SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Six games are on the schedule for Wednesday night, with Samford having the most difficult opponent of the six, notwithstanding the Bulldogs are riding a 2 game-losing streak and a loss to an NAIA opponent the last time out.  The other five games should be winnable for each SoCon team, here's to a good Wednesday night of games,  on the "Road to Asheville"...


7:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Chattanooga (3-3, 0-2 Away) at Tennessee Tech (3-4, 3-1 Home)
Hooper Eblen Center
Cookeville, TN

7:00 PM- Watch on  ESPN+

The Citadel (4-3, 1-2 Away) at Charleston Southern (2-3, 2-0 Home)
Buccaneer Fieldhouse
Charleston, SC

7:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+

Gardner-Webb (1-5, 0-5 Away) at Western Carolina (4-3, 1-0 Home)
Ramsey Regional Activity Center
Cullowhee, NC

7:00 PM - Watch on  FLO Hoops
UNCG (3-4, 0-1 Away) at NC A&T (3-4, 3-0 Home)
Corbett Sports Center
Greensboro, NC

7:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+

Mars Hill at ETSU (3-4, 2-1 Home)
Freedom Hall Civic Center
Johnson City, TN

9:00 PM - Watch on FS2

Samford (6-2, 1-0 Away) at DePaul (3-3, 2-1 Home)
Wintrust Arena
Chicago, IL

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

A recap of Tuesday night's games:

The SoCon went 1-1 on Tuesday night, with Furman winning and VMI taking a loss...

Furman 65 -  Appalachian State 61

Mike Bothwell scored a game-high 23 points and keyed a late 11-0 run to lead Furman to a 65-61 victory over Appalachian State on Tuesday night at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, N.C. Trailing 57-52 with under six minutes remaining, Furman's Jalen Slawson ended a 0-for-10 shooting drought with a reverse layup and Bothwell went 4-for-4 at the free throw line on Furman's next two possessions to put the Paladins in front 58-57. After a defensive stop, Bothwell buried a triple from the left of the key to give Furman a four-point cushion with 2:49 to go. Marcus Foster rebounded a missed layup by Appalachian's Terence Harcum and Bothwell fed Garrett Hien for a basket in the paint to cap the 11-0 spurt as Furman took a 63-57 advantage with 2:03.


VMI 57 -  Presbyterian 72

After rallying to pull within five points at the half, the VMI basketball team went cold for the first eight minutes of the second half as host Presbyterian College pulled away for a 72-57 win over the Keydets Tuesday night at the Templeton Center in Clinton, South Carolina.  VMI (2-6, 0-0) trailed by double digits in the opening half but stuck together to keep the game close, going into the break trailing by a slim 42-37 margin.

WCU MBB Game #8 - Gardner-Webb

Who: Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs

When: Wednesday, November 30, 2022 Time: 7 pm
Where: Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
TV/video: ESPN+
Live Stats: WCU Live Stats
Head Coach: Tim Craft enters his tenth season at the helm of GWU in 2022-2023.
  -Record at GWU: 157-139
  -Career Record:  157-139
  -Craft's record vs. WCU: 4-5
  -Gray's Record vs. GWU: 0-1
Nickname: Runnin' Bulldogs
Colors: Scarlet and black
Students: 3,600
Location: Boiling Springs, NC
Conference: Big South Conference
  -Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
  -Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/6 GWU

Current Record: 1-5 overall, 0-0 home, 0-5 away, 1-0 neutral

The Series: Stretching back to 1970, the Cats own an overall record of 6-9 with Gardner-Webb, and dropped last season's game played in Boiling Spring, 69-87. Western is 4-2 with the dogs in games played in Cullowhee.

Gardner-Webb men's basketball was picked to finish fourth in the ten team, Big South Conference preseason poll, senior forward Kareem Reid (5"9") was named preseason All-Big South Conference, averaging a career-high 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Reid also blocked 1.6 shots per game. Joining him up front is senior forward Ludovic Dufeal, a 6-foot-8 senior who averaged 4.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and blocked 38 shots last season.

Gardner-Webb comes into the WCU game with three players averaging double-figure scoring, with sophomore guard Julien Soumaoro leading all scorers, putting up 12.6 ppg, followed by Kareem Reid with 11.8 ppg, & junior guard Anthony Selden averaging 10.8 ppg. Reid is also the leading rebounder on the team with 7.6 rebounds per game.

SoCon Basketball for Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

There are two games on the SoCon schedule for Tuesday, both are away games, as Furman visits the hillbillies, and VMI travels to Clinton, SC. These are winnable games, and we need to get back on track after a disastrous Sunday outing..... on "The Road to Asheville"


6:30 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Furman (4-2, 0-0 Away) at Appalachian State (5-2, 3-2Home)
Holmes Convocation Center
Boone, NC


7:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
VMI (2-5, 0-3 Away) at Presbyterian (1-6, 1-0 Home)
Ross E. Templeton P.E. Center
Clinton, SC


----------

No SoCon games were played on Monday

SoCon Basketball for Monday, Nov. 28, 2022

Monday, November 28, 2022

No games are on the schedule today, but SoCon basketball will return on Tuesday, November 29th.

Five games were played on Sunday, and it was a sorry day for Southern Conference basketball. All five games resulted in losses, ranging from the SEC to the NAIA. Two losses to the SEC, one loss to CAA, one loss to the WAC, and one big loss to NAIA's Mid-South Conference. Yep, that's right a loss to the NAIA.

Sunday's game recaps:

Mercer 60  - Towson 70

The Mercer men's basketball program closed out the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic in Savannah, Georgia, with a loss to Towson, 70-60 on Sunday evening. The Bears finished the tournament 2-1. The game started with the teams alternating leads, mostly maintaining a one-possession game. Both teams had seven-point runs in the first half, but the difference was only one point in favor of Towson at halftime. Towson outscored Mercer 11-5 for the first eight minutes of the second half until the Bears battled back to take a one-point lead. The lead did not last as the Tigers led by double-digits for most of the final six minutes. The game ended 70-60, in favor of Towson.

Stephen F. Austin 75- UNCG 58
Three players from UNCG scored in double figures, but the Spartans fell to Stephen F. Austin in the final game of the Northern Classic, 75-58 Sunday afternoon at Place Bell Arena. Freshman Donovan Atwell scored a career-best 11 points, shooting 3-for-6 from behind the arc. Keondre Kennedy scored a game-high 17 points, while Keyshaun Langley notched 10 points.

