Purple & Gold's Catamount "Player of the Game" for the King University Tornado basketball game on December 30th is senior guard Vonterius Woolbright.
Sunday, December 31, 2023
WCU Player of the Game vs. King (Woolbright)
Scanning the SoCon (Results from Friday & Saturday)
Talladega 50 - Mercer 74
Southern Wesleyan 55 - Wofford 75
Wofford men's basketball overcame a 7-for-35 shooting performance to win over Southern Wesleyan 75-55, to secure the third straight undefeated home non-conference slate. Trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, Wofford tied the game at the 11:46 mark of the second half and took the lead at the 10:19 mark. The three-point field goal served as the catalyst in the second half as the Terriers shot 9-for-15 from beyond the arc, that incuded a string of four straight possessions that ended with three-point baskets capped off by Corey Tripp's third triple to tie the game.
ETSU 86 - East Carolina 70
The Buc's Jaden Seymour scored 24 points as ETSU beat East Carolina 86-70 on Friday night. Seymour added six rebounds and three blocks for the Buccaneers. Quimari Peterson added 21 points while going 8 of 16 and had five assists, while Karon Boyd had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Brandon Johnson finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and four steals for the Pirates. RJ Felton added 17 points, seven rebounds and two steals for East Carolina. Ezra Ausar also had 12 points and eight rebounds.
UNCG 37 - Texas 72
Toccoa Falls 76 - The Citadel 106
Anderson 79 - Furman 74
WCU's Vonterius Woolbright posted 23 points in Western's 90-62 win over King University on Saturday night. Woolbright 10 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Tre Jackson scored 20 points and added three steals. and DJ Campbell went 8 of 11 from the field to finish with 16 points. Mikhail Pocknett led the Tornados in scoring, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds and three steals. King also got 14 points from Seth Cullen. In addition, Kenny Turner finished with nine points and 13 rebounds.
Chattanooga 66 - Auburn 101
Auburn's Jaylin Williams had 21 points, as Auburn never trailed in its 101-66 win over Chattanooga on Saturday night. The Tigers, who were just outside the Top 25 in the latest poll, have won five games in a row by an average margin of 28.8 points per game. Broome scored eight points in a 12-0 run to open the game before Chaney Johnson, Chad Baker-Mazara and K.D. Johnson each hit a 3-pointer as the Tigers scored 11 straight to make it 25-8 with 11:51 left in the first half and Chattanooga trailed by double figures the rest of the way. Williams made 9 of 9 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and Broome was 9-of-12 shooting with eight rebounds and four blocks. Baker-Mazara added 13 points, including three 3-pointers, for Auburn (10-2) Honor Huff scored 15 points, including four 3-pointers, for Chattanooga and Sam Alexis added 13 points and three blocks. The Mocs, despite committing just one more turnover (10-9) than Auburn, were outscored 15-2 in points off turnovers.
Friday, December 29, 2023
Game #13 - King University
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/KingTornadoLogo.jpg)
Who: King University
Where: The Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC
When: Saturday, December 30, 2023
Time: 4 pm
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
TV/Video: none
Live Stats: Live Stats
Conference: Conference Carolinas (Div. II)
Location: Bristol, Tennessee
Enrollment: 1,357
Nickname: The Tornado
Colors: Blue and Red
Head Coach: Jason Gillespie - Gillespie began his second stint at King in April of 2020. Gillespie previously served as an assistant coach for the Tornado in the early 2000s before stints at Cincinnati Christian University, Bluefield College and Reinhardt University.
Current Record (King ): 2-8 overall, 1-3 home, 1-4 away, 0-1 neutral, 0-3 conference.
Last Season's Record (King ): 7-22 overall, 4-9 home, 4-9 away, 0-1 neutral, 6-14 conference.
The Series: The Cats are 1-0 vs. King, winning a game vs. the Tornado back in 1958.
The Tornados are out of the Conference Carolinas, and the Cats were a part of the same conference under its previous names, Old North State Conference & the more familiar name of Carolinas Conference. King was picked to finish 11th in the 14-team Conference Carolina's preseason poll. The Tornado dropped four straight games including three in conference play with two against the top two teams in the preseason poll – a 10-point loss at home to preseason favorite UNC Pembroke and a 25-point defeat at preseason No. 2 Emmanuel.
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Scanning the SoCon (Friday & Saturday)
-2:00 PM on ESPN+
Talladega at Mercer (6-6, 4-2 Home)
Hawkins Arena - Macon, GA
The Talladega Tornadoes (NAIA) enter the contest at Mercer on a nine-game winning streak and sporting an 11-1 record. The home-standing bears are 6-6 on the season but are expected to handle the upset mined Tornadoes in Hawkins Arena Friday afternoon.
