall and 1-10 in SoCon action. 

Thomas Smallwood led four Mocs in double figures with 16 points, including connecting on all four of his three-point attempts, while David Jean-Baptiste, Ramon Vila and Donovann Toatley all added 11 points to the UTC cause.

SoCon leading scorer Bubba Parham paced four Keydets in double figures with 21 points. Myles Lewis (15 pts), Sarju Patel (14 pts) and Jake Stephens (12 pts) rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Keydets.

Updated Power Rankings Following Thursday's Action:

1. Wofford (20-4, 12-0 SoCon)

2. UNCG (21-3, 10-1 SoCon)

3. ETSU (19-6, 9-3 SoCon)

4. Furman (19-5, 8-4 SoCon)

5. Samford (14-11, 4-8 SoCon)

6. Chattanooga (11-14, 6-6 SoCon)

7. Mercer (8-15, 3-8 SoCon)

8. Western Carolina (6-19, 3-9 SoCon)\

9. The Citadel (10-12, 2-9 SoCon)

10. VMI (7-16, 1-10 SoCon)

Furman picks up tough road win at Mercer

Furman junior guard Jordan Lyons

For the second straight game, Jordan Lyons led Furman to a road Southern Conference win, finishing with 24 points, as the Paladins completed the season sweep of Mercer with a 74-63 win Saturday night at Hawkins Arena.

With the win, Furman improves to 18-5 overall and 7-4 in Southern Conference play, while Mercer falls to 8-15 overall and 3-8 in league action. The win marked Furman’s eighth true road win of the season.

After being held to just eight points last week in a loss to Samford, Lyons has scored 20 or more points in back-to-back to games for the first time all season.

Following his 20-point effort in a 71-61 win over The Citadel, Lyons posted 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field, including 4-for-10 from three-point land in the win.

Additionally, the Peach State native added a season-high four assists, two steals and a rebound playing in front of rowdy section of family and friends. All told, it was Lyons’ eighth game with 20 or more points this season.

Furman shot a season-high 57.8% from the field (26-of-45) and shot a blistering 50% (12-for-24) from three-point land. Meanwhile, defensively, the Paladins were stellar, holding the Bears to just 34.8% (24-of-69) from the field for the game, including just 20.8% (5-of-24) from three-point range in the win.

Lyons was joined in double figures by Clay Mounce and Matt Rafferty, who added 16 and 12 points, respectively. Mounce was an impressive 6-of-8 from the field, including 4-for-5 from three-point range, as the redshirt sophomore recorded his third-straight game in double figures. Mounce also added four rebounds and a block.

Rafferty, who spent most of the night saddled with foul trouble, made the most of his 27 minutes of court time. The senior from Hinsdale, Ill, did half of his work at the charity stripe, connecting on 6-of-7 from the free throw line and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field. Additionally, Rafferty added eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal.

The Paladins were strong from the outset of the contest, assuming as much as a 15-point lead in the first, at 31-16, following a free throw by freshman forward Jalen Slawson with 4:55 remaining in the first half.

However, Mercer bounced back with a strong five minutes, finishing the half on an 11-3 run to go to the halftime locker room with all the momentum, following a Jaylen Stowe layup to make it a 34-27 contest with 25 seconds remaining in the opening frame, and that would remain the score at the intermission.

Mercer’s strong play would continue into the second half, as the Bears sliced the Furman lead to just one possession, at 43-40, following an Ethan Stair dunk that brought the crowd to its feet and prompted a Bob Rickey timeout with 14:11 remaining in the game. All told, Stair’s dunk was part of a 24-9 run from the Bears spanning two halves to get Mercer back into the game.

Off the timeout, Furman answered the bell to extend the lead back to eight following two Rafferty free throws, and a key three-pointer from Noah Gurley off a penetrate and kick out from Lyons, extending Furman’s lead back to eight, at 48-40, with 13:11 left.

It was perhaps the most crucial sixth second portion of the basketball game for Furman, and the Paladins’ response looked much more like what we witnessed early in the season in non-conference wins over Villanova and Loyola Chicago.

The Paladins were much more crisp on both ends of the floor, and were beginning to dictate the game defensively from this point forward in the second half.

“We have each others’ back,"  head coach Bob Richey said. “I mean that’s been the whole mantra of this team and that’s one thing I stressed to them about this weekend’s road swing. “

“I thought we got away last Saturday from playing for each other and this week it’s all been about ball movement and making sure I am helping others have success and defensively I’ve got my teammates back and offensively I am going to trust and move and that the ball’s going to come back to me and the ball’s going to find energy and that’s what we’ve done this weekend.”

