WCU on the 100th Anniversary Teams

As the Southern Conference wraps up the celebration of its first 100 years of history, the league has named its 100th-anniversary teams. While the Catamounts have only been in the SoCon for over 45 years, Catamount players have made their mark in the conference.

Western Carolina, a SoCon member since 1976, placed 65 former athletic greats on the teams, which encompass the 18 sports the league currently sponsors. WCU Track & Field led the way with 31 selections to the league’s 100th Anniversary squads, and football was next with 12.  

Western Carolina student-athletes selected for their individual 100th Anniversary team:

 

-Baseball:   
Jason Beverlin, Western Carolina
SoCon Male Athlete of the Year 1993-94

Bryson Bowman, Western Carolina, OF
All-America 2016, 2017

Clint Fairey, Western Carolina, DH/1B
SoCon Player of the Year 1987, 1988, 1989
1st-team All-SoCon 1987, 1988, 1989

Fred Hailey, Western Carolina, OF
1st-team All-SoCon 1984, 1985 1986, 1987

Skip Nelloms, Western Carolina, OF
1st-team All-SoCon 1985, 1987, 1988

Matt Raleigh, Western Carolina, 3B/SS
1st-team All-SoCon 1990, 1991, 1992

Wayne Tolleson, Western Carolina
SoCon Hall of Fame 2020
SoCon Male Athlete of the Year 1977-78

-Men's Basketball
Frankie King, Western Carolina
SoCon Player of the Year 1993-94, 1994-95

Kevin Martin, Western Carolina
1st-team All-SoCon 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04

-Women's Basketball
Laura Echols, Western Carolina, C
1st-team All-SoCon 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02

Jennifer Gardner, Western Carolina
1st-team All-SoCon 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05

-Women's Cross Country
Susie Gardner, Western Carolina
SoCon Hall of Fame 2018

-Football

Craig Aiken, WR, Western Carolina
1st-team All-SoCon 1992, 1993, 1994
 
Ian Berryman, P, Western Carolina
1st-team All-SoCon 2015, 2016, 2017
 
Alonzo Carmichael, TE, Western Carolina
All-America 1985, 1986
 
Tiger Greene, DB, Western Carolina
All-America 1983, 1984
 
Gerald Harp, WR, Western Carolina
1st-team All-SoCon 1978, 1979, 1980
 
Kerry Hayes, WR/KR, Western Carolina
All-America 1992, 1993
1st-team All-SoCon 1992, 1993, 1994
 
Anthony James, RB, Western Carolina
SoCon Male Athlete of the Year 1982-83
 
Eric Johnson, DB, Western Carolina
All-America 1997, 1998
 
Detrez Newsome, RB/AP, Western Carolina
All-America 2016, 2017
 
Eric Rasheed, WR, Western Carolina
1st-team All-SoCon 1982, 1983, 1984
 
Kirk Roach, K, Western Carolina
All-America 1984, 1985, 1987
1st-team All-SoCon 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
 
Wayne Tolleson, WR, Western Carolina
SoCon Hall of Fame 2020
SoCon Male Athlete of the Year 1977-78

-Men's Golf
Matt Cook, Western Carolina
1st-team All-SoCon 2006, 2007, 2008
SoCon champion 2006, 2008

Andres Cuenca, Western Carolina 

1st-team All-SoCon 2007, 2008, 2009 

J.T. Poston, Western Carolina 

1st-team All-SoCon 2013, 2014, 2015 

SoCon champion 2014, 2016 

Brett Miller, Western Carolina 

1st-team All-SoCon 1984, 1985, 1986 

-Women's Golf 

Ashley Hovda, Western Carolina 

1st-team All-SoCon 2004, 2005, 2006 

Desiree Karlsson, Western Carolina 

1st-team All-SoCon 2008, 2009, 2010 

-Men's Soccer 

Paul Garth, Western Carolina 

1st-team All-SoCon 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 

-Men's Track & Field 

Earl Bates, Western Carolina 

ITK 600-yard record-holder 

Lawrence Briscoe, Western Carolina 

ITK 60-meter hurdles champion 2004, 2005, 2006 

Matt Evans, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Field 2009 (ITK, OTK), 2010 (OTK)

ITK high jump champion 2007, 2009, 2010 

OTK high jump champion 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 

10 individual titles (4 ITK, 6 OTK) 

Anthony James, Western Carolina 

SoCon Male Athlete of the Year 1982-83 

Jared Johnson, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Field 2014 (ITK), 2015 (ITK)

Phillip Johnson, Western Carolina 

OTK discus champion 1997, 1998, 1999 

Cordell Livingston, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Athlete 2010 (ITK), 2011 (ITK, OTK) 

Shawn Miller, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Athlete 1992 (OTK), 1993 (ITK), 1994 (OTK) 

10 individual titles (6 ITK, 4 OTK) 