Tennessee Southern 84 - Samford 82

Despite 35 combined points from Jaden Campbell and Bubba Parham the Samford Men's Basketball team fell 84-82 to the NAIA's FIrehawks of Tennessee Southern on Sunday.  Both Campbell and Parham each knocked down five field goals and dished out two assists, with Parham grabbing five rebounds and Campbell four. Achor Achor finished one point shy of a double-double, logging a nine-point, 10-rebound effort. Nathan Johnson added eight points and five rebounds. The Bulldogs outscored the Firehawks 10-9 over the first five minutes, with UT Southern going toe-to-toe with Samford and taking a 20-19 lead at the 8:05 mark. Samford used a 14-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 28-20 lead, highlighted by nine unanswered points over the final two minutes of the scoring spree. The Firehawks battled back by outscoring Samford 15-7 over the final six minutes of the period to see a halftime score of 35-35.
 

Wofford 75 - LSU 78

Adam Miller scored 26 points and hit a clutch 3-pointer in the final minute, helping LSU survive a scare and defeat Wofford 78-75 on Sunday. Miller's baseline 3-pointer that bounced off the rim and then banked off the backboard gave LSU a 77-73 lead with 41 seconds to go. It was his sixth 3-pointer in nine attempts. Still, Miller's turnover with 17 seconds remaining afforded Wofford the chance to tie the game. The Terriers twice missed 3-pointers, both times grabbing the offensive rebound before calling a timeout. A third 3-point try was blocked by LSU's Cam Hayes as time ran out.

Tennessee Southern 78 - Samford 75
In a game that saw the lead change 19 times with eight ties, the Wofford College men's basketball team was defeated 78-75 by Louisiana State University at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Sunday afternoon. The Terriers had a five-point lead with 4:26 left in the game, but the Tigers used a 10-0 run to pull ahead. Down three after a pair of free throws, Wofford missed three attempts at a game-tying three-pointer in the final ten seconds to close out the game. The loss drops the Terriers' record to 4-3 to start the season, while the Tigers are 6-1 overall.

SoCon Basketball for Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Five games are on the SoCon schedule for Sunday, as UNCG kicks off the Northern Classic early game at 11 am (EST) against SFA. The Spartans have gone 1-1 in the tournament in the first two games. Mercer continues to play in the Hostilo Community Classic, facing Towson, the Bears are 2-0 in this classic. ETSU travels to Athens, Georgia to face the Georgia Bulldogs, while Wofford faces LSU in Baton Rouge, LA. The Samford Bulldogs are the only team playing at home as they face Tenn. Southern in Homewood, Alabama. .


11:00 AM - Watch on Event Live+
Stephen F. Austin (3-3) vs. UNCG (3-3)
Northern Classic
Place Bell Arena
Montreal, Quebec


1:00 PM - Watch on SECN
ETSU (3-3, 0-1 Away) at Georgia (4-2, 3-0 Home)
Stegeman Coliseum
Athens, GA


3:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Tennessee Southern at Samford (6-1, 5-1 Home)
Pete Hanna Center
Homewood, AL


3:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+ & SECN+
Wofford (4-2, 0-2 Away) at LSU (5-1, 3-0 Home)
Pete Maravich Assembly Center
Baton Rouge, LA


5:00 PM - Watch on Event Live+
Mercer (3-3) vs. Towson (6-1)
Hostilo Community Classic
Enmarket Arena
Savannah, GA


*************************


A recap of Saturday's games:

Regent University 56 - VMI 108
The VMI men's basketball team drilled 19 three-pointers and hit 66 percent of its shots Saturday afternoon to earn a 108-58 victory over visiting Regent University from Cameron Hall. The 19 three-pointers ties for the eighth-most in school history and the 108 points is the most scored since last season's opening game against Carlow University. Senior Sean Conway drilled 6-of-7 three-pointers for 20 points and Devin Butler hit 5-6 from beyond the arc and finished with a career-high 16 points with six rebounds. Freshman Asher Woods netted a game-high 21 points, hitting 8-of-10 from the field. Freshman Rickey Bradley, Jr. posted game and career-highs of 11 rebounds and seven assists to go with six points. Tony Felder, Jr. had 16 points and five assists


Hofstra 65 - UNCG 53
The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team was unable to get past Hofstra University in the first-ever meeting between the two teams with a score of 65-53 Saturday afternoon at Place Bell Arena in its second game in Canada in the Northern Classic. Four Spartans paced the offense with double-digit points. Mikeal Brown-Jones led the team with 11 points, while Keondre Kennedy, Keyshaun Langley, and Bas Leyte tallied 10 points each. UNCG went on a 13-7 run to cut the deficit to five, 45-40, that was finalized by a dunk from Kennedy at 11:50. Hofstra scored eleven-straight points, with six of them being free throws, put the Pride up by 16, 56-40, with 7:51 remaining in the second half. The Spartans closed the gap to 10, 63-53, after two free throws from Kobe Langley, but Hofstra sealed the win with two free throws from Jaquan Carlos, 65-53.


Western Carolina 61 - UNC Asheville 73
Tyzhaun Claude and Bernard Pelote led Western Carolina with 11 points each, but UNC Asheville used a 12-0 run in the early stages of the second half to grab a lead they wouldn't relinquish in a 73-61 win over the Catamounts on Saturday inside Kimmel Arena. UNC Asheville improves to 4-2 on the season while WCU sees its four-game winning streak snapped, dropping to 4-3. Both Claude and Pelote came off the bench to finish in double figures. Tyler Harris, Tre Jackson, and Vonterius Woolbright each added nine points, with Woolbright bringing down a team-best seven rebounds on the defensive glass. Drew Pember led UNC Asheville with 28 points, going 9-for-14 from the field and 8-for-11 at the free throw line. Jamon Battle added 19 points followed by Taijon Jones with 12 points.


Murray State 66 - Chattanooga 77
Keondre Kennedy had 20 points in UNC Greensboro’s 77-66 win over Montana State on Friday night at the Northern Classic. Kennedy had six rebounds for the Spartans (3-2). Keyshaun Langley added 16 points while shooting 4 for 11 (2 for 6 from 3-point range) and 6 of 6 from the free throw line, and he also had five assists. Mikeal Brown-Jones shot 5 of 5 from the field and 3 for 4 from the line to finish with 14 points. Jubrile Belo led the Bobcats (3-3) in scoring, finishing with 18 points and two steals. Raequan Battle added 14 points for Montana State. In addition, Great Osobor finished with 13 points.


