Sunday, January 30, 2022

SoCon Basketball - If it ended today...


If the basketball season ended today (Sunday - Jan. 30, 2022), here's how the SoCon tournament would look...



First-round // Friday, March 4 // Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville // Asheville, N.C.

Game 1 - #8 Samford vs. #9 The Citadel - 5 p.m.
Game 2 - #7 ETSU vs. #10 Western Carolina - 7:30 p.m.


Quarterfinals // Saturday, March 5 // Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville // Asheville, N.C.

Game 3 - #1 Chattanooga vs. Winner of Game 1 - 12 p.m.
Game 4 - #4 Wofford vs. #5 VMI - 2:30 p.m.
Game 5 - Winner of Game 2 vs. #2 Furman - 6 p.m.
Game 6 - #6 UNCG vs. #3 Mercer - 8:30 p.m.

Friday, January 28, 2022

Game #21 - Samford Bulldogs



Off a three-game road trip, the Catamounts host the Samford Bulldogs in the first game of a doubleheader in Cullowhee on Saturday. The Bulldogs won the first meeting held in Birmingham just 21 days ago. This is the Ingles/SoCon Game of the Week.



Who: Samford Bulldogs
When: Saturday, Jan. 29th, 2022
Time: 2:00 pm
Where: Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-announcers: : Gary Ayers (Play by Play) 
TV/Video: Nexstar/ESPN+
-announcers: : David Jackson (Play by Play), Matt Matheny (Color Analyst)
Live Stats: WCU live stats
Nickname: Bulldogs
Colors: Blue & Red
Fan Message Board: The Dog Pound

Head Coach: Bucky McMillan enters his second season as head coach of the Samford University Men's Basketball team.

The Series: The Cats are 14-13 in the short history against Samford, but are 11-2 in all games played in Cullowhee.
The Bulldogs come into the game off a win over Mercer in Birmingham, breaking a 4 game losing streak in conference games.

Samford's Record:  12-8 overall, 7-2 home, 3-6 away, 2-6 SoCon

Key Returners: Logan Dye, Richardson Maitre, AJ Staton-McCray, Jacob Tryon, Jaron Rillie, Marcellus Vail
Key Newcomers: Ques Glover (Florida), Cooper Kaifes (Loyola Chicago), Jermaine Marshall (Akron), Wesley Cardet

Buckyball is the style of play McMillan brought with him to Birmingham. It’s a fast-paced, up-and-down style that emphasizes run-outs, quick shots, and high pressure. Samford ranked 17th in the country in tempo last season (KenPom) and 11th in FGA% in transition (Hoop-Math) and implemented a full-court press at the 2nd highest frequency in the country (Synergy). 




Thursday, January 27, 2022

Game Recap: The Citadel


Wednesday night, the Citadel Bulldogs mounted a furious second-half comeback, that combined with a slow-down by the Catamounts to eat time off the clock, resulted in a 66-68 victory by the Bulldogs.

The Cats led 66-64 with 16 seconds on the clock and put the ball in play with Cameron Bacote throwing the ball into Nicholas Robinson who was immediately double-teamed and trapped in the corner. Then the Citadels' Rudy Fitzgibbone who was behind Robinson, reached around Robinson with both arms (essentially a hear hug from behind, lifting Robinson off the floor), and the official rather than calling a foul on Fitzgibbone, called a jump ball, and the alternate possession arrow game the ball to the Citadel. 

The Citadel put the ball in play and Brown was able to make a layup tying the game, and a foul was called (a review of the tape shows no one touched Brown as he shot).   

Great officials that the SoCon hires...


Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Game #21 - at The Citadel


The Catamounts travel to Charleston to face The Citadel Bulldogs for the second time this season, just 21 days after an overtime win in Cullowhee.  



Who: The Citadel
When: Wednesday, Jan. 26th, 2022
Time: 7:00 pm
Where: McAlister Field House, Charleston, SC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-announcers: Gary Ayers, (play-by-play),  Daniel Hooker
TV/Video: ESPN+
-announcers: - Kyle West, Jason Kempf 
Live Stats: Citadel live stats
Nickname: Bulldogs
Colors: Citadel Blue, Navy, & White
Mascot: "Spike"

Head Coach: Dugger Baucom is in his seventh season at the helm of the Bulldog program
The Citadel's record: 8-10 overall, 5-4 home, 3-8 away, 2-5 SoCon

The Series: The Cats hold a 45-38 overall win record against the Bulldogs, after an overtime win earlier in January. The Cats are 16-21 overall in games played in Charleston.