Manteo Mitchell, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Athlete 2008 (ITK, OTK), 2009 (ITK, OTK); 

Track 2008 (ITK, OTK), 2009 (ITK, OTK)

ITK 400-meter champion 2007, 2008, 2009 

OTK 400-meter champion 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 

13 individual titles (7 ITK, 6 OTK) 

Adam Puett, Western Carolina 

OTK 1,500-meter champion 2004, 2005, 2006 

Dominique Young, Western Carolina 

OTK 100-meter champion 2007, 2008, 2009 

-Women's Track & Field 

Dasha Arnaut, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Track 2017 (OTK), 2018 (OTK) 

Alisha Bradshaw, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Field 2013 (ITK, OTK), 2015 (ITK, OTK) 

ITK weight throw champion 2013, 2014, 2015 

OTK discus champion 2012, 2013, 2015 

Jane’t Carothers, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Athlete 2010 (ITK); 

Track 2009 (ITK), 2010 (ITK), 2011 (ITK) 

ITK 400m champion 2009, 2010, 2011 

Tayla Carter, Western Carolina 

ITK 60m champion 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 

OTK 100m champion 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 

OTK 200m champion 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 

14 individual titles (6 ITK, 8 OTK) 

Hailey Cook, Western Carolina 

0TK shot put champion 2015, 2016, 2017 

Asia Davis, Western Carolina 

OTK 400mH champion 2005, 2006, 2007 

Joy Davis, Western Carolina 

OTK 400mH champion 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 

Susie Gardner, Western Carolina 

SoCon Hall of Fame 2018 

Felisha Garren, Western Carolina 

ITK 400m record-holder 

Ashley Herendon, Western Carolina

ITK shot put champion 1999, 2000, 2001 

OTK javelin champion 1999, 2000, 2001 

LaSha Jackson, Western Carolina 

OTK shot put champion 1995, 1996, 1997 

Valerie Jalajas, Western Carolina 

ITK PV champion 1999, 2000, 2001 

OTK PV champion 1999, 2000, 2001 

Virginia Lacombe, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Athlete 2001 (OTK); 

Field 2002 (OTK) 

ITK HJ champion 2000, 2001, 2002 

Leslie Martin, Western Carolina 

OTK 800m champion 2003, 2004, 2005 

Felicia Paulding, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Athlete 2010 (OTK); 

Track 2009 (OTK) OTK 100m champion 2008, 2009, 2010 

Raquel Ramseur, Western Carolina 

ITK 400m champion 2006, 2007, 2008 

OTK 400m champion 2006, 2007, 2008 

Von Ross, Western Carolina 

ITK LJ record-holder 

Angela Rowe, Western Carolina 

OTK 400m record-holder 

Zakiyyah Stewart, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Athlete 2011 (OTK); 

Field 2010 (OTK) OTK hammer champion 2010, 2011, 2012 

Laura Tieszen, Western Carolina 

Most Outstanding Field 2004 (OTK), 2005 (ITK, OTK) 

ITK PV champion 2003, 2004, 2005 

OTK PV champion 2003, 2004, 2005 

OTK PV record-holder 

-Volleyball 

Christy Attebery, Western Carolina, 

OH 1st-team All-SoCon 1999, 2000, 2001 

Emily Holliday, Western Carolina, 

OH 1st-team All-SoCon 1983, 1984, 1985 

Crystal Sullivan, Western Carolina, OH, 

OH 1st-team All-SoCon 1984, 1985, 1986

SoCon Basketball for Friday, 12-31-21

SoCon Basketball for Friday, December 31, 2021

Friday's schedule: No games are scheduled for the last day of 2021. Happy New Year!!!!


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A recap of Thursday's game(s):

ETSU 52 - Chattanooga 82
Using a well-balanced offensive attack and a dominant defensive effort, the Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team routed in-state rival ETSU 82-52 in the Southern Conference opener on Thursday night in front of a nationally-televised audience inside McKenzie Arena. Following the victory, Chattanooga improves 11-3 overall and 1-0 in league play. ETSU falls to 8-6 overall and 0-1 in the SoCon. The 30-point victory was the largest over the rivaled Bucs since January 22, 2005. "If you can do a great and tremendous job defensively, it effects emotions. I think that's what we were able to do to some of their main guys who are used to getting comfort shots, we made them work really hard to get looks," said head coach Lamont Paris. "I thought that was the key to what we did today. The team was really into the game. The bench was really into it. Overall, it was a great performance from a good group of guys."

SoCon Basketball for Thursday, 12-30-21

SoCon Basketball for Thursday, December 30, 2021

Thursday's schedule:  Only one game is on the SoCon schedule today...