“We’ve been committed that it starts with defense and we’ve gotten back in transition and we’ve had each others’ back in rotations and offensively we just moved it.”

Furman would see the Bears continue to hang around over the next few minutes, however, Mercer could never get back within a one possession basketball game the remainder of the game. Furman answered the bell each time.

Mercer had a chance to perhaps close the game on the Paladins with just under 8:30 remaining, following an Alex Hunter missed three-pointer and Furman holding a 56-49 lead.

However, a missed three-pointer by freshman forward Luke Hamilton was answered with a transition three-pointer from Andrew Brown on a nice find by Rafferty to put Furman back up by double digits, 59-49, with 8:02 left. Furman would grow that lead to as much as 17 points, at 66-49, over the next 3:16 of game clock following a Lyons triple with just under five minutes left.

All told, it was a crucial 10- 0 run for the Paladins, and that allowed Furman to close out the win in a tough environment with relative ease. The Bears were never able to close the gap inside double figures over the remaining five minutes.

“They [Furman] were really good and shot the ball extremely well. We got it down to three and missed scoring on our next four opportunities. They shot 58 percent and they do a really good job of executing their stuff,“ Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said.

One positive that came out of the game for the Bears was the strong play of junior guard Ross Cummings, who finished the game with his 14th-straight double-figure scoring performance, posting 16 points, with 14 points coming in the opening half.

“He’s been amazing,“ Hoffman said of Cummings. “He probably plays too many minutes and we just can’t sub him because you never know when he might get open for a three."

“He’s playing at such a high level right now and our guys have done a tremendous job of running plays and getting nice stuff for him and we keep trying to experiement and figure out new things. He is a blessing to coach and we’re blessed to have him,” Hoffman added.

Cummings finished the contest scoring 16 points on 5-of-13 from the field, including going 3-for-10 from long range. He scored nine of the first 17 points for the Bears to open the game. Cummings also added five boards and an assist.

As good as Lyons was on the offensive end of the floor, it was his defense on Cummings, particularly in the second half, that ended up being a defining point in the Furman win.

“Cummings is a really good player,” Jordan Lyons said. “Once he gets going, he can be a problem.”

“The thing about guarding a prolific scorer like him is it’s never just a 1-on-1 matchup. It’s a whole team collective effort guarding. I think the way all five of us defended him in the second half was a big contributor to how we were able to extend the lead.”

Furman returns to the floor Thursday night, completing a three-game road trip with contest at the Ramsey Center against Western Carolina with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. Mercer returns to action next Saturday when it hosts The Citadel in a 4 p.m. contest at Hawkins Arena.

Furman and Wofford get road wins

Furman Holds Off The Citadel For Season Sweep

Jordan Lyons led three players in double figures, as Furman picked up a 71-61 Southern Conference victory over The Citadel Thursday night at McAlister Field House.

With the win, the Paladins collected the season sweep over the Bulldogs and improved to 17-5 overall and 6-4 in Southern Conference play, while The Citadel fell to 10-11 overall and 2-8 in league action. The road win by Furman marked its seventh true win of the season.

Lyons, who was held to just eight points last time out in the loss to Samford, scored his 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, including going 3-for-10 from three-point range in the win and was also 1-for-2 from the line. Additionally, the junior guard from Peachtree City, GA, finished with two steals, two assists and a block.

Lyons was joined in double figures for the Paladins by sophomore point guard Alex Hunter and redshirt sophomore forward Clay Mounce, who added 17 points apiece. Hunter and Mounce both dished out five assists apiece, and Mounce also had six rebounds and two steals.

Senior forward and Southern Conference Player of the Year candidate Matt Rafferty was held below double figures for just the second time all season, and the first time in SoCon play, but he was clutch in other areas in the win. The senior from Hinsdale, Ill, finished the night with eight points, a team-leading 10 rebounds, dished out four assists, and had three steals and a block.

Furman would break open the game from the outset of the second half, using a 16-2 run to open the second half, building as much as a 19-point lead (50-31) following a Mounce triple with 14:56 remaining in the game.

 The Bulldogs, however, went on a run of their own, whittling the Furman lead inside 10 points, with a 13-2 run of its own, using a Lew Stallworth layup to cut the Paladin advantage to eight, at 52-44, with 9:06 remaining.