Fairfield 66 - Mercer 72
Kamar Robertson had 17 points in Mercer's 72-66 victory against Robert Morris on Friday night. Robertson also contributed seven rebounds for the Bears (3-3). Jalyn McCreary scored 14 points while shooting 7 of 16 from the field and added six rebounds. Michael Zanoni was 5-of-11 shooting (3 for 5 from distance) to finish with 14 points. Kahliel Spear led the Colonials (2-3) in scoring, finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Robert Morris also got 19 points and five steals from Michael Green III. Enoch Cheeks also recorded 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks.

2022 FCS Football Playoffs - 1st Round Games

Courtesy ESPN Football   

 

SoCon Basketball for Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Five games are on the schedule for Saturday. Two of the five are continuations of 3-game classics, with UNCG in the Northern Classic in Montreal & Mercer continuing in the Hostilo Community Classic in Savannah, Georgia.  VMI & Chattanooga play home games, while Western Carolina hits the road for a short trip over to mountain rival, UNC Asheville. 

1:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Regent University at VMI (1-5, 1-0 Home)
Cameron Hall
Lexington, VA

2:00 PM - Watch on Event Live+
Hofstra (4-1) vs. UNCG (2-2)
Northern Classic
Place Bell Arena
Montreal, Quebec

2:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Western Carolina (4-2, 1- 2Away) at UNC Asheville (3-2, 1-0 Home)
Kimmel Arena
Asheville, NC

7:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Murray State (3-2, 0-1 Away) at Chattanooga (2-3, 2-1 Home)
McKenzie Arena
Chattanooga, TN

7:30 PM - Watch on Event Live+
Fairfield (1-4) vs. Mercer (2-3)
Hostilo Community Classic
Enmarket Arena
Savannah, GA

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

A recap of Friday's Games:

IUPIU 53 - The Citadel 74
The Citadel put on a dominating defensive effort in the first half in holding IUPUI to just 11 points on the way to a 74-53 victory in the final game of the Big Easy Classic presented by Embassy Suites of New Orleans. The Bulldogs got off to a quick start as Elijah Morgan and Austin Ash hit three-pointers to open the 8-0 advantage. IUPUI would score the next five points, but the Bulldogs would seize control of the game for the remainder of the half. The Citadel outscored the Jaguars 33-8 over the final 17:22 of the half, including closing the half with an 18-0 run over the final 9:26. Morgan fueled the run as he added three more three-pointers, and Stephen Clark went for 12 points and seven rebounds in the game's opening 20 minutes. IUPUI was able to knock down a couple shots early in the second half, but Ash and Morgan answered with three-pointers to extend the lead in the first four minutes of the half. Clark would assert his authority in the middle of the second half as he would score 14 points over a nine-minute stretch to keep the Dogs easily ahead.

Tusculum 74 - Furman 102
Marcus Foster scored a career-high 22 points and Jalen Slawson posted his 12th career double-double to lead Furman to a 102-74 victory over NCAA Division II Tusculum on Friday afternoon at Timmons Arena. The Paladins took control of the game with a 32-4 first half run and shot 73.3% from the field in the opening 20 minutes to lead 57-27 at the break en route to their 29th win in their last 30 regular season non-conference contests inside Timmons. After Tusculum grabbed an early 15-11 advantage, Furman answered with a pair of Foster free throws, a Jonny Lawrence three-pointer, and a Slawson layup to take the lead for good at 18-15 and ignite the decisive run. Foster totaled eight of his career-high 22 during the run, which ended on JP Pegues' field goal at the three-minute mark to put the Paladins in front 43-19. Slawson's basket with 10:41 left in the half marked the first in an 18-for-20 shooting stretch for the Paladins that was capped by the fifth-year senior's slam just 11 seconds into the second half to up the Furman lead to 59-27.

Louisiana Tech 79 - Samford 76
The Samford Men's Basketball team (6-1) came one possession away from erasing a 17-point deficit in its first loss of the 2022-23 season on Friday, falling 79-76 to the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech (4-2). Cobe Williams' 25 points helped Louisiana Tech defeat Samford 79-76 on Friday. Williams shot 7 for 11 (4 for 8 from 3-point range) and 7 of 12 from the free throw line for the Bulldogs (4-2). Isaiah Crawford added 22 points while shooting 8 for 14 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free throw line, and he also had eight rebounds. Keaston Willis was 3 of 12 shooting, including 3 for 9 from distance, and went 8 for 10 from the line to finish with 17 points. Ques Glover finished with 26 points, four assists and three steals for the Bulldogs (6-1). Logan Dye and Jermaine Marshall finished with 10 points. The Bulldogs ended a six-game winning streak with the loss.

UNCG 77 vs. Montana State 66
The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team won game one of the Northern Classic, 77-66, against Montana State University Friday night at Place Bell Arena. This was the second meeting in program history between the Spartans and the Bobcats. UNCG now holds a 2-0 advantage over Montana State. Three Spartans scored in double figures, including Keondre Kennedy leading the game with 20 points. Keyshaun Langley totaled 16 points and Mikeal Brown-Jones recorded 14 points. Montana State held the lead in the beginning of the game, until Kennedy made three-straight free throws to tie the game at five at 17:57. Keyshaun made two more free throws at 17:09 to take the Spartans' first lead, 7-5. UNCG climbed its way to an eight-point lead, 32-24, its largest of the half. The Bobcats tied the game at 37 with 1:05 left following a seven-point run. Montana State added one more basket from the charity stripe to take a one-point lead, 38-37, on its largest run of the game. Kobe Langley followed that with a jumper with 44 seconds left in the half to take back the lead, 39-38, heading to the locker room.

Robert Morris 66 vs. Mercer 72
The Mercer men's basketball team earned its first win away from home against Robert Morris, 72-66, in the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic in Savannah, Georgia on Friday, November 25. The Bears led for over 39 minutes in a gritty win. "It's a positive that we learned how to close out a game," head coach Greg Gary said. "We just have to keep improving and paying attention to details, carrying out our assignments." Kamar Robertson led the team with 17 points, going 6-for-9 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free throw line. This was Robertson's fifth game in double figures, and he recorded a season-high seven rebounds. Finishing with a .900 free throw percentage, Luis Hurtado Jr. drained a career-high nine free throws on 10 attempted. Six of these came in the final minute as Robert Morris searched for a path back into the game. This landed him at 13 points along with four assists and four rebounds. "That's how you win these close games: you hit your free throws and get some stops," Gary explained. "He [Hurtado Jr.] did a great job in hitting his free throws."