7:00 PM ET ESPNU 

ETSU (8-5) at Chattanooga (10-3) 

McKenzie Arena - Chattanooga, TN

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A recap of Wednesday's game(s):  

- VMI 80 - Wofford 73

Senior center Jake Stephens scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and junior guard Kamdyn Curfman added 21 points to lead VMI over Wofford, 80-73, in the Southern Conference opener for both teams Wednesday night at Richardson Indoor Stadium. The Keydets (8-5, 1-0) won for the fifth time over the last six games and tasted victory in Spartanburg for the second year in a row.

- Samford 49 - Furman 81

Furman's Mike Bothwell scored a game-high 18 points and Jalen Slawson added a double-double to lead the Furman men's basketball team to an 81-49 victory over the Samford Bulldogs in its Southern Conference opener, Wednesday evening inside Timmons Arena. Furman improves to 9-5 overall and 1-0 in the SoCon, while Samford falls to 10-3 on the season and 0-1 in conference play.

WCU Men's Basketball Games Postponed

Two WCU men's basketball games have been posponted. The league-opening home game against UNCG scheduled for this Wednesday, Dec. 29 and the Saturday, Jan. 1, conference road match-up against ETSU in Johnson City, Tenn., have both been postponed due to positive COVID tests and quarantine requirements. 

Western Carolina is now slated to return to action next Wednesday, Jan. 5 against The Citadel Bulldogs. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm at Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, 12-29-21

SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Wednesday's schedule:  Southern Conference play tips-off on Wednesday night with 2 games on the schedule, the Mercer at the Citadel and UNCG at Western are postponed.  ETSU at Chattanooga is on tap for Thursday night.  On the "Road to Asheville"...


7:00 PM ET Watch on ESPN+
VMI (7-5) Wofford (8-4)
Richardson Indoor Stadium - Spartanburg, SC

7:00 PM Watch on  ET ESPN+
Samford (10-2) at Furman (8-5)
Timmons Arena - Travlers Rest, SC

Canceled;
Mercer (7-6) at The Citadel (6-5)

Canceled:

UNCG (8-4) at Western Carolina (6-7)


---------------------------------
A recap of Tuesday's game(s): No games were played on Tuesday...

Game #14 - UNCG Spartans

Western Carolina opens conference play by hosting the defending Southern Conference regular-season and tournament champion UNCG Spartans on Wednesday night. 

Who: UNCG Spartans
When: Wednesday, Dec. 29th, 2021
Time: 7:00 pm
Where: Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-announcers: Gary Ayers, (play-by-play)
TV/Video: ESPN+ 

-announcers: Daniel Hooker (play-by-play)
Live Stats: WCU live stats 

Nickname: Spartans
Colors: Gold. White, & Navy Blue
Mascot:  "Spiro"

Head Coach: Mike Jones is in his first season at the helm of the Spartan program
UNCG's record: 8-4 overall, 5-0 home, 2-2 away, 1-2 neutral court

The Series: The Cats are 32-26 against the Spartans in a series that started in 1979. The Cats broke a ten-game slide

against UNCG last February when they won in Greenboro, 81-80.  The Cats are 19-9 in games played in Cullowhee.  

The Spartans were picked to finish 3d in the coaches preseason poll, and are 8-4 in non-conference games this season.   

Key Returners: Keyshaun Langley, Kaleb Hunter, Mohammed Abdulsalam, Khyre Thompson, Kobe Langley, Bas Leyte
Key Losses: Isaiah Miller, Angelo Allegri, Hayden Koval, AJ McGinnis, Jarrett Hensley
Key Newcomers: De’Monte Buckingham (Cal State Bakersfield), Jalen White (Texas A&M CC), Dante Treacy (Robert Morris), Miles Jones (Radford), AJ Williams, Jalen Breath

A UNCG game scheduled for last Tuesday, 12-21-21 against Johnson & Wales was canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests within the Spartan basketball program. The game will not be rescheduled. Will UNCG play approximately one week later, who knows.....

Wishing You A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

 

SoCon Basketball for Thursday, 12-23-21

SoCon Basketball for Thursday, December 23, 2021

 
Thursday's schedule:   No games scheduled for Thursday


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A recap of Wednesday's game(s):

- Western Carolina 82  -  Charlotte 98
Freshman Marcus Banks came off the bench to score a career-high 22 points, but Charlotte used an 11-0 run early in the second half to open up what had been a tightly contested game as the Catamounts trailed by just two at halftime in a 98-82 win over the Catamounts on Wednesday. Charlotte improves to 7-5 on the season, while WCU drops to 6-7 to close the non-conference portion of its regular season.

- Troy 69 -  Mercer 65
The Bears fell short in the second half at home in Hawkins against Troy University with the final of 69-65. Mercer (7-6) had four players score in double figures. Mercer was led by Jacksen Greco's career-high 18 points on a career-high 6-8 shooting performance from deep while playing a career-high 24 minutes.