Key Returners: Hayden Brown, Tyler Moffe, Stephen Clark, Brady Spence, Rudy Fitzgibbons, Brent Davis
Key Losses: Kaiden Rice, Fletcher Abee, Derek Webster
Key Newcomers: Jason Roche, Jackson Price, Brock Wakefield

The Bulldogs are coming off a two-point win in Johnson City over the ETSU Bucs, breaking a three-game losing streak that the Bulldogs were in. Hayden Brown's 28 points marked his highest point total since the North Carolina Central game on Dec. 6, making 12-of-19 from the floor and 3-of-5 from 3-point range with three assists. It's his sixth 20-point game of the season and 18th of his career.  

Embrace the Pace. That is what head coach Duggar Baucom asks his teams to do every year, “Duggarball” as it has come to be known is a fast-paced, up-and-down style that preaches running in transition, shooting quick open 3s, and putting pressure on opponents

The Citadel does most of its damage in transition, where it ranked 6th nationally in percentage of FGA last season per Hoop-Math. Instead of stopping opponents, the idea is to simply outscore them. Last season the Bulldogs took care of the ball better than they ever have under Baucom, thanks in large part to JUCO PG Tyler Moffe. His return should set them up for steady handling once again in 2021-22.

The biggest returner this season is forward Hayden Brown, a 1st Team All-SoCon selection last season who led the league in rebounding and ranked second in scoring. Brown is a physical, strong, athletic forward who can score from anywhere and bully weaker opponents to the cup. He led the conference in fouls drawn per 40 minutes in 2020-21 and ranked 2nd in FT rate. Simply put, Brown is a beast who will be on the shortlist for SoCon POY this season.




SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, 1-26-22


SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, January 26, 2022 

Wednesday's schedule:  There is a full schedule of games on Wednesday night.  


7:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Wofford (12-8) at Chattanooga (16-4)
McKenzie Arena - Chattanooga, TN

7:00 PM ET -  Watch on ESPN+
VMI (11-9) at Furman (14-7)
Timmons Arena - Greenville, SC

7:00 PM ET  -  Watch on ESPN+
UNCG (11-8) at ETSU (12-9)
Freedom Hall - Johnson City, TN

7:00 PM ET  -  Watch on ESPN+
Western Carolina (8-12) - The Citadel (8-10)
McAlister Field House - Charleston, SC

8:00 PM ET  -  Watch on ESPN+
Mercer (12-8) at Samford (11-8)
Hanna Center - Birmingham, AL


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

Tuesday's results:  no games were scheduled for Tuesday.



Sunday, January 23, 2022

Game Recap: Mercer Bears


The Bears used a 14-4 run in the final minutes of the game to pull out a 72-64 win over the Catamounts in Hawkins Arena on Saturday evening.  WCU falls to 8-12overall and 2-5 in conference play, while the Bears improve 12-8 overall and 5-2

Nicholas Robinson put up a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while teammate Joe Petrakis scored a career-high 20 points to lead all scoring in the game. Four Catamounts scored double digits, along with Petrakis' 20 points, Cameron Bacote posted 14 points, while Nicholas Robinson and Vonterius Woolbright both scored 11 points apiece. 

WCU finished the game 22-for-52 (42.3 percent) from the field, 11-for-30 (36.7 percent) on 3-point attempts, and 9-for-15 (60 percent) at the free-throw line., while the Bears were 26-for-56 (46.4 percent) from the field, 9-for-26 (34.6 percent) behind the arc, and 11-for-13 (84.6 percent) at the free-throw line. 

The Bears scored 8 points off the 10 turnovers by the Catamounts, while the Cats scored 6 points off the 6 turnovers by the Bears.  Two glaring stats that hurt the Cats were 32 points scored in the paint by the Bears (Western scored 22 in the paint) and  18 bench points scored by Mercer, while the Cats had no bench points.  

The Catamounts conclude their three-game road trip Wednesday in Charleston against The Citadel in a 7 p.m. tip-off. The Cats are 16-21 overall in games played in Charleston


SoCon Basketball for Sunday, 1-23-22


SoCon Basketball for Sunday, January 23, 2022

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


------------------- 

Saturday's results:

- Chattanooga 78 - VMI 74
Malachi Smith hit the go-ahead jumper while David Jean-Baptiste came away with a crucial steal to help the Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team seal a 78-74 win on the road at VMI in Southern Conference action inside Cameron Hall on Saturday afternoon. Following the win, Chattanooga caps off a perfect road trip improves to 16-4 overall, and remains atop the SoCon standings at 6-1. VMI falls to 11-9 overall and 4-4 in league play. Trailing 74-73 with under a minute remaining, Smith knocked down a highly-contested jumper to put Chattanooga ahead 75-74 with 42 seconds left. With a chance to tie it for VMI, Jean-Baptiste picked off a kickback pass that later led to game-sealing free throws on the other end.