The Mountains are Calling

 

SoCon Basketball for Friday, Nov. 25, 2022

Friday, November 25, 2022

There are five games on the schedule for Friday, two home games, and three teams playing in holiday classics. UNCG travels to Montreal, Quebec Canada for the Northern Classic, while The Citadel visits the Big Easy for the Big Easy Classic in New Orleans, and Mercer travels all the way to Savannah, GA to participate in the Hostilo Community Classic. Furman and Samford play in their home courts, on "The Road to Asheville"


2:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Tusculum at Furman (3-2, 2-0 Home)
Timmons Arena
Greenville, SC


3:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Louisiana Tech (3-2. 1-2 Away) at Samford (6-0, 5-0 Home)
Pete Hanna Center
Birmingham, AL


4:30 PM - Watch on Live Event+
n Live Event+
UNCG (2-2) vs. Montana State (3-2)
Northern Classic
Place Bell
Montreal, Quebec

6:00 PM - Watch on Privateer Sports Network
The Citadel (3-2) vs. IUPUI (1-4)
Big Easy Classic
Lakefront Arena
New Orleans, LA


9:00 PM - Watch on Live Event+
Mercer (2-3) vs. Robert Morris (2-2)
Hostilo Community Classic
Enmarket Arena
Savannah, GA

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

A recap of Thursday's game....

The Citadel 71  -  Denver 74

The Citadel men's basketball team erased a seven-point deficit late in the second half but was unable to maintain the momentum in falling, 74-71, to Denver in the second game of the Big Easy Classic. Denver was able to get the offense going in the first half as they were able to open up a nine-point advantage just under eight minutes into the game. The Bulldogs battled back and tie the game on a floater from Austin Ash and a layup from Madison Durr. The Citadel was able to take its first lead of the half at the 5:27 mark on a three-pointer from Ash. The Pioneers would score the final four points of the half to take a 34-33 lead into intermission. The first five minutes of the second half saw the teams exchange baskets and sit in a 44-44 tie.

SoCon Basketball for Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Only one game on the schedule for Thanksgiving...

6:00 PM
Denver (3-1) vs. The Citadel (3-2)

New Orleans Big Easy Classic 

Lakefront Arena
New Orleans, LA

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

Recap of Wednesday's games...

North Greenville 59 - Wofford 70
The Wofford men's basketball team scored the final ten points of the game to take a 70-59 win over North Greenville on Wednesday afternoon at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The Crusaders pulled within one point with 3:27 left in the game, but the Terriers hit a pair of baskets and went 6-of-6 from the free-throw line for the final margin. The win improves the Terriers' record to 4-2 to start the season, while it marked an exhibition game for North Greenville. Jackson Paveletzke led all scorers with 18 points, along with matching a career-high with six assists. B.J. Mack added 12 points - all in the second half – and seven rebounds. Messiah Jones led the team with nine rebounds as the Terriers held a 38 to 17 edge on the glass. The Crusaders were led by C.J. Jamison with 17 points and four rebounds.

Valparaiso 49 - Samford 79
Jermaine Marshall and Ques Glove both scored 12 points to help Samford defeat Valparaiso 79-49 on Wednesday. Marshall also had six rebounds for the Bulldogs (6-0). Bubba Parham recorded nine points and finished 3 of 3 from 3-point range. It was the sixth win in a row for the Bulldogs. Kobe King led the way for the Beacons (2-3) with 20 points. Ben Krikke added six points, nine rebounds and two blocks for Valparaiso. Samford entered halftime up 52-22. Glover paced the team in scoring in the first half with 12 points.

The Citadel 72 - New Orleans 65
The Citadel used a 14-0 run midway through the second half to take the lead and hold on for a 72-65 victory over New Orleans in the first game of the Big Easy Classic presented by Embassy Suites New Orleans. After UNO got a free throw for the first point of the game, the Bulldogs came back with transition baskets from Elijah Morgan and Stephen Clark, and a three-pointer from David Maynard as part of a 9-0 run. Both teams went through a scoring drought and UNO was able to tie the game, 16-16, before Brady Spence scored four points to help the Bulldogs push the lead back to 22-16. The Citadel would struggle to score the remainder of the half as the Privateers used a 19-7 run to close the half and take a 35-29 lead into halftime.

 
Lipscomb 72 - Chattanooga 66
The Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team fell on the wrong side of a back-and-forth non-conference tilt against in-state foe Lipscomb and dropped a 72-66 decision on Wednesday evening inside McKenzie Arena. Chattanooga falls to 2-3 overall after the loss. Lipscomb improves to 4-2 this season and snaps a six-game skid against the Mocs. The visitors shot a blistering 65.4% (17-of-26) from the floor in the second half and scored 28 of its 30 total points in the paint during the final 20. UTC was limited to just a 37.1% (23-of-62) mark from the field in the game and struggled behind the arc with a 28.6% (8-of-28) percentage. "Obviously a tough game for us. I don't think we executed well enough in the first half," said head coach Dan Earl. "They just pounded the ball down low in the second half and scored all their points in the paint. We have to play with more defensive intent, that part was disappointing to me."

Appalachian State  74 -  ETSU 70
For the second straight year, ETSU and Appalachian State played a tight one down to the wire. Unfortunately, the Blue and Gold again found themselves on the wrong side of the ledger, as the Bucs were edged by the Mountaineers, 74-70, in front of 3,825 fans Wednesday night inside Freedom Hall. The Bucs suffered their second straight loss and dropped to 3-3 on the year, while Appalachian State won its second straight game, improving to 5-2 on the young season. Turnovers plagued the Bucs as they coughed it up 19 times, resulting in 23 Appalachian State points. ETSU was also outdone in the paint for the second straight game as the Mountaineers were plus-12, 34-22, and their bench was also plus-12, 28-16. ETSU shot 45 percent (24-53) from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc (9-23), while Appalachian State also ended with a 45 percent clip (26-56) and was 29 percent from long distance (6-21).

SoCon Basketball for Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Five games are on the schedule for Wednesday, this can be a good day for the SoCon as all 5 teams should pick up a victory.