The lead for the Paladins would fluctuate between 8-14 points over the next five-and-a-half minutes until a pair of Zane Najdawi free throws with 3:31 remaining cut trimmed The Citadel deficit to its slimmest of the second half, at 67-61.

However, layups by Rafferty and Lyons, along with some strong defense from the duo, which included a Lyons steal and a Rafferty block over the final 3:31, allowed Furman to escape Charleston with the 71-61 Southern Conference win.

The Paladins went to the halftime locker room with a 34-29 lead on the strength of the play from Hunter, who scored 11 of his 17 points in the opening half of play. The Paladins were also stellar defensively, holding the Bulldogs to just 38.5% (10-for-26) and forcing 12 Citadel turnovers in the opening frame.

For the game, Furman held advantages in shooting percentage (45.5%-40.4%), second chance points (11-10), assists (19-7) and fast-break points (14-6). The Bulldogs held advantages in points in the paint (30-24), points off turnovers (20-15), bench points (18-9) and total rebounds (36-29). The Citadel turned the ball over 19 times in the contest, while Furman committed 15 miscues.

Stallworth led three Bulldogs in double figures, posting 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field and 3-for-5 shooting from the charity stripe. The senior point guard also had six rebounds, dished out five of the team's seven assists, and recorded a steal. He was joined in double figures by both Najdawi (14 pts) and Kaiden Rice (13 pts). Najdawi, a senior center, narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with nine rebounds.

Furman returns to action Saturday afternoon when it travels to Hawkins Arena in Macon, GA, to face Mercer, with tip-off set for 4 p.m. The Bulldogs will prepare to host league-leading Wofford in a 1 p.m. tip-off at McAlister Field House on Saturday afternoon.

Wofford Keeps Rolling

Furman's travel partner Wofford kept things rolling in the right direction in Southern Conference play, improving to 18-4 overall and remained a perfect 10-0 in league play, with a 76-67 win over Mercer Thursday night at Hawkins Arena. The loss saw the Bears fall to 8-14 overall and 3-7 in Southern Conference play.

Wofford finished the month of January a perfect 8-0, and the Terriers have won nine-straight heading into their Southern Conference game Saturday afternoon at The Citadel.

The Terriers were powered by a prolific performance from beyond the arc in both makes (13) and attempts (40) from three-point range in the contest, with sharp-shooting guards Nathan Hoover and Fletcher Magee combining to connect on 10 of the Terriers' 13 triples in the contest.

Magee led the Terriers with 23 points, which included connecting on 5-of-9 from long range, while also finishing 7-of-14 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Hoover went 5-for-8 from downtown, and was 5-of-9 from the field and 3-for-3 from the line to finish the contest with 18 points.

Senior center Cameron Jackson finished out the Terriers in double figures, posting 12 points, while grabbing six boards.

Wofford held just a 40-37 lead at the half, but Wofford was able to widen the gap in the second half, as Magee and sophomore point guard Storm Murphy helped the Terriers open the second half in strong fashion, with back-to-back three-pointers and a 6-0 Wofford run, helping the Terriers to extend their lead to nine (46-37) early on in the frame.

Mercer would eventually cut into the Wofford lead in the second half, cutting the deficit to two, at 63-61, following a pair of Djordje Dimitrijevic free throws with 6:35 remaining. On the ensuing trip down the floor, Hoover was fouled attempting a three-pointer, and went to the stripe, calmly converting all three charity shots to stretch the Terriers' lead back to five, at 66-61 with 6:24 left.

Two more free throws by the Bears cut Wofford's lead back to three, setting the stage for a big three from Magee from the left elbow, extending Wofford's lead back to two possessions (69-63) with 3:52 remaining. A Jackson layup and a Magee layup extended Wofford's lead to nine, at 72-63, with 2:49 remaining, as the Bears had three-consecutive empty possessions.

An Ethan Stair jumper trimmed Wofford's lead to seven (72-65) with 2:26 left, but a pair of Keve Aluma free throws stretched the Wofford lead to nine (74-65) with 2:02 remaining. After a Cory Kilby layup with just under two minutes left, the Terriers were able to close out the win with a pair of Storm Murphy free throws with 36 seconds remaining, providing the final score of 76-67.

Mercer was led in the contest by Cory Kilby's 16 points, and he led four Bears players in double figures. He was joined by Ethan Stair (14 pts), Djordje Dimitrijevic (12 pts) and Ross Cummings (11 pts). For Cummings, it was his 13th-straight game in double figures.


Wofford actually opened up a 15-point first-half advantage, at 37-22