- The Citadel 75 - ETSU 73
The Citadel outdueled ETSU in a pivotal SoCon road contest Saturday night by a 75-73 score, snapping a three-game losing streak and grabbing a crucial win midway through its SoCon season. Hayden Brown cruised to a game-best 28 points, while Rudy Fitzgibbons III came alive late to put the game out of reach, finishing with 14 markers and a trio of threes.

- Samford 58 - UNCG 61
With its 10-point second-half advantage reduced to two points with under two minutes remaining and tension rising among the fans, the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team needed somebody to step forward. Enter junior guard Keyshaun Langley. He made a pair of critical plays to lift UNCG to a 61-58 victory over Samford in the "Southern Conference Unity Game" at the Greensboro Coliseum Saturday afternoon.

- Western Carolina 64 - Mercer 72
Coach Greg Gary and the Bears defeat the Western Carolina Catamounts, 72-64. Mercer moves to 5-2 in conference gameplay and 8-1 in home games this season. Mercer (12-8, 5-2 SoCon) had Jalen Johnson tally 18 points while also going 100% from the free-throw line with six rebounds as well. Jordan Jones, the freshman, had himself a night with 16 points and four assists along with four converted threes. Jones had 35 minutes of seen action in the match.

- Furman 75 - Wofford 50
Jalen Slawson led four players in double figures with a game-high 18 points on Saturday evening to lift the Furman men's basketball team to a 75-50 Southern Conference victory over the Wofford Terriers from Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The win is Furman's first over the Terriers in Spartanburg since a 73-68 overtime triumph on January 24, 2011.



Saturday, January 22, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Saturday, 1-22-22


SoCon Basketball for Saturday, January 22, 2022

Saturday's schedule:  Five conference games are on the schedule today with all 10 teams in action, on the "Road to Asheville" 

1:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Chattanooga (15-4) at VMI (11-8)
Cameron Hall - Lexington, VA

4:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
The Citadel (7-10) at ETSU (12-8)
Freedom Hall - Johnson City, TN

5:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Samford (11-7) at UNCG (10-8)
Greensboro Coliseum - Greensboro, NC

5:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Western Carolina (8-11) at Mercer (11-8)
Hawkins Arena - Macon, GA

7:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Furman (13-7) at Wofford (12-7)
Richardson Indoor Stadium - Spartanburg, SC


------------------- 

Friday's results: no games were scheduled for Friday...



Mercer

The Catamounts continue their road trip, visiting Macon and the Mercer Bears.  


Who: Mercer
When: Saturday, Jan. 22nd, 2022
Time: 5:00 pm
Where: Hawkins Arena, Macon, Georgia
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-announcers: Gary Ayers, (play-by-play) Daniel Hooker
TV/Video: ESPN+
-announcers:
Live Stats: Mercer live stats
Nickname: Bears
Colors: Orange & Black
Fan Message Board: MU Beardown

Head Coach: Greg Gary enters his third season at the helm of the Mercer men’s basketball program in 2021-22 after leading the Bears to 35 wins through two seasons, the most for Mercer men's basketball head coach in his first two seasons.

History
: The Cats and Bears are tied 11-11, with both teams looking to take the lead in the overall history between the two as of Dec. 8, 1978. Their last meeting was in Cullowhee, N.C. on Feb. 27, 2021, where WCU won 85-61.

The Bears are coming off a 64-72 defeat in Freedom Hall against ETSU.



Friday, January 21, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Friday, 1-21-22


SoCon Basketball for Friday, January 21, 2022 

Friday's schedule:  No games are on the SoCon schedule for Friday

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

Thursday's results:

-Samford 80 - VMI 99
Freshman guard Honor Huff netted a career-high 21 points Thursday evening as the VMI men's basketball team defeated visiting Samford University 99-80 in Southern Conference action from Cameron Hall. Huff nailed 5-of-7 shots from three-point range and 8-of-11 overall to go along with four assists to snap his previous best of 15 points against The Citadel Saturday.

-Chattanooga 72 - UNCG 64
With four players scoring in double digits and a stellar performance from the free-throw line, the Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team grinded its way to its first win in Greensboro since 2016 and defeated UNCG 72-64 inside the Greensboro Coliseum in Southern Conference action on Thursday evening. Following the victory, Chattanooga improves to 15-4 overall and sits atop the league standings by a half game over Furman (5-2) at 5-1. UNCG has dropped its last three games and falls to 10-8 overall and 2-4 in SoCon action.



