Midweek Baseball vs. Gardner-Webb

Who: Gardner-Webb
When: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Time: 4:00 pm
Where: John Henry Moss Stadium, Boiling Springs, NC
TV/video: none
Radio: none
Live Stats: GWU Live Stats
Conference: Big South
Nickname: Runnin' Bulldogs
Location: Boiling Springs, NC
Colors: Scarlet & Black
Mascot: Mac and Lulu
Message Board: none

This season's record: 4-4 overall, 4-4 home, 0-0 away, 0-0 neutral
The Series: The Cats are 18-10 oveerall vs. the dogs, having won 4 of the last 5 games between the two teams

Head Coach: Jim Chester is in his third year as the head coach of the Gardner-Webb baseball team after taking over the program in June 2019.

Gardner-Webb baseball was tabbed fourth in the 2023 Big South Conference baseball poll, as head coach Jim Chester returns the bulk of his offensive talent from the 2022 season, paced by All-Big South selections Alec Burns, Jacob Marcos and Curtis Robison. After dropping four of their first five games, the Runnin' Bulldogs have reeled off 3 straight wins coming into Wednesday's game against the Cats.

Projected Pitching Match-up: 

WCU – R-So. RHP Coby Ingle (0-1, 3.00 ERA; 3.0 IP, 3K, 0 BB) 

GWU – R-Fr. LHP Reid Bertram (0-1, 8.10 ERA; 3.1 IP, 3K, 1BB)

SoCon recap of Saturday's MBB games

Saturday, February 25, 2023

After Saturday's games, all the seeds for the upcoming SoCon tournament are now filled. With Furman's win over Samford, the two teams will share the championship, and Furman receiving the number one seed in the tournament.  This was possible with ETSU's one point win over UNCG, dropping the Spartans into the 3rd place seed for the tournament. Wofford's win over Chattanooga put the Terriers in that coveted 6th place seed and dropped the Mocs into the 7th place seed and the play-in bracket, on the "Road to Asheville."

Furman 93 - Samford 79
Mike Bothwell totaled 35 points and JP Pegues added 20 to lead Furman past Samford, 93-79, on Saturday afternoon at the Pete Hanna Center as the Paladins claimed a share of the Southern Conference regular season title and secured the No. 1 seed for the SoCon Men's Basketball Championship. The Paladins, who improved to 24-7 overall and 15-3 in the SoCon, garnered their first share of the conference title since 2017 and captured the top seed for the first time since 1991. Furman will face the winner of Friday's first round matchup between No. 8 seed Mercer and No. 9 The Citadel in the quarterfinal round of the SoCon Tournament on Saturday, March 4, at the Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville. Tip-off in Asheville, N.C. is set for 12 p.m. and tickets are available at FurmanPaladins.com.

VMI 66 - Western Carolina 85
Vonterius Woolbright recorded the fourth triple-double in Western Carolina's NCAA Division I men's basketball era with 14 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds as the Catamounts closed out the 2022-23 regular season with an 85-66 victory over VMI on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center. WCU concludes the regular season with a 17-14 mark and clinched the No. 4 seed in next weekend's Ingles Southern Conference Tournament with a 10-8 league mark. VMI drops to 7-24 and 2-16. A season-high 3,586 fans witnessed the contest. Woolbright joins Nicholas Robinson (Feb. 4, 2022 at VMI) and Mason Faulkner (Nov. 12, 2019 vs NC A&T and Feb. 26, 2020) as Catamount players with triple-doubles according to available records. Woolbright tied his career-high with 11 assists and of his 10 rebounds, nine were on the defensive glass. Tre Jackson led the Catamounts with 22 points and was joined in double figures by Tyzhaun Claude with 18 points and DJ Campbell with 11. Cam Bacote, Marlow Gilmore, and Tyler Harris were each honored in Senior Day festivities prior to tip-off. Tyler Houser paced VMI with a game-high 26 points, Asher Woods (16), Taeshaud Jackson (12), and Rickey Bradley (10) also finished in double figures for the Keydets.

The Citadel 50 - Mercer 72
The Mercer men's basketball program closed out the regular season on Saturday afternoon with a Senior Day victory over The Citadel, 72-50. Seniors Kamar Robertson, Harrison Drake, Luis Hurtado Jr., Diego Rivera, and John Treanor were honored before the game. The Bears improve to 13-18 overall and 6-12 in the Southern Conference while The Citadel falls to 10-21 on the season and 5-13 in the league. The two teams will meet again in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament on Friday, March 3 at 5 p.m. at the Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville.