-2:00 PM on ESPN+
Southern Wesleyan at Wofford (6-6, 3-0 Home)
Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium - Spartanburg, SC
In the second tipoff of the day, Division II Southern Wesleyan of the Conference Carolinas travels from Central, SC the short distance up I-85 to play the Wofford Terriers. The Warriors are 2-10 on the season and are 2-3 in the last five games. Wofford's perfect home game record should not in in jeopardy in the game.
-7:00 PM on ESPN+
ETSU (7-5, 1-5 Away) at East Carolina (7-5,7-3 Home)
Minges Coliseum - Greenville, NC
In the third game of the day, ETSU travels to the eastern North Carolina town of Greenville to face the East Carolina Pirates of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). While both teams enter the game with identical 7-5 records, the Pirates have played the more difficult schedule, but the Bucs come in with a 4-game win streak.
-8:00 PM on Long Horn Network
-1:00 PM on ESPN+
Toccoa Falls at The Citadel (7-5, 3-1 Home)
McAlister Field House - Charleston, SC
The Toccoa Falls Screaming Eagles visit Charleston to face the Bulldogs in the first game on Saturday. The Screaming Eagles are members of the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the South Region of the Division II level. Toccoa Falls enters the game with a 4-8 overall record, and are on an eight-game slide. The home-standing Bulldogs are flying high after their upset of Notre Dame and will be able to score as many points in the game as they want.
-2:00 PM on ESPN+
-4:00 PM on ESPN+
King (TN) at Western Carolina (10-2, 5-0 Home)
Ramsey Regional Activity Center - Cullowhee, NC
The King University Tornados travel from Bristol, Tennessee to face the Cats in the Ramsey Center where the home team has a 5-0 record this season. The Tornados are a member of the Division II Conference Carolinas and are 2-8 overall in the season.
-9:00 PM on SECN
Chattanooga (8-4, 2-3 Away) at Auburn (9-2, 5-0 Home)
Neville Arena - Auburn, AL
In the final game of the day, the Mocs travel to Auburn to face the Tigers in Neville Arena. Auburn is 5-0 at home and comes into the game on a four- game winning streak.
Tuesday, December 26, 2023
SoCon Men's Basketball Power Rankings (12-26-23)
This is the Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023, SoCon Basketball Power Rankings. Last week's ranking in parentheses.
Sunday, December 24, 2023
Saturday, December 23, 2023
Scanning the SoCon (12-22-23)
Thursday, December 21, 2023
WCU Player of the Game vs. Brescia (Woolbright)
Purple & Gold's Catamount Men's Basketball "Player of the Game" in the Brescia Bearcats basketball game on December 21st is (who else?) senior guard Vonterius Woolbright.
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
WCU Player of the Game vs. Vanderbilt (Woolbright)
Purple & Gold's Catamount Men's Basketball "Player of the Game" for the Vanderbilt Commodores basketball game on December 19th is senior guard Vonterius Woolbright.
Monday, December 18, 2023
SoCon Men's Basketball Power Rankings (12-18-23)
This is the Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, SoCon Basketball Power Rankings. Last week's ranking in parentheses.
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Scanning the SoCon - Saturday's Games
The Southern Conference had five games on Saturday, winning four of five, a pretty good showing for the SoCon. Here's a look at the games, on the Road to Asheville
Vonterius Woolbright scored 15 points (6 of 13) and added 16 rebounds for his seventh straight double-double, just missing a triple-double with eight assists. Tre Jackson posted a team-high 17 points and added five rebounds for the Catamounts. Russell Jones shot 5 for 11, going 3 for 8 from beyond the arc to finish with 13 points. Upstate's Trae Broadnax finished with a game-high 18 points for the Spartans. Upstate also got 13 points and eight rebounds from former Catamount, Ahmir Langlais.
Mercer's Jalen Cobb led the Bears with 19 points helping defeat FGCU 70-65 on Saturday in Macon. Cobb was 6 of 8 shooting field goals and 5 for 7 from 3-point range for the Bears. Jalyn McCreary scored 13 points, going 4 of 10 field goals, and hitting 5 of 6 from the charity stripe. Jah Quinones finished with 10 points, hitting 5 of 8 from the field. GGCU's Keeshawn Kellman finished with a double-double, posting 17 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks for the Eagles. FGCU also got 14 points from Zach Anderson and Franco Miller Jr. added 11 points and two steals.