Thursday, January 20, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Thursday, 1-20-22


SoCon Basketball for Thursday, January 20, 2022

Thursday's schedule:

7:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+ 
Samford (11-6) at VMI (10-8) 
Cameron Hall - Lexington, VA

7:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+ 
Chattanooga (14-4) at UNCG (10-7) 
Greensboro Coliseum - Greensboro, NC

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


Wednesday's results:

-Western Carolina 50 - Furman 88
Mike Bothwell led all players with 26 points, while JP Pegues scored a career high 18, on Wednesday evening to propel the Furman men's basketball team to an 88-50 victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts in Southern Conference action from Timmons Arena. With the win, the Paladins have now won four consecutive SoCon contests inside Timmons Arena and 12 straight against the Catamounts in the overall series

-Mercer 64 - ETSU 72
The ETSU men’s basketball team got hot at just the right time. Down by three with less than five minutes to play, the Buccaneers made their last six shots, which included a closing 15-4 surge, to rally past Mercer, 72-64, on Wednesday night inside Freedom Hall. With the win, ETSU improved to 12-8 overall and 4-3 in league play, while Mercer – who entered the night tied for the lead atop the SoCon standings – dipped to 11-8, 4-2.

-The Citadel 77 - Wofford 89
Sophomore Max Klesmit and junior B.J. Mack caught fire in the second half against The Citadel (7-10, 1-5 SoCon) on Wednesday night, finishing with 27 and 25 points, respectively, to lift Wofford to its third consecutive Southern Conference victory with an 89-77 win over the Bulldogs at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Junior guard Isaiah Bigelow also notched his first career double-double on the night, as the Terriers shot over 50 percent for their third-straight game and poured in 14-of-28 from beyond the arc (50%) as a season-best tally from 3-point range through league play.





Wednesday, January 19, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, 1-19-22



SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, January 19, 2022 

Wednesday's schedule:  Only three games are on today's schedule, all starting a 7 pm and all on ESPN+

7:00 PM ET  - Watch on ESPN+
Western Carolina (8-10) at Furman (12-7)
Timmons Arena - Greenville, SC

7:00 PM ET  - Watch on ESPN+
Mercer (11-7) at ETSU (11-8)
Freedom Hall Civic Center - Johnson City, TN

7:00 PM ET   - Watch on ESPN+
The Citadel (7-9) - Wofford (11-7)
Richardson Indoor Stadium - Spartanburg, SC

------------------- 

Tuesday's results: No games were scheduled





 Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

Monday, January 17, 2022

Furman Paladins


The Cats depart on a three-game road trip, with the first stop in Travelers Rest, SC to face the Furman Paladins. 


Who: Furman Paladins
When: Wednesday, Jan. 19th, 2022
Time: 7:00 pm
Where: Timmons Arena, Travelers Rest, SC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
-announcers: Gary Ayers, (play-by-play) Daniel Hooker
TV/Video: ESPN+
-announcers: Bryant Lambert (Play by Play), Terrance Oglesby (Color Analyst)
Live Stats: Furman live stats
Nickname: Paladins
Colors: Purple & White
Fan Message Board: Go Paladins

Head CoachBob Richey is in the fifth season as head coach of the Furman men’s basketball team and 11th overall with the program.

Wofford's record:  12-7 overall,  8-1 home,  4-6 away,  4-2 SoCon

The Series: The Cats are an anemic 29-50 overall against the Paladins, and 9-29 in games played in  Travelers Rest, SC.  Western is currently on an 11 game losing streak to the Paladins, having last won in Cullowhee in 2016.  


                                                         

Sunday, January 16, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Sunday, 1-16-22



SoCon Basketball for Sunday, January 16, 2022

Sunday's schedule:   There are no games scheduled for Sunday.

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

Saturday's results:

-VMI 90 - The Citadel 85
Senior center Jake Stephens scored 20 points and grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds to help VMI hold off a second half rally by The Citadel and post a 90-85 Southern Conference win Saturday at McAlister Field House. The Keydet victory snapped a three-game skid and raised VMI's record to 10-8, 3-3 in the league. VMI also won its fourth road game of the year for the first time since 2014-15.