UNCG 62 - ETSU 63
After losing by 26 points earlier this month to UNCG in Greensboro, the ETSU men’s basketball team wanted another shot at the Spartans. The Buccaneers got that opportunity in Saturday’s regular season finale and ETSU came up big. Jordan King (Albany, N.Y.) scored a game-high 25 points and Jaden Seymour (Charlotte, N.C.) added 17 points and seven rebounds, and ETSU was able to exhale when Kobe Langley’s three-point shot at the buzzer was off the mark, securing the Bucs a 63-62 victory over the Spartans in front of 3,652 fans inside Freedom Hall. The win locked ETSU into the No. 5 seed in next week’s Southern Conference Tournament, while UNCG’s hopes for sharing the conference crown crumbled following the defeat. The Bucs will now take on No. 4 Western Carolina in Saturday’s quarterfinal at 2:30 p.m. inside Harrah’s Cherokee Center.

Chattanooga 74 - Wofford 86
The Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team dropped its regular season Southern Conference finale contest 86-74 at Wofford on Saturday evening inside the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C. Following the loss, Chattanooga finishes the season No. 7 in the SoCon standings behind a 15-16 overall record and a 7-11 mark in league action. Wofford punches its ticket to the SoCon quarterfinals as the No. 6 seed behind a 16-15 overall record and an 8-10 tally in conference. The Mocs were dominated on the glass during the defeat, suffering a 40-26 disadvantage in total rebounds while allowing 22 second chance points to the Terriers. For the second game in-a-row, UTC went cold from behind the arc in the second half after finishing the game 3-of-15 (20.0%) from deep over the last 20 minutes.

The SoCon Tournament Final Brackets

This is what the first two days of the SoCon tournament look after Saturday's games.

First round // Friday, March 3
Game - Matchup - Time
Game 1  #9 The Citadel vs. #8 Mercer - 5 p.m.
Game 2  #7 Chattanooga vs. #10 VMI - 7:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals // Saturday, March 4
Game - Matchup - Time
Game 3   #1 Furman vs. Game 1 winner  - 12 p.m.
Game 4   #4 Western Carolina vs. #5 ETSU   - 2:30 p.m.
Game 5   #2 Samford vs. Game 2 winner  - 6 p.m.
Game 6   #3 UNCG vs. #6 Wofford  - 8:30 p.m.

WCU Player of the Game (vs. VMI)

Purple & Gold's "Catamount Player of the Game" for the VMI game on February 25th in Cullowhee, is senior guard Vonterius Woolbright. 

The Catamount Player of the Game, Vonterius Woolbright is only the third Catamount to complete a triple-double since the Catamounts joined the NCAA Dividion I ranks. 

He scored 14 points, hitting five of six field goal attempts, including 2 of 2 from beyond the 3-point arc, and also hit 2 of 2 at the free throw line. Vonterius pulled down 10 rebounds, 9 defensive and 1 offensive, and completed 11 assists to round out the triple double in the last regular season home game. 

Congratulations to Vonterius and the entire Catamount basketball team for the exciting win over the VMI Keydets in the largest crowd in the Ramsey Center this season.        

                                                                  

SoCon MBB - (Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023)

Saturday, February 25, 2023


The last full day of conference games has all 10 teams in action, and will finalize all seeds for the upcoming SoCon Tournament. Furman travels to Samford for a nationally televised game that will decide the SoCon Championship. Samford is assured a share of the title, but a win in Homewood would give the Bulldogs their first SoCon basketball championship, outright. Everyone else is playing for seeding purposes in the tournament, except WCU and VMI, who both have locked down the 4th and 10th seeds respectively, on the "Road to Asheville".

2:00 PM - Watch on CBSSN
Furman (23-7, 14-3 SoCon) at Samford (21-9, 15-2 SoCon)
Pete Hanna Center - Homewood, AL

2:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
The Citadel (10-20, 5-12 SoCon) at Mercer (12-18, 5-12 SoCon)
Hawkins Arena -Macon, GA

4:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
VMI (7-23, 2-15 SoCon) at Western Carolina (16-14, 9-8 SoCon)
Ramsey Regional Activity Center - Cullowhee, NC

4:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
UNCG (20-10, 14-3 SoCon) at ETSU (11-19, 7-10 SoCon)
Freedom Hall Civic Center - Johnson City, TN

7:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
Chattanooga (15-15, 7-10 SoCon) at Wofford (15-15, 7-10 SoCon)
Richardson Indoor Stadium - Spartanburg, SC

Game #30 - VMI Keydets

Who: VMI Keydets
When: Saturday, February 25, 2023
Time: 4:00 pm
Where: Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
    -announcer: Gary Ayers (PxP)
TV/video: ESPN+
    -announcer: Daniel Hooker (PxP)
Live Stats: WCU Live Stats
Nickname: Keydets
Colors: Red, Yellow, White
Students: 1,685
Mascot: Moe the Kangaroo
Message Board: KeydetSportstalk

Head Coach: VMI Superintendent Maj. General Cedric T. Wins announced the hiring of Andrew Wilson to serve as the Institute’s 29th head basketball coach.