- Middle Tennessee 65 -  Chattanooga  77
David Jean-Baptiste (24) and Malachi Smith (21) combined for 45 points to help lead the Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team to a big second half performance in a 77-65 win over Middle Tennessee on Wednesday night inside a raucous McKenzie Arena. Following the non-conference finale victory, Chattanooga snaps a two-game skid and improves its season mark to 10-3. It's the first 10-win non-conference slate since the 2015-16 campaign. MTSU falls to 9-4 on the year after the loss.

- ETSU 86 -  Georgia 84
Christmas came a few days early for David Sloan (Louisville, Ky.) and the ETSU men’s basketball team. Down by eight with exactly four minutes remaining, the Bucs closed the game on a 12-2 run, highlighted by Sloan’s game-winning three-pointer with 8.4 seconds remaining to lift ETSU past Georgia 86-84 on Wednesday night inside Stegeman Coliseum.

Wofford (8-4) at Duquesne (5-7) - canceled

VMI (7-5) at Hampton (4-7)  - canceled

SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, 12-22-21

SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Wednesday's schedule:  This is the final day of out-of-conference play before the Christmas break and conference play begins.  On the "Road to Asheville"...

3:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Wofford (8-4) at Duquesne (5-7)
UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse - Pittsburgh, PA

5:00 PM ET - Watch on CUSA TV
Western Carolina (6-6) at Charlotte (6-5)
Dale F. Halton Arena - Charlotte, NC

6:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Troy (8-4) at Mercer (7-5)
Hawkins Arena - Macon, GA

7:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Middle Tennessee (9-3) at Chattanooga (9-3)
McKenzie Arena - Chattanooga, TN

7:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+/SECN+
ETSU (7-5) at Georgia (5-6)
Stegeman Coliseum - Athens, GA


---------------------------------

A recap of Tuesday's game(s):  Samford pulls off a big win over Ole Miss, while Furman handled Big South foe Presbyterian easier than expected. Manhattan was able to squeeze by The Citadel and the UNCG game was canceled.


- Samford 75 - Ole Miss 73
The Samford men's basketball team stunned the Ole Miss Rebels with a 75-73 win Tuesday afternoon at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion. The win was the first for Samford over an SEC team since defeating Auburn, 79-68 on Nov. 19, 2010, and the program's first-ever win over Ole Miss. Samford now has two wins over Power 5 programs this season after a 78-77 win at Oregon State on Nov. 18.

- Presbyterian 61 - Furman 75
Furman's Mike Bothwell scored 21 points and Furman rode strong first-half shooting to down Presbyterian 75-61 in men's basketball action Tuesday evening at Timmons Arena. With the win, Furman improves to 8-6 on the season, while Presbyterian falls to 7-7 on the campaign.

- Manhattan 77 - The Citadel 74
Manhattan's Ant Nelson had 20 points as Manhattan narrowly defeated The Citadel 77-74 on Tuesday night. Jose Perez had 18 points and six assists for Manhattan (8-3). Elijah Buchanan added 13 points. Samba Diallo had 10 points. Hayden Brown had 19 points for the Bulldogs (6-5). Jason Roche added 18 points. Brent Davis had 10 points.

Johnson & Wales at UNCG (8-4)  -Canceled

Game #13 - Charlotte 49ers

The Catamounts continue the final road trip before their Christmas break in Charlotte, NC to face the 49ers for the first time since 1986.

Who: Charlotte 49ers
When: Wednesday, Dec. 22th, 2021
Time: 5:00 pm
Where: Halton Arena, Charlotte, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-announcers: Gary Ayers, (play-by-play; Daniel Hooker (color)
TV/Video: CUSATV
Live Stats: 49er live stats
Conference: CUSA
Nickname:49ers
Colors: Green, Gold, & White
Mascot: Norm the Miner
Head Coach: Ron Sanchez is in his fourth season at the helm of the 49er program

Charlotte's record:  6-5 overall, 4-1 home, 2-1 away, 0-3 neutral court

The Series: This will be the third meeting between the two North Carolina schools, both games were played in the late 80s and both in Charlotte. The Cats are 0-2 vs. the 49ers.

Charlotte comes into the game with a 70-54 home win over Maryland Eastern Shore of the MEAC. 

Key Returners: Jahmir Young, Brice Williams, Marvin Cannon (extra year), Jared Garcia, Jackson Threadgill
Key Losses: Jordan Shepherd (transfer), Milos Supica, Jhery Matos
Key Newcomers: Clyde Trapp (Clemson), Musa Jallow (Ohio St.), Robert Braswell (Syracuse), Austin Butler (Holy Cross), Perry Francois (Texas A&M-CC), Daylen Berry, Isaiah Folkes

SoCon Basketball for Tuesday, 12-21-21

SoCon Basketball for Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Tuesday's schedule:   Just before the Christmas break, we have four games on the schedule for Tuesday evening, this week has not been kind to the SoCon, so here's hoping for improvements on Tuesday and Wednesday's games, on the "Road to Asheville".

4:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+/SECN+
Samford (9-2) at Ole Miss (8-3)
Black Pavilion at Ole Miss - Oxford, MS

7:00 PM ET - Watch on  ESPN+
Johnson & Wales at UNCG (8-4)
Greensboro Coliseum - Greensboro, NC

7:00 PM ET  - Watch on ESPN+
Presbyterian (7-6) at Furman (7-5)
Timmons Arena - Greenville, SC

7:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Manhattan (6-3) at The Citadel (6-3)
McAlister Field House Charleston, SC

---------------------------------

A recap of Monday's game(s):  


-SC State 74 - The Citadel 57

The Citadel opened the Cobb Dill & Hammett Classic with a 74-57 loss to South Carolina State Monday evening. SCSU opened the second half by hitting three-straight three-pointers to open an eight-point advantage. The Citadel was able to get the lead down to two points on a Jason Roche triple, but SCSU would not allow the Bulldogs to get any closer.

-Western Carolina 79 - Georgia  85

Travion McCray led five Western Carolina players in double figures with 20 points, but Georgia used a late 9-0 run to gain separation and held on for an 85-79 win over the Catamounts on Monday night in Stegeman Coliseum.  Georgia improves to 5-6 while WCU evens its record at 6-6.

SoCon Basketball for Monday, December 20, 2021

SoCon Basketball for Monday, December 20, 2021

Monday's schedule:  Two games are on the schedule for Monday, as SC State travels to Charleston and the Catamounts travel to Athens, Georgia.  

5:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
South Carolina State (5-8) at The Citadel (6-3)
McAlister Field House - Charleston, SC


7:00 PM ET Watch on ESPN+/SECN+
Western Carolina (6-5) at Georgia (4-6)
Stegeman Coliseum - Athens, GA


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A recap of Sunday's game(s):

-Mercer 55 - Florida Gulf Coast 67

Florida Gulf Coast beat Mercer 67-55 on Sunday. James Glisson III had 19 points for Mercer (7-5), which had won five in a row. Jalen Johnson added 18 points and 12 rebounds. Felipe Haase had 11 points .

Game #12 - Georgia

The Cats hit the road after exam break, traveling to Athens, Georgia to face the Georgia Bulldogs in Stegeman Coliseum. 

Who: Georgia Bulldogs
When: Monday, Dec. 20th, 2021
Time: 7:00 pm
Where: Stegeman Coliseum, Athens, Ga.
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-announcers: Gary Ayers, (play-by-play; Daniel Hooker (color)
TV/Video: SECNetwork
Live Stats: UGA stats
Conference: SEC
Nickname: Bulldogs
Colors: Red and Black
Mascot: Uga X 

Head Coach: Tom Crean is in his third season at the helm of the Bulldog program

 The Series: The Cats 0-7 overall against the Bulldogs. 

Georgia's 2021-22 record:  4-6 overall, 4-3 home, 0-1 away, 0-2 neutral - Georgia has a home loss to Wofford this season, as the Terriers took a 68-65 victory home back on November 28.  

The Dogs will come into the game off a 13 point home loss to George Mason on Saturday. 

Key Returners: P.J. Horne (but will miss the season due to knee surgery
Key Losses: Sahvir Wheeler (transfer), K.D. Johnson (transfer), Toumani Camara (transfer), Justin Kier (transfer), Andrew Garcia (transfer), Tye Fagan (transfer)
Key Newcomers: Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Virginia), Aaron Cook (Gonzaga), Braelen Bridges (UIC), Jailyn Ingram (FAU), Dalen Ridgnal (JUCO), Noah Baumann (USC), Camron McDowell, Tyrone Baker, Kario Oquendo (JUCO), Christian Wright

With losses to Wofford and George Mason this season, the Bulldogs may be ripe for Western's first win in Athens on Monday night.  

SoCon Basketball Tuesday (12-14-21)

SoCon Basketball for Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Tuesday's schedule: Some good games on today's schedule, with two against the ACC, one verses the Big South and one verses the CAA.  On the "Road to Asheville".

7:00 PM ET Watch on ESPN+
North Carolina A&T (3-8) at ETSU (7-3)
Freedom Hall Civic Center - Johnson City, TN

7:00 PM ET - Watch on FLOSports
UNCG (7-3) at Towson (7-4)
SECU Arena - Towson, MD

7:00 PM ET - Watch on ACCNX
VMI (7-4) at Wake Forest (9-1)
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Winston-Salem, NC

7:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN2
Furman (7-3) at North Carolina (7-2)
Dean E. Smith Center - Chapel Hill, NC

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A recap of Monday's game(s):    No games were scheduled for Monday

SoCon Basketball Monday (12-13-21)

SoCon Basketball for Monday, December 13, 2021

Monday's schedule:  No games are on the schedule for Monday.  