-Wofford 84 -  Western Carolina 64
Four Terriers scored in double figures to pace a hot-shooting afternoon at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center in Cullowhee, N.C., as Wofford dropped Western Carolina (8-10, 2-3 SoCon) 84-64 to even its league record to 3-3 and move to 11-7 overall on the season. Junior B.J. Mack and freshman Luke Turner recorded a pair of 20-point performances, including a career-high double-double for Turner, followed by Isaiah Bigelow and Ryan Larson in double figures, as the Terriers shot over 50 percent from the floor (53.4%) for the second consecutive contest.

-UNCG 48 - Mercer 58
Coach Greg Gary and the Bears defeat the Spartans of UNCG, 58-49. Mercer moves to 3-1 in conference gameplay and 7-1 at home this season. Mercer (10-7, 3-1 SoCon) had Jalen Johnson tally 16 points while also going 100% from the free throw line with two blocks as well. Felipe Haase had himself a day too with 13 points and five rebounds along with five assists.

-Furman 69 - Chattanooga 71
Malachi Smith knocked down a pair of go-ahead free throws with 7.6 seconds left and secured the game-winning defensive stop on the other end to lift the Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team to a thrilling 71-69 win over Southern Conference leader Furman inside a raucous 'Gold Rush' McKenzie Arena on Saturday afternoon. Following the win, Chattanooga moves into first place in the league standings behind a 4-1 record while improving its overall record to 14-4. Furman falls to 12-7 overall and 4-2 in SoCon action.

ETSU 88 - Samford 85
All five of ETSU’s starters scored in double figures and the Buccaneers shot over 50 percent from field, as the Blue and Gold edged Samford 88-85 on Saturday evening inside the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Ala. David Sloan (Louisville, Ky.) made one of two free throws to give ETSU the three-pointer lead with 4.6 seconds remaining and Samford had a look for a game-tying three, but Cooper Kaifes’ attempt from the left wing didn’t fall allowing the Bucs to come away with a key conference road win.




Saturday, January 15, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Saturday, 1-15-22


SoCon Basketball for Saturday, January 15, 2022

Saturday's schedule:

1:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
VMI (9-8) at The Citadel (7-7)
McAlister Field House - Charleston, SC

2:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Wofford (10-7) at Western Carolina (8-9)
Ramsey Center - Cullowhee, NC

2:00 PM ET - Watch on  ESPN+
UNCG (0-6)at Mercer (9-7)
Hawkins Arena - Macon, GA

3:00 PM ET - Watch on  CBSSN
Furman (12-6) at Chattanooga (13-4)
McKenzie Arena - Chattanooga, TN

3:00 PM ET - Watch on  ESPN+
ETSU 10-8) at Samford (11-5)
Pete Hanna Center - Birmingham, AL


2021-22 Southern Conference Standings
TEAM      CONF   OVR
Furman    4-1     12-6
UTC         3-1    13-4
Mercer      2-1     9-7
UNCG      2-2   10-6
WCU        2-2     8-9
Wofford    2-3   10-7
ETSU       2-3    10-8
VMI         2-3      9-8
Citadel     1-2      7-7
Samford   1-3    11-5


Friday, January 14, 2022

Wofford Terriers

The Catamounts remain at home after their upset of the number one Chattanooga Mocs on Wednesday in Cullowhee, where they are 5-1 in the season. The Cats host the Wofford Terriers.


Who: Wofford
When: Saturday, Jan. 15th, 2022
Time: 2:00 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: Terriers
Colors: Black & Gold
Mascot: Terriers
Fan Message Board: Wofford Fans

Head Coach: Jay McAuley enters his third season at the helm of the program entering the 2021-22 men's basketball season.

Wofford's record: 10-7 overall,6-3 home, 4-4 away, 2-3 SoCon

The Series: The Cats own a 30-32 overall record against the Terriers, and are 17-11 in games played in Cullowhee. The Cats are on a two game skid vs. Wofford, dropping both home and away games last season to the Terriers.

The Terriers come into the game have won two of their last three games and are coming off a big home win over the Samford Bulldogs, 87-64. Wofford has conference wins over Samford & ETSU, and dropped games to VMI, Chattanooga and UNCG.  In Wednesday's win over Samford, the Terriers shot a blistering 62% from the field to earn a dominant 87-64 victory over Samford.


Monday, January 10, 2022

Game #16 - ETSU

The Cats continue their road trip with a make-up game against the ETSU Buccaneers in Johnson City


Who: ETSU
When: Monday, January, 10th, 2022
Time: 7:00 pm
Where: Freedom Hall Civic Center, Johnson City, TN
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: ETSU live stats
Nickname: Bucs
Colors: Blue & Gold (Yellow)
Fan Message Board: Buccaneer Nation

Head Coach: Desmond Oliver enters his first season as head coach of the ETSU Men's Basketball team.