1:00 PM ESPN+
North Greenville at Wofford (3-2, 3-0 Home)
Richardson Indoor Stadium
Spartanburg, SC

3:00 PM ESPN+
Valparaiso (2-2, 0-2 Away) at Samford (5-0, 4-0 Home)
Pete Hanna Center
Birmingham, AL

3:00 PM ESPN+
The Citadel (2-2, 0-2 Away) at New Orleans (1-2, 1-0 Home)
Lakefront Arena
New Orleans, LA

4:00 PM ESPN+
Lipscomb (3-2, 0-2 Away) at Chattanooga (2-2, 2-0 Home)
McKenzie Arena
Chattanooga, TN


7:00 PM ESPN+
Appalachian State (4-2, 1-0 Away) at ETSU (3-2, 2- )
Freedom Hall Civic Center
Johnson City, TN


**********************

Recap of Tuesday's game:

UMBC 72 - UNCG 76

Three from the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team scored in double-digits Tuesday night to give the Spartans its first victory inside of the Greensboro Coliseum this season, with a 76-72 victory over UMBC. UMBC graduate transfer Keondre Kennedy paced the Spartans with a season-high 24 points. Junior Mikeal Brown-Jones scored a career-high 18 points, while senior Keyshaun Langley tallied 14 points.

SoCon Basketball for Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Only one game is on the schedule for Tuesday, as UMBC visits Greensboro.  

7 PM   Watch on ACCN

UMBC (3-2, 0-1 Away) at UNCG (1-2, 1-1 Home)

Novant Health Fieldhouse

Greensboro, NC

***************************

Monday's game recaps:   

Mercer 72 - Flordia State 81

Cam’Ron Fletcher scored 23 points and Florida State held off a second-half rally by Mercer, defeating the Bears 81-72 on Monday night.  Florida State finally broke into the win column after opening the season with losses to Stetson, Central Florida, Troy and Florida. Fletcher made 9-of-12 from the floor and hit all three of his 3-point attempts for the Seminoles (1-4). Matthew Cleveland added 18 points and Caleb Mills 12. Fletcher's layup with 15:49 remaining in the second half gave Florida State a 52-41 lead before Mercer scored the next 12 points to go up by one at 11:23. There were seven lead changes in the next seven minutes before Florida State regained control with a 9-0 run to lead 75-66 in the final minute. Still, Kamar Robertson hit a pair of free throws and Michael Zanoni nailed a 3-pointer to get the Bears within 75-71 before Mills hit two big free throws for the Seminoles. Five players scored in double figures for Mercer (2-3), led by Jalyn McCreary with 20 points.

2022 SoCon Football Power Rankings - (final after week #12)

Welcome to Purple & Gold's 2022 SoCon Football Power Rankings after week #12 of play.

This is the final Power Rating of the season.

1. (1) Samford (10-1, 8-0 SoCon)

2. (2) Furman (9-2, 7-1 SoCon)

3. (4) Mercer (7-4, 5-3 SoCon)

4. (5) Western Carolina  (6-5, 4-4 SoCon)

5. (3) Chattanooga  (7-4, 5-3 SoCon)

6. (7) The Citadel  (4-7, 3-5 SoCon)

7. (6) Wofford  (3-8, 3-5 SoCon)

8. (8) ETSU  (3-8, 1-7 SoCon)

9. (9) VMI (1-10, 0-8 SoCon)

1.                        

SoCon Basketball for Monday, Nov. 21, 2022

Monday, November 21, 2022

Only one game is on the schedule for Monday, as Mercer, makes a visit to Tallahassee.  

6:30 PM   Watch on ACCN
Mercer (2-2, 0-2 Away) at Florida State (0-4, 0-3 Home)
Donald L. Tucker Center
Tallahassee, FL


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Sunday's game recaps:   The SoCon went 4-2 on games scheduled for Sunday. Furman picked up a win over an SEC foe, while WCU won their second straight overtime game, picking up three wins in the McNeese MTE.  Samford picked up a win over Texas Southern, a SWAC team and Wofford beat NC A&T from the CAA.  

Furman 79 - South Carolina 60    

Junior Garrett Hien poured in a career-high 20 points to propel Furman to a 79-60 victory over instate foe South Carolina Sunday morning in the final round of the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic at TD Arena. South Carolina raced out to an early seven-point lead and led 16-11 when Hien hustled down the court following a made basket to score a layup and start a 19-2 Paladin run. Joe Anderson assisted on back-to-back buckets from Marcus Foster and Jalen Slawson to give Furman the lead before burying a triple of his own to up the Paladin advantage to 23-18. Hien drained a three, JP Pegues connected on a jumper and Ben VanderWal converted on two free throws to cap a 15-0 spurt that put Furman in front 30-18 with 6:35 left in the half.

Lindenwood 88 - Western Carolina 90     

Russell Jones Jr.'s three-point play with six seconds remaining in overtime lifted Western Carolina to a 90-88 victory over Lindenwood on Sunday at the Legacy Center as part of the McNeese State MTE. WCU improves to 4-2 on the season, earning its fourth straight win and second straight overtime triumph following a 98-91 win over Lamar on Saturday. Lindenwood drops to 2-4. Trailing 88-84 with 54 seconds remaining in overtime, a Harris 3-pointer brought the Catamounts within one with 42 seconds left. Following a missed layup by Caldwell Jr., Jones Jr. grabbed the defensive rebound and made the go-ahead basket with six seconds left for an 89-88 lead. The Blythewood, S.C. native was fouled on the play and made his free throw for the game's final point. Both teams finished with 43 rebounds. For the game, WCU finished 31-for-76 (40.8 percent) from the field, 10-for-32 (31.3 percent) behind the 3-point line, and 18-for-21 (85.7 percent) at the free throw line. Lindenwood was 35-for-68 (51.5 percent) from the field, 5-for-9 (55.6 percent) in 3-point attempts, and 13-for-20 (65 percent) at the charity stripe.

Texas Southern 63 - Samford 78   

 Ques Glover scored 18 points as Samford beat Texas Southern 78-63 on Sunday night. Glover was 7 of 14 shooting (3 for 5 from distance) for the Bulldogs (5-0). Logan Dye scored 11 points, going 4 of 7 from the field. Achor Achor finished 5 of 7 from the field to finish with 10 points. The Tigers (1-6) were led in scoring by Davon Barnes, who finished with 30 points. John Walker III added 15 points for Texas Southern. Joirdon Karl Nicholas also put up six points and seven rebounds.