---------------------------------

A recap of Sunday's game(s):

-Tennessee Wesleyan 55 - Chattanooga 104
The Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team featured four players in double digits and cruised its way to a 104-55 win over NAIA-member Tennessee Wesleyan inside McKenzie Arena on Sunday afternoon. Following the win, Chattanooga improves its mark to 9-1 ahead of Wednesday night's showdown in Nashville against mid-major power Belmont. Tennessee Wesleyan remains at 10-2 as it was marked as an exhibition contest.

-Wofford 59 - Coastal Carolina 60
The Wofford men's basketball team climbed back from a 15-point second-half deficit to hold the lead with under a minute to play at Coastal Carolina (5-3) on Sunday afternoon, though, a pair of costly fouls late in the game put the Chanticleers on the line to allow Coastal to edge Wofford 60-59 at the HTC Center in Conway, S.C. Four Terriers finished in double figures, led by Max Klesmit with 15 points, as the loss drops Wofford to 7-4 on the season.

Current Standings after Sunday's Games:
9-1 Chattanooga
8-2 Samford
7-3 UNCG
7-3 Furman
7-3 ETSU
5-3 Citadel
7-4 VMI
7-4 Mercer

7-4 Wofford
6-5 Western Carolina

SoCon Basketball Sunday (12-12-21)

SoCon Basketball for Sunday, December 12, 2021

Sunday's schedule:  Only two games on the schedule for Sunday, after a big Saturday of Games in the SoCon, on the "Road to Asheville"

2:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+ 

Wofford (7-3) at Coastal Carolina (4-3) 

The HTC Center - Conway, SC


2:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+ 

Tennessee Wesleyan at Chattanooga (8-1) 

McKenzie Arena - Chattanooga, TN

---------------------------------

A recap of Saturday's game(s):   SoCon teams won four of the six scheduled games on Saturday, with UNCG dropping an expected game to #13 Tennessee and WCU coming out on the wrong end of a 72-73 thriller played in Cullowhee yesterday.


-Gardner-Webb 61 -  VMI 64
VMI's senior center Jake Stephens scored 28 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and added six blocked shots Saturday as the VMI men's basketball team won an exciting 64-61 non-conference game against visiting Gardner-Webb University. Coming into the contest Stephens needed 20 points to become the 43rd player to join the Keydet 1,000-point club and he now sits at 1,008.  (Attendance: 2,306)

-Georgia Southern 68 -  Mercer 77
The Bears defeated the Eagles of Georgia Southern, 77-68. Mercer is now on a 5-0 run and continues their winning streak against in-state foes to 4-0. The Eagles at the start of today's game were the highest net-ranked team in Georgia. Mercer (7-4) had Felipe Haase tally 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting with five rebounds  (Attendance: 2,322)

-UNC Asheville 73 - Western Carolina 72
WCU's Travion McCray made a pair of 3-pointers inside of 14 seconds remaining but a late Western Carolina rally fell just short in a 73-72 loss to UNC Asheville on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center on Saturday afternoon. Asheville improved to 6-4 while Western Carolina drops to 6-5. The Bulldogs snap a four-game WCU winning streak in the series, earning their first win in Cullowhee since 2007.   (Attendance: 2,418)

-Morehead State (6-3) at ETSU (6-3)
After seeing the Morehead State Eagles tie the game at 65 with seven minutes remaining, the Bucs scored eight straight points, including back-to-back threes by David Sloan (Louisville, Ky.), as ETSU men’s basketball defeated the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champions, 82-75, on Saturday evening inside Freedom Hall.  (Attendance: 2,621)

-UNCG 36  -  Tennessee 76
Playing in the fourth-largest on-campus facility in the country, the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team dropped a 76-36 decision to No. 13 Tennessee Saturday in a non-conference contest at Thompson-Boling Arena. This was UNCG's first game in 11 days.  (Attendance: 16,074)

-Alabama A&M 50 -  Samford 52
Samford's Jermaine Marshall, a 6-foot-6 sophomore from Brighton, Ala., recorded his third consecutive double-double with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds to lead the Samford University men's basketball team to a 52-50 come-from-behind victory over Alabama A&M University (1-6) on Saturday at the Pete Hanna Center. Wesley Cardet and Jaron Rillie added 11 points apiece for the Bulldogs (8-2) as well. Jalen Johnson led AAMU with 18 points apiece.  (Attendance: 1,841)


Current Standings after Saturday's Games:
8-1 Chattanooga
8-2 Samford

7-3 UNCG
7-3 Wofford
7-3 Furman
7-3 ETSU
5-3 Citadel
7-4 VMI
7-4 Mercer

6-5 Western Carolina

SoCon basketball - Picking today's winners...

 Southern Conference basketball - Picking today's winners...     