Wilson's record vs. WCU: 0-1
Gray's record vs. VMI: 2-1

VMI's current record: 7-23 overall, 6-8 home, 1-13 away, 0-2 neutral, 2-15 SoCon
VMI's last season record: 16-16 overall, 9-4 home, 6-9 away, 1-3 neutral, 9-9 SoCon

The Series: Entering their 68th game, the Cats are 38-29 overall vs. the Keydets. Western has a 21-11 winning record in games played in Cullowhee, vs. the Keydets, however, the Cats are only 4-6 in the last 10 games played against VMI, but have a two-game win streak coming into this game.

This game is part of a doubleheader being played in Cullowhee on Saturday, with the women's team playing ETSU following the men's game. This is also Senior Night for both the Men's and Women's teams, and all seniors will be recognized.

VMI is coming off their second conference win of the season with an 87-83 victory over the Wofford Terriers in Lexington. At this time only the Keydets and Catamounts know their seed for the upcoming SoCon Tournament, with the Cats holding the 4th seed and the Keydets holding the 10th seed, so the outcome of this game will not change the seeding for either team.

Currently, the Keydets have four players averaging double-digit scoring, led by Asher Woods with 14.1 points per game (PPG), followed by Sean Conway with 12.3 ppg, Tony Felder, Jr with 10.5 ppg and Tyler Houser with 10,4 ppg. Taeshaud Jackson is the leading rebounder, pulling down 7 rebounds per game. The Keydets are in 7th place in scoring offense, putting up 69.4 ppg, and rank 10th in scoring defense, giving up an average of 76 ppg.  

Xavier Musketeers

Who: Xavier Musketeers
When: February 24-26, 2023 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Times: 12:00 (noon), 2 pm, & 1 pm
Where: Childress Field, Cullowhee, NC
TV/video: ESPN+ (Friday & Sunday only)
    -announcer: Daniel Hooker (PxP)
Live Stats: WCU Live Stats (all games)
Conference: Big East Conference
Nickname: Musketeers
Location: Cincinnati and Evanston, Ohio
Type: Private
Colors: Blue, White & Silver
Students: 13,582 (undergrad / grad / post-grad)
Mascot: Musketeers (D'Artagnan the Musketeer)

Message Board: XavierHoops.com

This season's record: 0-5 overall, 0-0 home, 0-5 away, 0-0 Big East
Last season's record: 33-27 overall, 12-5 home, 19-17 away, 2-5 neutral, 13-8 Big East

Head Coach: Billy O'Conner was named the seventh head coach of the Xavier baseball program in June of 2017 after a decorated playing career and six years on the staff as an assistant.

O'Conner's record vs. WCU: 1-2
Beck's record vs. Xavier: 0-0

The Series: The Cats are 4-2 overall vs. Xavier, the Cats won 2 of 3 games against the Musketeers last season in games played in Ohio. The Cats last played Xavier in 2007 in Cullowhee, winning 2 of 3 in that series in Childress Field.

Xavier graduate student Jack Housinger was selected as the Big East Preseason Player of the Year, as voted on by the league coaches. Housinger was also selected to the Preseason All-Big East Team, joined by fellow Musketeers Garrett Schultz and Luke Bell and the league's preseason squad. Xavier was picked to finish third in the Big East by the league coaches.

In 2022, Xavier went 33-27 overall and 13-8 in Big East play earning the No. 4 seed in the 2022 Big East Baseball Tournament where the Musketeers finished runners-up. Xavier's 33 wins were the most since Xavier's 34-win campaign in 2017 and the third most in a single season in program history.

To start the season the Musketeers traveled to Eugene, Oregon to face the #20 Oregon Ducks, where they were swept by the Ducks, then to #16 Louisville, where they lost 12-8 in a mid week series.


STARTING ROTATION
                      Xavier       -          Western Carolina
Friday: Ethan Bosacker (RHP) - Matt Schepel (RHP)
Saturday: Brant Alazaus (LHP) - Kyle Riesselmann (LHP)
Sunday: Nick Boyle (RHP)  -    Jonathan Todd (RHP)

If it ended today - Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023

If the regular season play ended today, this is how the seeding would look...