ETSU 62 - Tenn. Tech 69   

Playing its first true road game of the season, the ETSU men’s basketball team couldn’t pass the test. Shooting 35 percent from the field and 29 percent from long distance, the Buccaneers suffered a 69-62 setback to Tennessee Tech on Sunday inside the Eblen Center. ETSU, who was held nearly 20 points below its season average, dipped to 3-2 on the season following the road loss in Cookeville. Tennessee Tech snapped a two-game skid, improving to 2-3. Sunday marked the 75th all-time meeting in the series with the Golden Eagles now taking the 38-37 lead, while the Bucs still haven’t won in Cookeville since Nov. 24, 2008. ETSU went 19-of-54 (35%) from the field and 7-of-24 (29%) from three-point range, while Tennessee Tech finished 26-of-57 (46%) from the floor and 10-for-27 from beyond the arc (37%). The Bucs managed to shoot 77 percent at the free throw line (17-22), while the Golden Eagles finished 78 percent (7-9).

VMI 67 - Fairleigh Dickinson 93     

Ahead 21-16 midway through the opening half, the VMI basketball struggled to keep pace the rest of the way as the SIU Edwardsville Cougars pulled ahead moments later and built a 46-27 halftime lead en route to a 93-67 win over the Keydets Saturday night at Willett Hall at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Demetre Roberts and Grant Singleton scored 21 points each in Fairleigh Dickinson's 93-89 win over VMI on Sunday night to wrap up the JK54 Classic. Roberts shot 5 for 15, making four 3-pointers, and going 7 of 8 from the free throw line for the Knights (3-3). Singleton was 8 of 15 shooting, also making four 3-pointers. Heru Bligen added 19 points. Sean Conway finished with 20 points and seven rebounds for the Keydets (1-5). Asher Woods also scored 20 points and had five assists for VMI. Tyler Houser scored 15 points.

NC A&T 64 - Wofford 78     

The Wofford men's basketball team led wire-to-wire in a 78-64 win over North Carolina A&T on Sunday afternoon at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The Aggies cut the Wofford lead to 49-46 in the second half before the Terriers pulled away for good with a 15-1 run. The win improves the Terriers' record to 3-2 to start the season, while North Carolina A&T is now 1-4 overall. By virtue of wins over Gardner-Webb on Friday and the Aggies on Sunday, the Battle of the Carolinas event was won by Wofford. Jackson Paveletzke led all scorers with a career-high 21 points, along with a career-high six assists. Jackson Sivills added 12 points, B.J. Mack had 12 points and Kyler Filewich had 13 points. Messiah Jones was the leading rebounded on the night with nine. The Aggies were led by Kam Woods with 17 points.

SoCon Basketball for Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Six games are on the SoCon schedule today, and all six look to be winnable. Here's to a SoCon sweep today - on "The Road to Asheville"

10:30 AM - Watch on ESPNN
Furman (2-2) vs. South Carolina (2-2)
Shriners Children's Charleston Class TD Arena
Charleston, SC

12:00 PM
Lindenwood (2-3) vs. Western Carolina (3-2)
McNeese MTE
Legacy Center
Lake Charles, LA

3:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Texas Southern (1-5, 0-4 Away) at Samford (4-0, 3-0 Home)
Pete Hanna Center
Birmingham, AL

3:30 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Fairleigh Dickinson (2-3) vs VMI (1-4)
Willett Hall
Farmville, VA

4:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
ETSU (3-1, 0-0 Away) at Tennessee Tech (1-3, 1-1 Home)
Hooper Eblen Center
Cookeville, TN

5:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
NC A&T (1-3, 0-2 Away) at Wofford (2-2, 2-0 Home)
Richardson Indoor Stadium
Spartanburg, SC


*********************


A recap of Saturday's games... The SoCon went 3-2 on Saturday, with Western, Chattanooga, and Mercer picking up out-of-conference wins, with the Citadel and VMI dropping games.

Western Carolina 98 - Lamar 91      Vonterius Woolbright led six players in double figures with a season-high 19 points as Western Carolina emerged with a 98-91 overtime victory against Lamar on Saturday at the Legacy Center as part of the McNeese State MTE. WCU improves to 3-2 while Lamar drops to 3-2. Woolbright finished 7-for-8 from the field, 1-for-2 behind the 3-point line, and 4-6 at the free throw stripe. Tyzhaun Claude tallied 17 points and grabbed a team-best seven rebounds. Tre Jackson added 16 points followed by Russell Jones Jr with 14, DJ Campbell with 12, and Tyler Harris with 11. Of Campbell's 12 points, five came in the extra session.

Covenant College 55 - Chattanooga 108   The Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team put on a record three-point shooting performance during a 108-55 rout over NCAA Division III member Covenant College (Ga.) on Saturday afternoon inside McKenzie Arena. Following the win, Chattanooga improves to 2-2 on the season. Covenant sits at 2-4 following the matchup against the Mocs. UTC connected on a school-record 22 three pointers during the win and finished the game shooting at a 55.0% (22-of-40) in total from behind the arc. The Mocs featured 71 points coming off the bench with true freshman Sam Alexis leading the way with 27 points and 11 boards.

Winthrop 66 - Mercer 77     A pair of double-doubles by David Craig and Luis Hurtado Jr. highlighted the win over Winthrop, 77-68, for the Mercer men's basketball team on Saturday, November 19 at Hawkins Arena. It was the first career double-double for both players and the first time since December 28, 2019 that two players recorded double-doubles for the Bears. Hurtado Jr., the graduate transfer from Bryant, continues to shine for the Bears. He became the first Mercer player to record 10 assists since Djordje Dimitrijevic against Samford on February 19, 2020. His 10 assists tied a career high, and Hurtado Jr. also recorded a season-high eight rebounds.

The Citadel 42 - Butler 89     The Citadel could not overcome a hot shooting start by Butler in falling to the Bulldogs, 89-42, Saturday evening inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler got off to a quick start as they were hot from the outside in opening a 17-0 advantage. Stephen Clark got The Citadel on the board before Madison Durr, Bailey Conrad and Austin Ash knocked down three-pointers. Butler had an answer for every run by The Citadel as BU hit 12 three-pointers in the first half, compared to four for The Citadel. The second half was more of the same as The Citadel was unable to get the offense going, shooting just 9-of-31 from the field in the game's final 20 minutes.