ETSU's record: 9-7 overall, 5-2 home, 1-5 away, 3-0 neutral, 1-2 SoCon

The Series: The Cats are 24-59 overall against the Bucs, and just 7-30 in games played in Johnson City.  Western has not won against the Bucs since 2015 and is on a 15 game slide against the Bucs.  



Sunday, January 9, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Sunday, 1-9-22


SoCon Basketball for Sunday, January 9, 2022 
 
Sunday's schedule:   no games are on the schedule today...


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

A recap of Saturday's game(s):


- UNCG 72 - VMI 56
The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team started a grueling stretch of four games in seven days in four different states with a 72-56 victory over Virginia Military Institute in a Southern Conference contest at Cameron Hall Saturday afternoon. In helping the visiting Spartans create a masterpiece of mayhem, junior guard Kobe Langley was a bundle of disruption from start to finish.


- Western Carolina 60 - Samford 85
Playing at home for the first time in three weeks, the Samford men's basketball team earned an impressive 85-60 Southern Conference win over Western Carolina Saturday afternoon in the Pete Hanna Center. With the win, Samford improves to 11-4 overall and 1-2 in SoCon play. Western Carolina falls to 7-8 overall and 1-1 in league action.


- Mercer 66 - Furman 81 Mike Bothwell's game-high 17 points paced the Furman men's basketball team to an 81-66 victory, giving head coach Bob Richey the 100th of his career, over the Mercer Bears Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference action from Bon Secours Wellness Arena.


- Wofford 68 - ETSU 57
The Wofford men's basketball team picked up its first Southern Conference win and victory of the New Year on Saturday afternoon, dropping ETSU (9-7, 1-2 SoCon) at Freedom Hall, 68-57, behind a dominant 22-point effort from junior forward B.J. Mack. Max Klesmit and Isaiah Bigelow contributed 12 points apiece, as the Terriers move to 9-6 overall and 1-2 in the SoCon.


- The Citadel 67 - Chattanooga 85 
Behind a fantastic defensive effort from Darius Banks, 27 points from Malachi Smith, and a double-double from Silvio De Sousa, the Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team ran away with an 85-67 victory over The Citadel in Southern Conference action inside McKenzie Arena on Saturday afternoon. Chattanooga has now won its last four games and improved its overall record to 13-3 and SoCon tally to 3-0. The Citadel falls to 6-7 overall and 0-2 in league play.


2021-22 Southern Conference Standings
TEAM      CONF   OVR
UTC           3-0     13-3
Furman      3-1     11-6
VMI            2-2       9-7
UNCG       1-1        9-5
Mercer       1-1       8-7
WCU          1-1       7-8
Samford     1-2     11-4
Wofford      1-2       9-6
ETSU         1-2       9-7
Citadel        0-2      6-7




Saturday, January 8, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Saturday, 1-8-22



SoCon Basketball for Saturday, January 8, 2022 

Saturday's schedule:   Another full slate of conference games are on tap for Saturday, with all ten Southern Conference teams in action, with Wofford at ETSU this week's Ingles SoCon Game of the Week. The SoCon is one of four Division I conferences that can claim that every member is at least .500 on the season. The Big 12, Big East and Mountain West are the others.... on the "Road to Asheville".


1:00 PM ET -  Watch on ESPN+
UNCG (8-5) at VMI (9-6)
Cameron Hall - Lexington, VA

3:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Western Carolina (7-7) at Samford (10-4)
Pete Hanna Center - Birmingham, AL

4:00 PM ET -  Watch on ESPN+
Mercer (8-6) at Furman (10-6)
Timmons Arena - Greenville, SC

4:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Wofford at ETSU
Freedom Hall Civic Center - Johnson City, TN

4:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
The Citadel (6-6) at Chattanooga (12-3)
McKenzie Arena - Chattanooga, TN


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

A recap of Friday's game(s): No games were scheduled on Friday.



Friday, January 7, 2022

Game #15 - Samford

After winning their conference opener at home, the Catamounts hit the road for a two-game stretch, first visiting the Samford Bulldogs in Hanna Center.  


Who: Samford
When: Saturday, Jan. 8th, 2022
Time: 3:00 pm
Where: Hanna Center, Birmingham, AL
Radio: None
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: Samford live stats
Nickname: Bulldogs
Colors: Blue & Red
Fan Message Board: The Dog Pound

Head Coach
: Bucky McMillan enters his second season as head coach of the Samford University Men's Basketball team.
Samford's record: 10-4 overall, 5-1 home, 3-3 away, 2-0 neutral, 0-2 SoCon

The Series: The Cats are 14-12 in the short history against Samford, but is 3-10 in all games played at Samford

The Bulldogs come into the game having dropped two conference games (Furman & Mercer) but still has a 10-4 overall record, with wins over Ole Miss, McNeese State, NC A&T, and Oregon State to name a few.  