Gardner-Webb (4-5) at VMI (6-4)
Cameron Hall - Lexington, VA

VMI by two points

Georgia Southern (5-3) at Mercer (6-4)
Hawkins Arena - Macon, GA

Mercer by four points

UNC Asheville (5-4) at Western Carolina (6-4)
Ramsey Center - Cullowhee, NC

Western Carolina by three points

Morehead State (6-3) at  ETSU (6-3)
Freedom Hall - Johnson City, TN

ETSU by four points

UNCG (7-2) at #13 Tennessee (6-2)
Thompson-Boling Arena - Knoxville, TN

Tennessee by more than 10 points

Alabama A&M (1-5) at Samford (7-2)
Hanna Center - Birmingham, AL

Samford by 10 points

SoCon Basketball Saturday (12-11-21)

SoCon Basketball for Saturday, December 11, 2021

Saturday's schedule:  A total of six games are on the SoCon schedule for Saturday, offering many opportunities for the SoCon to move up in the NCAA NET standings.  UNCG plays #13 Tennessee of the SEC, while we also have a Sunbelt Conference game, as well as two Big South games, an OVC game, and to finish off the day, a SWAC game... "on the Road to Asheville"

1:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Gardner-Webb (4-5) at VMI (6-4)
Cameron Hall - Lexington, VA

2:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Georgia Southern (5-3) at Mercer (6-4)
Hawkins Arena - Macon, GA

2:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
UNC Asheville (5-4) at Western Carolina (6-4)
Ramsey Center - Cullowhee, NC

4:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Morehead State (6-3) at  ETSU (6-3)
Freedom Hall - Johnson City, TN

4:30 PM ET - Watch on SECN
UNCG (7-2) at #13 Tennessee (6-2)
Thompson-Boling Arena - Knoxville, TN

7:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Alabama A&M (1-5) at Samford (7-2)
Hanna Center - Birmingham, AL

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A recap of Friday's game(s):

-Appalachian State 65 - Furman 73

Furman's Jalen Slawson scored 16 points, including six in a late 8-0 run, that powered the Furman men's basketball team to a 73-65 victory over the former SoCon foe, Appalachian State Mountaineers inside Timmons Arena. Furman improves to 7-3 on the season while Appalachian State falls to 5-5 overall.

Current Standings after Friday's Games:
8-1 Chattanooga
7-2 UNCG
7-2 Samford
7-3 Wofford
7-3 Furman
6-3 ETSU
5-3 Citadel
6-4 Western Carolina
6-4 VMI
6-4 Mercer

Game #11 - UNC Asheville

The UNC Asheville Bulldogs make the short trip west to Cullowhee to meet the Catamounts in a regional rivalry game between the two teams. The Cats put a four-game win streak against the Bulldogs on the line in this contest. 

Who: UNC Asheville
When: Saturday, Dec. 11th, 2021

Time: 2:00 pm
Where: Ramsey Center, Cullowhee
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-announcers: Gary Ayers, (play-by-play)
TV/Video: ESPN+
- announcers: Daniel Hooker (play-by-play)
Live Stats: WCU stats
Conference: Big South Conference
Nickname: Bulldogs
Colors: Blue and White

Head Coach: Mike Morrell is in his fourth season at the helm of the Bulldog program

The Series: The two teams have met 55 times on the court, with the Catamounts holding a 33-22 record against the Bulldogs. The Cats are on a four-game win streak against Asheville and have won 8 of the last 10 played.  Western is 19-8 in games played in Cullowhee. 

UNCA's Record: 5-4 overall, 4-1 home, 0-3 away, 0-1 neutral, 0-0 Big South, 

Asheville was picked second in the south division, behind Winthrop in the preseason polls of Big South coaches. The Bulldog's Tajion Jones was named First Team All-Big South with teammate LJ Thorpe garnering Second Team All-Big South honors.  

The Bulldogs are coming off a loss to the Chattanooga Mocs on Wednesday night, which broke a three-game win streak for the Bulldogs which included a win over The Citadel.  Up to this point, most of Asheville's success this season has been on their home court and the Bulldogs are 0-3 in road games. 

The Bulldogs are averaging 73.7 points per game, and are giving up only 65.1 points. 

Two Streaks: UNC-Asheville has dropped its last three road games, scoring 58.3 points and allowing 83 points during those contests. Western Carolina is on a three-game home winning streak, scoring an average of 85 points while giving up 62.3.  

Key Returners: Trent Stephney, L.J. Thorpe, Tajion Jones, Evan Clayborne, Coty Jude, Jamon Battle
Key Losses: DeVon Baker, Lavar Batts
Key Newcomers: Drew Pember (Tennessee), Quay Kimble (D-II), Jordan Hairston (Texas A&M CC)

UNCA Projected starters:
#0 Trent Strphney - 6 pts
#3 Tajion Jones - 11.5 pts
#2 LJ Thorpe - 9.9 pts
#1 Doc Battle - 10.4 pts
#4 Drew Pember - 8 pts

SoCon Basketball Friday (12-10-21)

SoCon Basketball for Friday, December 10, 2021

Friday's schedule:  There's only one game on the schedule for Friday, but it's against an old SoCon rival, as the Mountaineers visit Furman in Timmons Arena.  This should be a good one... "on the Road to Asheville"

7:00 PM ET  - Watch on ESPN+
Appalachian State (5-4) at Furman (6-3)
Timmons Arena - Greenville, SC

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Thursday's recap of the games:   There were no games on the schedule for Thursday.  