SIU Edwardsville 93 - VMI 67     Ahead 21-16 midway through the opening half, the VMI basketball struggled to keep pace the rest of the way as the SIU Edwardsville Cougars pulled ahead moments later and built a 46-27 halftime lead en route to a 93-67 win over the Keydets Saturday night at Willett Hall at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.

 

WCU Player of the Game (Chattanooga)

Purple & Gold's "Catamount Player of the Game" for the Chattanooga game is freshman quarterback, Cole Gonzales.

For the second consecutive week, today's player of the game (against the UTC Mocs) is true freshman quarterback Cole Gonzales. Starting as QB for the second consecutive week, Cole led the Catamounts to an upset win over the #15 Chattanooga Mocs, The win made possible a winning record overall for the Cats in the 2022-23 season. 

Cole completed 24 passes (of 38 attempts) for a total of  224 yards, connecting with 6 different receivers, and throwing 2 touchdowns.  Cole also had 9 attempts rushing for a total of 17 yards. 

Congratulations to Cole and the entire Catamount football team for this win, and the first winning season in quite a while.  

SoCon Basketball for Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Five out-of-conference games are on the schedule for Saturday, five more opportunities to show the strength of the SoCon... on the "Road to Asheville"

2:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Covenant College at Chattanooga (1-2, 1-0 Home)
McKenzie Arena
Chattanooga, TN

2:00 PM  - Watch on ESPN+
Winthrop (2-2, 0-2 Away) at Mercer (1-2, 1-0 Home)
Hawkins Arena
Macon, GA

3:00 PM
Lamar (3-1) vs. Western Carolina (2-2)
Legacy Center
Lake Charles, LA


7:00 PM  - Watch on FS2 

The Citadel (2-1, 0-1 Away) at Butler (2-1, 2-0 Home)
Hinkle Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, IN

7:00 PM  - Watch on ESPN+

VMI (1-3) at SIU Edwardsville (1-2)
Willett Hall
Farmville, VA

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Recap of Friday's games:

(Furman 77 - Old Dominion  82)    Furman used a 15-2 second-half run to cut a 20-point deficit to seven, but Old Dominion held on to claim an 82-77 victory over the Paladins on Friday afternoon in the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic at TD Arena. With Furman trailing 67-47 and under nine minutes remaining, JP Pegues and Jalen Slawson sparked the 15-2 spurt that helped the Paladins pull within seven points at 69-62 on Marcus Foster's basket with 5:15 to play. Old Dominion stretched its lead back to 10 points with under two minutes left before three-point baskets from Mike Bothwell, Slawson and Pegues sliced to margin to four at 81-77 on Pegues' triple with 10 seconds to go. Chaunce Jenkins, however, converted on a pair of free throws to seal to win for the Monarchs.

(VMI 58 - Longwood 90 )    Longwood University, the defending Big South Champion and an NCAA Tournament team a year ago, outscored the VMI men's basketball team 90-58 Friday in the opening game of the three-day JK 54 Classic, hosted by Longwood.  Freshmen Tony Felder, Jr. and Tyler Houser paced VMI with 10 points, the third-straight game Felder, Jr. has reached double figures.

(Western Carolina 88 - McNeese 69)   Tre Jackson scored a career-best 21 points and Western Carolina used a hot-shooting performance in the first half to race past McNeese State 88-69 on Friday afternoon inside the Legacy Center in its first of three games in Louisiana. The Catamounts even their record at 2-2 on the year while McNeese State falls to 1-2.  Jackson topped his previous WCU best of 17 points in the season-opener at Georgia and his previous collegiate best of 18 against TCU while playing for Iowa State. The Columbia, S.C., native went 7-for-10 from the field and 7-for-9 behind the 3-point line. Tyzhaun Claude logged his second straight double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Jones Jr. added 18 points followed by Bernard Pelote with 11. Vonterius Woolbright scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds, and distributed a game-high nine assists.
 

(Gardner-Webb 58 -  Wofford 60)    Down 14 points with 15 minutes remaining in the game, the Wofford men's basketball team stormed past Gardner-Webb 60-58 behind a monstrous 26-point performance by senior B.J. Mack Friday night in the opening game of the Battle of the Carolinas at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The win evens the Terriers' record at 2-2 to start the season.  Mack led all scorers in the game with his 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting, with 20 points coming in the second half, while also adding six rebounds and a block. Messiah Jones added another 11 points with six rebounds and an assist.

SoCon Basketball for Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022

Four games are on the schedule for Thursday, and it's four more opportunities for the SoCon to pick up out-of-conference wins, on "The Road to Asheville"

Thursday, November 17, 2022

11:30 AM  -  Watch on ESPNU
Furman (2-0) vs Penn State (3-0)
Shriners Children's Charleston Classic
TD Arena
Charleston, SC

7:00 PM  - Watch on ESPN+

Towson (3-0, 2-0 Away) at UNCG (1-1, 1-0 Home)
Novant Health Fieldhouse
Greensboro, NC

7:00 PM  - Watch on ESPN+

Little Rock (1-2, 0-2 Away) at ETSU (2-1, 1-0 Home)
Freedom Hall Civic Center
Johnson City, TN

8:00 PM  Watch on YouTube
Samford (3-0, 0-0 Away) at Alabama A&M (0-2, 0-1 Home)
T.M. Elmore Gymnasium
Normal, AL

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A recap of Tuesday's games:

Morris 66 - The Citadel 109 The Citadel freshman guard Madison Durr flirted with a triple-double as the Bulldogs rolled to a 109-66 victory over Morris College Tuesday evening inside McAlister Field House. Durr finished the game with nine points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Both teams struggled from the field in the game's opening minutes before the Bulldogs knocked down a pair of three-pointers. The Citadel was able to push the lead to double figures after holding Morris without a field goal for the first 5:01 of the game.

Mercer 83 - Georgia State 85 The Mercer men's basketball program played an incredibly tight game against Georgia State on Tuesday, November 15 at the GSU Convocation Center, falling in overtime, 85-83. It was the first time since 1996 a matchup against the Panthers went to overtime. Neither team took control in the first half. There w
ere 16 lead changes, and the largest lead by either team was five points. Luis Hurtado Jr., who led the team in scoring with 24 points, reached double figures in the first half.