Key Returners: Logan Dye, Richardson Maitre, AJ Staton-McCray, Jacob Tryon, Jaron Rillie, Marcellus Vail
Key Losses: Preston Parks, Myron Gordon, Jalen Dupree, Christian Guess, Triston Chambers
Key Newcomers: Ques Glover (Florida), Cooper Kaifes (Loyola Chicago), Jermaine Marshall (Akron), Wesley Cardet

Buckyball is the style of play McMillan brought with him to Birmingham. It’s a fast-paced, up-and-down style that emphasizes run-outs, quick shots, and high pressure. Samford ranked 17th in the country in tempo last season (KenPom) and 11th in FGA% in transition (Hoop-Math) and implemented a full-court press at the 2nd highest frequency in the country (Synergy). This style of play can lead to massive swings in results and can be fun to watch.



Thursday, January 6, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Thursday, 1-6-22

SoCon Basketball for Thursday, January 6, 2022

Thursday's schedule:  No conference games are scheduled for Thursday.

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A recap of Wednesday's game(s):  

- Chattanooga 75 -  Wofford  67
The Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team battled its way to a physical 75-67 Southern Conference road victory at Wofford inside the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night in Spartanburg, S.C. Malachi Smith scored a game-high 24 points while David Jean-Baptiste became the school's all-time career three-point field goal leader behind five threes to help Chattanooga improve to 12-3 overall and 2-0 in the SoCon. Following the loss, Wofford moves to 8-6 overall and 0-2 in the league.

- Samford 80 - Mercer 83
Coach Greg Gary and the Bears defeat the Bulldogs of Samford, 83-80. Mercer starts their first SoCon game of the season and the New Year with a victory. Samford, at the start of today's game, had the second most wins in the conference behind Chattanooga. Mercer (8-6, 1-0 SoCon) had Felipe Haase tally 24 points while going 10-of-11 shooting at the free throw line with five rebounds as well. Shannon Grant had himself a second half and had a career high 23 points on 10-14 shooting and a career high nine rebounds for the Orange & Black.

- Furman 58 - UNCG 54
Mike Bothwell scored a game-high 20 points to lead three Paladins in double figures Wednesday evening as the Furman men's basketball team held on for a 58-54 victory over the UNC Greensboro Spartans from the Greensboro Coliseum. Furman improves to 10-6 overall and 2-1 in the SoCon, while UNC Greensboro drops to 8-5 on the season and 0-1 in conference play.

- VMI 79 -  ETSU 80
Ledarrius Brewer (Meridian, Miss.) provided the spark early and David Sloan (Louisville, Ky.) finished with the late-game heroics, as ETSU men’s basketball held off VMI 80-79 in Wednesday’s Southern Conference home opener inside Freedom Hall. ETSU continued its win streak over the Keydets as the Bucs have now won 13 straight in the series en route to moving its season record to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

- The Citadel 90 -  Western Carolina 94
Nicholas Robinson led five Western Carolina players in double figures with 19 points as the Catamounts began the Southern Conference portion of their season with a 94-90 overtime win against The Citadel on Wednesday on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. WCU evens its season record at 7-7 and improves to 1-0 in league play while The Citadel drops to 6-6 and 0-1. The win is the third overtime victory for the Catamounts in as many games this season.

Southern Conference Standings
TEAM - CONF - GB  - OVR
1 UTC       2-0  - 12-3
2 Mercer   1-0   0.5   8-6
2 WCU     1-0   0.5   7-7
4 Furman  2-1   0.5  10-6
4 VMI        2-1  0.5   9-6
6 ETSU     1-1   1     9-6
7 UNCG    0-1  1.5   8-5
7 Citadel    0-1  1.5   6-6
9 Samford  0-2   2   10-4
9 Wofford   0-2   2   8-6



Wednesday, January 5, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, 1-5-22



Wednesday's schedule:   A full slate of conference games is on the schedule for Wednesday night, hopefully, there will be no more COVID postponements.  All ten teams will see action tonight, on the Road to Asheville

7:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+
Chattanooga (11-3, 1-0 Southern) at Wofford (8-5, 0-1 Southern)
Richardson Indoor Stadium - Spartanburg, SC

7:00 PM ET -Watch on ESPN+
Samford (10-3, 0-1 Southern) at Mercer (7-6, 0-0 Southern)
Hawkins Arena - Macon, GA