Current Standings after Wednesday's Games:
8-1 Chattanooga
7-2 UNCG
7-2 Samford
7-3 Wofford
6-3 Furman
6-3 ETSU
5-3 Citadel
6-4 Western Carolina
6-4 VMI
6-4 Mercer

SoCon Basketball Thursday (12-9-21)

SoCon Basketball for Thursday, December 9, 2021

Thursday's schedule: No Southern Conference games are scheduled for Thursday.

____________________

Wednesday's recap of the games:  It was a good Wednesday for the SoCon, having won all four games on the schedule, beating two Big South teams, one OVC team, and one SWAC team.  The SoCon remains the only DI conference with all teams having a winning record at the point of the season.  

-Chattanooga 78 - UNC Asheville 73
The Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team, who once led by as many as 15 in the second half, survived a furious comeback effort to come away with its 11th-straight non-conference road win behind a 78-73 decision over UNC Asheville inside Kimmel Arena in Asheville, North Carolina on Wednesday night. Chattanooga (8-1) now moves to 10-0 all-time against UNC Asheville and completes the home-and-home series sweep. The victory also makes UTC one of only two NCAA Division I teams this season with five true road wins (Monmouth). The Bulldogs (5-4) saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.

-Samford 74 - Alabama State 64
Samford's Wesley Cardet scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Jaden Campbell and Jermaine Marshall also added a pair of double-doubles to power the Samford University men's basketball team to a 74-64 victory over Alabama State on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome. The Bulldogs improved to 7-2 on the year while the Hornets slipped to 1-8. Kenny Strawbridge led ASU with 14.

-Tennessee Tech 69 - Western Carolina 74
The Catamount's Nicholas Robinson and Vonterius Woolbright both recorded double-doubles as Western Carolina earned a 74-69 overtime victory over Tennessee Tech on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center on Wednesday night. WCU improves to 6-4 on the season while Tennessee Tech drops to 2-7. Wednesday's game is the second straight matchup between the teams to head to overtime in as many years as WCU emerged with a 76-75 victory in Cullowhee last year. It is also the second overtime win of the season for the Catamounts, who won the season-opener 79-71 over Bowling Green on Nov. 9.

-Wofford 78 Gardner-Webb 70
Wofford's \jJunior forward B.J. Mack dominated in recording his second double-double of the season with career-highs of 28 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Terriers in a 78-70 win over Gardner-Webb (4-5) at Paul Porter Arena on Wednesday night. Sophomore Max Klesmit and senior Ryan Larson also finished in double figures, as the win moves Wofford to 7-3 overall.

Current Standings after Wednesday's Games:
8-1 Chattanooga
7-2 UNCG
7-2 Samford

7-3 Wofford
6-3 Furman
6-3 ETSU

5-3 Citadel
6-4 Western Carolina

6-4 VMI
6-4 Mercer

SoCon Basketball Wednesday (12-8-21)

SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Wednesday's Schedule:  An interesting schedule for the SoCon tonight, as they play two Big South foes, an OVC team, and finally a SWAC team.  Again, four winnable games for the SoCon and a great chance to help the conference NET and RPI.  

6:30 PM ET  - Watch on ESPN+
Chattanooga (7-1) at UNC Asheville (5-3)
Kimmel Arena - Asheville, NC


7:00 PM ET - Watch on Hornet Sports Network
Samford (6-2) at Alabama State (2-7)
Dunn-Oliver Acadome - Montgomery, AL


7:00 PM ET  -  Watch on ESPN+
Tennessee Tech (2-6) at Western Carolina (5-4)
Ramsey Center - Cullowhee, NC


7:00 PM ET  -  Watch on ESPN+
Wofford (6-3) at Gardner-Webb (4-4)
Porter Arena - Boiling Springs, NC


____________________

Tuesday's recap of the games:

-Furman 80  -  Winthrop 85
Micheal Anumba led five Eagles in double figures Tuesday evening as Winthrop held off the Furman men's basketball team for an 85-80 victory inside the Winthrop Coliseum. Winthrop improves to 5-4 on the season while Furman drops to 6-3 overall. Jalen Slawson became the first Paladin in program history to record a triple-double after leading Furman with 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 12 assists (career high), 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Current Standings after Tuesday's Games:
7-1 Chattanooga
7-2 UNCG
6-2 Samford
6-3 Furman
6-3 ETSU
6-3 Wofford
6-4 VMI
6-4 Mercer
5-3 Citadel
5-4 Western Carolina