Belmont 93 - Samford 99
The Bulldogs extended their winning streak to nine games and Samford's A.J. Staton-McCray led Samford with 19 points in the Bulldog's home win over Belmont on Saturday night. Riley Allenspach hit 6 of 7 field goals and went 3 of 3 from the charity strip, for a total of 15 points. Achor Achor was 6 of 8 in field goals, finishing with 14 points, six rebounds and three steals. the Bruins were led by Cade Tyson who finished with a game-high of 31 points and and added nine rebounds, just one rebound short of a double-double. Ja'Kobi Gillespie added 18 points, five assists, and Keishawn Davidson p[ut up 13 points, in a loss that ended a six-game winning streak for the Bruins.
Chattanooga 88 - Alabama A&M 72
The Moc's Honor Huff posted a game-high 24 points to lead Chattanooga past Alabama A&M 88-72 on Saturday night. Huff hit 7 for 15 field goals and was 4 of 5 from the charity strip for Chattanooga. Myles Che added 16 points, and Trey Bonham hit 4 of 7 field goals and finished with 14 points. Dailin Smith led the Bulldogs with 19 points and Cameron Tucker added 10 points, while Anthony Bryant had 10 points in the loss.
In the SoCon's lone loss of the day, the home-standing Hurd posted a 65-72 win over the Spartans that broke the UNCG's seven-game winning streak. Keyshaun Langley led the way for the Spartans with 26 points, and six assists, as Kobe Langley added 20 points and two steals. Joryam Saizonou also had eight points for UNCG. Marshall's Kamdyn Curfman scored 18 points, Nate Martin had a double-double and Marshall beat UNC Greensboro 72-65 on Saturday night. Curfman was 6-of-16 shooting (4 for 10 from 3-point range) for the Thundering Herd (4-7). Kevon Voyles scored 16 points and added six rebounds. Martin finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Saturday, December 16, 2023
WCU Player of the Game at USC Upstate (Woolbright)
Purple & Gold's Catamount Men's Basketball "Player of the Game" for the UNC Asheville basketball game on December 9th is senior guard Vonterius Woolbright.
The Catamount Player of the Game, Vonterius Woolbright tallied his seventh double-double of the season with 15 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Catamounts to a 70-63 road victory over the USC Upstate Spartans.
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Scanning the SoCon - So Far this week
The Southern Conference had two games so far this week, one on Monday and one on Tuesday, and went 1-1 in those two games. Here's a look at those games.
Samford's A.J. Staton-McCray put up 18 points to lead Samford's to a 118-91 victory over Alabama A&M on Monday night. Staton-McCray added six rebounds and three steals for the Bulldogs. Jermaine Marshall scored 16 points and Lukas Walls was 3 of 4 shooting, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 3 from the line to finish with 11 points. Dailin Smith led the way for the A&M Bulldogs putting up 18 points and Rayland Randall added 16 points Alabama A&M. Anthony Bryant also recorded 12 points and three steals.
Tuesday-
VMI 56 - Radford 73
Radford's DaQuan Smith posted 19 points to lead Radford over VMI, 73-56 Tuesday night at home. Chandler Turner scored 17 points shooting 6 for 8, including 3 for 4 from beyond the arc, and Kenyon Giles finished with 13 points. The Keydets were led by Tyran Cook, with a game high, 20 points, while DJ Nussbaum added 14 points for VMI. Koree Cotton also had 11 points for VMI in the loss.
Thursday - Furman visits Tulane, while The Citadel travels across town to visit former SoCon foe, College of Charleston. Both are underdogs in these two out-of-conference games.
Friday - on Friday, ETSU hosts Tusculum as the only SoCon game that day.
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Game #10: USC Upstate
Time: 4:30 pm
Where: GB Hodge Center
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: Live Stats
Conference: Big South Conference (BS)
Location: Spartanburg, SC
Enrollment: 4,913
Nickname: Spartans
Colors: Green and Grau
Message Board: none
Head Coach: Dave Dickerson enters his sixth season as the head men’s basketball coach at USC Upstate during the 2023-24 season after being introduced as the program's 10th head coach on April 5, 2018.
Dickerson's record vs. WCU: 1-1
Last Seasons Record (USC Upstate): 16-16 overall, 11-2 home, 4-12 away, 1-2 neutral, 10-8 conference
The Series: Western owns a 1-2 overall record with Upstate, having played only three times.