7:00 PM ET -Watch on ESPN+
Furman (9-6, 1-1 Southern) at UNCG (8-4, 0-0 Southern)
Greensboro Coliseum - Greensboro, NC

7:00 PM ET- Watch on ESPN+
VMI (9-5, 2-0 Southern) at East Tennessee State (8-6, 0-1 Southern)
Freedom Hall Civic Center - Johnson City, TN

7:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+ 
The Citadel (6-5, 0-0 Southern) at Western Carolina (6-7, 0-0 Southern)
Ramsey Center - Cullowhee, NC

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

Rescheduled Southern Conference men’s basketball games:
Monday, Jan. 10 Wofford at UNCG (postponed from Jan. 1)
Monday, Jan. 10 Western Carolina at ETSU (postponed from Jan. 1)
Monday, Feb. 7 UNCG at Western Carolina (postponed from Dec. 29)
Monday, Feb. 7 Chattanooga at Mercer (postponed from Jan. 1)


Conference standings prior to Wednesday's games:

         Conf. Overall 
VMI 2-0, 9-5 
Chattanooga 1-0 ,11-3 
Furman 1-1 ,9-6 
UNCG 0-0, 8-4 
The Citadel 0-0, 6-5 
Mercer 0-0, 7-6 
Western Carolina 0-0, 6-7 
Samford 0-1, 10-3 
Wofford 0-1, 8-5 
ETSU 0-1, 8-6


Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Game #14 - The Citadel


The Catamounts host The Citadel in the Ramsey Center after both the Cats and Dogs conference opening two games were postponed due to Covid 19. 



Who: The Citadel
When: Wednesday, Jan. 5th, 2022
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: Bulldogs
Colors: Citadel Blue, Navy, & White
Mascot: "Spike"

Head Coach: Dugger Baucom is in his seventh season at the helm of the Bulldog program
The Citadel's record: 6-5 overall, 4-2 home, 2-3 away, 0-0 SoCon

The Series: The Cats hold a 44-38 overall win record against the Bulldogs, but have dropped the last two games against The Citadel which broke a seven-game Catamount win streak.  The Cats are 25-15 in games played in Cullowhee.  

Key Returners: Hayden Brown, Tyler Moffe, Stephen Clark, Brady Spence, Rudy Fitzgibbons, Brent Davis
Key Losses: Kaiden Rice, Fletcher Abee, Derek Webster
Key Newcomers: Jason Roche, Jackson Price, Brock Wakefield

Embrace the Pace. That is what head coach Duggar Baucom asks his teams to do every year, “Duggarball” as it has come to be known is a fast-paced, up-and-down style that preaches running in transition, shooting quick open 3s, and putting pressure on opponents

The Citadel does most of its damage in transition, where it ranked 6th nationally in percentage of FGA last season per Hoop-Math. Instead of stopping opponents, the idea is to simply outscore them. Last season the Bulldogs took care of the ball better than they ever have under Baucom, thanks in large part to JUCO PG Tyler Moffe. His return should set them up for steady handling once again in 2021-22.

The biggest returner this season is forward Hayden Brown, a 1st Team All-SoCon selection last season who led the league in rebounding and ranked second in scoring. Brown is a physical, strong, athletic forward who can score from anywhere and bully weaker opponents to the cup. He led the conference in fouls drawn per 40 minutes in 2020-21 and ranked 2nd in FT rate. Simply put, Brown is a beast who will be on the shortlist for SoCon POY this season.






Sunday, January 2, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Sunday, 1-2-22

SoCon Basketball for Sunday, 1-2-22

Sunday's schedule:    No games are scheduled for Sunday

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A recap of Saturday's game(s):

-Furman 67 - VMI 76 
Sophomore guard Trey Bonham scored all of his 16 points in the second half Saturday as the VMI men's basketball team started 2022 off with a 76-67 Southern Conference victory over Furman University from Cameron Hall. The Paladins were picked second in both SoCon pre-season polls and defeated the University of Louisville earlier this season.






Saturday, January 1, 2022

SoCon Basketball for Saturday, 1-1-22

 SoCon Basketball for Saturday, January 1, 2022     


Saturday's schedule:  
Five games were originally scheduled for Saturday, all have been postponed except the Furman at VMI game...  on the "Road to Asheville"

1:00 PM ET - Watch on ESPN+ 
Furman (9-5) at VMI (8-5) 
Cameron Hall - Lexington, VA

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A recap of Friday's game(s)
No SoCon games were played on Friday, the final day of 2021...