Chattanooga 58 - Ole Miss 70 The Chattanooga Mocs were limited to just 25 second-half points and allowed a 18-5 run during the stretch to ultimately drop a 70-58 contest on the road at SEC-member Ole Miss on Tuesday night inside the SJB Pavilion in Oxford, Miss. Following the loss, Chattanooga falls to 1-2 on the season. Ole Miss improves its perfect record to 3-0 after the victory. For the second-straight matchup against Ole Miss, both on the road, Chattanooga surrendered a large second-half run that would end up making the difference. In 2018, the Mocs allowed 28 unanswered after leading by five. In tonight's game, the team saw a 39-37 lead evaporate on the 13-point swing.

Game #11- Chattanooga

In the Catamount's eleventh and final regular season game of the 2022 season, the Cats return to  Cullowhee to face the #15/17 University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Mocs.  

Western faces the Mocs for the 48th time on the gridiron, since 1973. The Ingles SoCon Game of the Week is also Hall of Fame & Senior Day for the Catamounts

Game #11 - at UT Chattanooga Mocs

When: Saturday, November 19, 2022

Time:  1:00 pm
Where:   E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
   -announcers: Gary Ayers, PxP; Daniel Hooker, Color

TV/video: Nexstar Network / ESPN+

   -announcers: Pete Yanity - PBP, Jared Singleton - Analyst  (Nexstar affiliates with the opportunity to     air games are: ECBD (Charleston), WMYT (Charlotte), WWCW (Lynchburg/Roanoke), and WYCW (Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville).

Live Stats:  WCU Live Stats

Fan Message Board:  Moc Nation

Game Notes:  Western Carolina    -     Chattanooga

The Series: In the 48th meeting between the two teams, the Cats own a 17-30 record against the Mocs. The Cats have lost 3 straight to Chattanooga, and 11 of the last 12 games played.  Western is 10-14 against UTC in games played in Cullowhee since 1973. 

Last Game vs. Chattanooga: (10-2-21) Big Plays, Miscues Lead 19th-ranked Chattanooga over Western Carolina  - No. 19 Chattanooga used big plays and a strong defensive effort that produced three turnovers in downing Western Carolina 45-17 on Saturday afternoon in Southern Conference action at Finley Stadium. Among UTC's 271 total rushing yards were three scoring runs totaling 146 yards including rushes of 54 yards, 35 yards, and 54 yards.

Last Season's Record (2021):  6-5 overall, 3-2 home, 3-3 away, 5-3 SoCon  

This Season's Record (2022):  7-3 overall, 4-1 home, 3-2 away, 5-2 SoCon

Head Coach:  Rusty Wright - Rusty Wright is in his fourth year as head coach of the Mocs football program. He was officially introduced on Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. A 23-year veteran of the collegiate coaching ranks, Wright is a 1996 graduate of UTC with a degree in Sports Administration. He was a four-year letter winner for the Mocs football team and had two stints as an assistant coach at UTC

Offensive Formation: Multiple

Defensive Formation: Multiple

Starters Returning/Lost: 15/10 2-Deep 

Rusty Wright vs. WCU:  3 - 0

Kerwin Bell vs. UTC:  0 - 1

The Mocs were the preseason favorites of both the media and coaches to take the conference championship in 2022. In preseason honors, senior defensive lineman Devonnsha Maxwell headlined the individual honors by being selected to repeat as the league's Defensive Player of the Year. He was joined on the preseason first team by running back Ailym Ford and offensive lineman McClendon Curtis on offense. Edge defender Jay Person and linebacker Ty Boeck joined Maxwell on the lead defensive selections. Offensive lineman Colin Truett, linebacker Kam Jones, and defensive back CaMiron Smith made the second team. 

As of today, the SoCon is poised to potentially have 3 or 4 teams in the playoffs, however, that will require the Mocs to beat the Catamounts in the regular season final to end up with that all-important, 8 DI wins this season. However, for the Mocs, going into the regular season's final weekend, the Mocs can't risk a loss - if - they want one of the 14 at-large spots in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. 

"If that sounds familiar, it's because that's basically the same scenario they were in at the end of the 2021 campaign. Like then, they are coming off a loss to one of the top teams in the Southern Conference (10-6 to Mercer last year, 35-24 to Samford on Saturday) with a game against a middle-of-the-pack conference opponent to finish things off."

"We'll find out what this team is made of," fourth-year UTC coach Rusty Wright said. "We'll find out if it's been all talk and if we have the right people here, so I'm excited to go with them. I think they will prepare themselves like they should."

"The combination of being a ranked team all season and finishing with eight wins would likely be enough to get the Mocs in. The only way to avoid what would be perceived as another regular-season meltdown is to win."

Currently, the Mocs are ranked #15 in the STATS Poll & #17 in the Coaches Poll. AGS ranks them at #14.

 

2022 Mocs Statistics (10 games):

Rushing Offense: 1640 yards 
Yards per game: 164
Yards per rush: 4.4 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 76
TDs rushing: 21
Passing Offense: 2415 yards or 241.5 yards per game
Avg. per pass: 8.8 yards
Passing 1st downs: 115
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 166-276-10               
TDs Passing: 13
Total Offense: 4055 yards or 405.5 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 10-4
3d Down Conversions: 51 of 122 (42%)
4th Down Conversions: 4 of 9 (44%)
Field goal attempts: 11 - 18
On-side kicks: 0-0
Red Zone Scores: 34 of 43  (79%)
Red Zone Touchdowns: 24 of  43 (56%)
PAT:  36 of 37 (97%)

2022 SoCon Football Power Rankings - (after week #11)

Welcome to Purple & Gold's 2022 SoCon Football Power Rankings after week #11 of play.

Each Monday throughout the season, we'll release that week's Power Rankings.

As we approach the end of the season, here are this week's power rankings.   (last week's ranking in parenthesis):

1. (1) Samford (9-1, 7-0 SoCon)

Next: Mercer

2. (3) Furman (8-2, 6-1 SoCon)

Next:  Wofford

3. (4) Chattanooga  (7-3, 5-2 SoCon)

Next: at Western Carolina

4. (2) Mercer (7-3, 5-2 SoCon)

Next:  at Samford

5. (5) Western Carolina  (5-5, 3-4 SoCon)

Next:  Chattanooga

6. (6) Wofford  (3-7, 3-4 SoCon)

Next: at Furman

7. (7) The Citadel  (3-7, 2-5 SoCon)

Next:  at VMI

8. (8) ETSU  (3-7, 1-7 SoCon)

Next: at Miss. State

9. (9) VMI (1-9, 0-7 SoCon)

Next:  The Citadel

1.