Monday, January 4, 2016

The Road to Asheville (Jan 5, 2016)


The first day of Southern Conference basketball conference play is in the book, and Tuesday's SoCon schedule has eight of the 10 teams playing.  Both ETSU and WCU do not have early week conference games scheduled, however another full conference slate is on tap this Saturday.



Here's the schedule -


Mercer  (11-3, 1-0 SoCon) at Chattanooga  (12-2, 1-0 SoCon)
In the only game with two of the five 1-0 teams in conference play scheduled to meet each other, the Mercer Bears travel up I-75 to Chattanooga to meet the Mocs. Last season the two teams split, each winning at home. The Mocs come into the game sporting a 6 game win streak and are 5-0 in the Roundhouse, while Mercer has a two game win streak, but is 1-3 on the road. With the home court advantage, the Mocs remain unbeaten in SoCon play with a 9 point win.

Furman  (7-7, 1-0 SoCon) at UNCG  (4-10, 0-1 SoCon)
The Paladins travel up I-85 to Greensboro on Tuesday to meet the Spartans in the Greensboro Coliseum. These two teams split last season as well, both taking the win on their home court. This season, the Spartans are 4-2 at how, while Furman is a dismal 1-4 on the road. Currently, the Spartans are on a five game skid, dropping 7 of their last 8 games. The Paladins are coming off a good win over VMI, but have lost four of their last five games. I'm giving the Spartans the benefit of the home floor, and look for a 3 point win over Furman.

Wofford  (4-9, 1-0 SoCon) at VMI  (5-7, 0-1 Home)
The Terriers travel to Lexington, Va. on Tuesday, as the Terriers look to extend their win streak over the Keydets since their return to the SoCon, last season Wofford swept VMI in the regular season. This year however, the Keydets are sporting a 4-1 home record, while the defending SoCon Champs are just 1-8 on the road this season. The Terriers come into the game having dropped 6 of the last 7 game, but did knock off UNCG last Saturday to pick up a conference victory. VMI has lost five of their last six games, including a loss to Furman last Saturday. Giving the Keydets the home court advantage seals the fate for the Terriers this season, as VMI gets a little revenge in a 10 point win over the Terriers.

The Citadel  (7-7, 0-1 SoCon) at Samford  (9-5, 0-1 SoCon)
In the first meeting of the Bulldogs this conference season, The Citadel travels to Birmingham, AL hoping to continue their winning streak over the Bulldogs of Samford. Last season, the low country dogs swept Samford in the regular season. Both teams come into their second SoCon contest, having dropped their SoCon opener, but the home standing Bulldogs are 3-1 in the Hanna Center, while the Citadel dog are 2-5 on the road.  In this dog fight, I think the home standing Bulldogs recoups a measure of revenge, as they take the victory by 9 points.

That's how we see them, who do you think will win?


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