Monday, December 11, 2023
SoCon Men's Basketball Power Ranking (12-11-23)
This is the Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, SoCon Basketball Power Rankings. Last week's ranking in parentheses.
Sunday, December 10, 2023
SoCon Sunday - Scanning the SoCon (12-10-23)
The Southern Conference had a good day, with wins in three out-of-conference games. Chattanooga, ETSU, and UNCG picked up wins Sunday afternoon.
The Spartan's Mikeal Brown-Jones posted 27 points in UNCG's 82-73 win against Elon as the Spartans picked up their seventh straight win. Brown-Jones had 11 rebounds and four blocks. Donovan Atwell added 16 points, including 4 for 10 from beyond the arc, Joryam Saizonou had 12 points and was 5 of 11 shooting (2 for 5 from 3-point range). The Phoenix were led by Rob Higgins, who posted 20 points. Sam Sherry added 16 points and 11 rebounds for Elon. In addition, Zac Ervin had nine points and two steals.
SoCon Saturday - Scanning the SoCon
The Southern Conference had five out-of-conference games on Saturday, and picked up wins in four of five games, with Furman, Mercer, Wofford, and Western Carolina all collecting victories.
Western Carolina 78 - Asheville 63
Furman 100 - Bob Jones 58
Mercer 64 - Georgia State 60
Mercer's Jake Davis posted 26 points leading Mercer past the visiting Georgia State Panthers, 64-60. The Bears held the Panthers scoreless over the final 4:32 to preserve the victory. Davis contributed eight rebounds for the Bears and Amanze Ngumezi scored 13 points, finishing 5 of 9 from the floor and hitting two free throws with 16 seconds left to set the final margin. Alex Holt shot 5 of 9 from the field to finish with 11 points, while adding eight rebounds.
Wofford 88 - Coastal Carolina 80
The Terriers' Jeremy Lorenz's 22 points and six rebounds helped Wofford defeat Coastal Carolina 88-80 in a road game for Wofford. Dillon Bailey scored 21 points, shooting 7 for 15 (5 for 13 from 3-point range) and 2 of 4 from the free throw line. Jackson Sivills had 16 points and was 5 of 10 shooting (4 for 8 from 3-point range). The Chanticleers (3-6) were led in scoring by Jon Sanders, who finished with 17 points. Kylan Blackmon added 16 points for Coastal Carolina. In addition, Jacob Meyer had 14 points and five assists.
American University 77 - VMI 69
American University picked up a 77-69 win against VMI on Saturday in Lexington. Matt Rogers was 7 of 13 shooting, including 2 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 3 from the line for the Eagles. Elijah Stephens added 18 points, shooting 6 of 12 from the field and 5 for 8 from the line. Lorenzo Donadio had 15 points. The Keydets were led in scoring by Brennan Watkins, who finished with 20 points. VMI also got 11 points and six rebounds from Stephen Olowoniyi, and Tyran Cook finished with nine points.
Saturday, December 9, 2023
WCU Player of the Game vs. Asheville (Woolbright)
Purple & Gold's Catamount Men's Basketball "Player of the Game" for the UNC Asheville basketball game on December 9th is senior guard Vonterius Woolbright.
The Catamount Player of the Game, Vonterius Woolbright tallied his sixth double-double of the season with a game-high 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Catamounts to a 78-63 home victory over the Asheville Bulldogs.
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Game #9: UNC Asheville
When: Saturday, December 9, 2023
Time: 4 pm
Where: Ramsey Center, Cullowhee
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
TV/Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: WCU Live Stats
Conference: Big South Conference (BS)
Location: Asheville, NC
Enrollment: 3,233
Nickname: Bulldogs
Mascot: Rocky
Colors: Blue and White
Message Board: none
Head Coach: Mike Morrell is in his sixth season at the helm of the UNC Asheville men's basketball program in 2023-24. Morrell, the 2022-23 Big South Coach of the Year, guided the Bulldogs to one of the best seasons in program history in 2022-23. Asheville posted a school record 27 wins on the season and captured both the Big South Regular Season and Tournament Championships.
Morrell's record vs. WCU: 2-3
Current Record (UNCA): 5-4 overall, 3-1 home, 0-2 away, 2-1 neutral, 0-0 conference
Last Seasons Record (UNCA): 27-8 overall, 13-0 home, 10-6 away, 4-2 neutral, 16-2 conference
The Series: Western owns a 33-24 overall record with Asheville, going 7-3 in the last 10 games played. The Cats have lost the last two games between the two teams, and the Cats are 19-9 in games played in Cullowhee.