First round // Friday, March 3
Game - Matchup - Time
Game 1  #9 The Citadel vs. #8 Mercer - 5 p.m.
Game 2  #7 Chattanooga vs. #10 VMI - 7:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals // Saturday, March 4
Game - Matchup - Time
Game 3   #1 Samford vs. Game 1 winner  - 12 p.m.
Game 4   #4 Western Carolina vs. #5 ETSU   - 2:30 p.m.
Game 5   #2 Furman vs. Game 2 winner  - 6 p.m.
Game 6   #3 UNCG vs. #6 Wofford  - 8:30 p.m.

SoCon MBB - (Feb. 22, 2023)

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

All 10 teams are in action on Wednesday, the final week of regular season conference play. As of today, only two seeds in the SoCon tournament have been established, they are VMI for the number 10 seed and Western Carolina for the number 4 seed. Samford travels to Chattanooga looking to retain their hold on the number one spot (it's theirs to lose) while the two teams tied for second place, Furman and UNCG play at home, and both need a win to stay in contention for that number one seed, on the "Road to Asheville".

7:00 PM ESPN+
Western Carolina (16-13, 9-7 SoCon) at UNCG (19-10,13-3 SoCon)
Greensboro Coliseum - Greensboro, NC

7:00 PM ESPN+
Samford (20-9, 14-2 SoCon) at Chattanooga (15-14, 7-9 SoCon)
McKenzie Arena - Chattanooga, TN

7:00 PM ESPN+
The Citadel (10-19, 5-11 SoCon) at ETSU (10-19, 6-10 SoCon)
Freedom Hall Civic Center - Johnson City, TN

7:00 PM ESPN+ 

Mercer (12-17, 5-11 SoCon) at Furman (22-7,13-3 SoCon)
Timmons Arena - Greenville, SC

7:00 PM ESPN+
Wofford (15-14, 7-9 SoCon) at VMI (6-23,1-15 SoCon)
Cameron Hall - Lexington, VA

Game #29 - UNCG

On the final road trip of the regular season for the Catamounts, WCU will face one of the two teams tied for second place in the conference standing, the UNCG Spartans in the Greensboro Coliseum.  

Who: UNCG Spartans

When: Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Time: 7:00 pm
Where: Greensboro, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
     -announcer: Gary Ayers (PxP)
TV/video: ESPN+
     -announcer: Ty Collins (PxP), Will Jones (Color Analyst) 

Live Stats: UNCG Live Stats
Nickname: Spartans
Colors: Gold, white, navy blue
Students: 19,764
Mascot: "Spiro" the Spartan

Head Coach: Mike Jones is the 10th head coach in UNCG men's basketball history. He was hired on April 19, 2021, and is in his second season as HC.  

Jones's record vs. WCU:  3-0

Gray's record vs. UNCG:  0-3

The Series: The Cats are 32-29 overall vs. the Spartans, and are 11-15 in games played in Greensboro.  However, the Cats are 1-9 in the last ten games played and lost both games last season to the Spartans.  

Jones' record vs. WCU: 2-0
Gray's record vs. UNCG: 0-2

UNCG's current record: 19-10 overall, 10-3 home, 8-5 away, 1-2 neutral, 13-3 SoCon
UNCG's last season's record:  17-15 overall, 9-5 home, 7-6 away, 9-9 SoCon


The Spartans were picked 3rd & 4th in the preseason polls, currently, and tied with Furman for second place in the standings. The Spartans are in 6th place in offensive scoring, putting up an average of 72.7 points per game (ppg), but come in 1st place in scoring defense, giving up only 64.9 points per game.  The Spartans have three players that are scoring in double digits, with Keyshaun Langley posting 14.4 ppg, Keondre Kennedy hitting 13.4 ppg, and  Mikeal Brown-Jones scoring 10,4 ppg.      

If it ended today - Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023

If the regular season play ended today, this is how the seeding would look...

First round // Friday, March 3
Game - Matchup - Time
Game 1  #9 The Citadel vs. #8 Mercer - 5 p.m.
Game 2  #7 ETSU  vs. #10 VMI - 7:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals // Saturday, March 4
Game - Matchup - Time
Game 3   #1 Samford vs. Game 1 winner - 12 p.m.
Game 4  #4 Western Carolina vs. #5 Wofford   - 2:30 p.m.
Game 5  #2 Furman vs. Game 2 winner - 6 p.m.
Game 6   #3 UNCG vs. #6 Chattanooga  - 8:30 p.m.

A Recap of Saturday's SoCon MBB Games

Saturday, February 18, 2023

It was not a good day to be the home team in the SoCon on Saturday, with all four home teams dropping their game today. The Spartans, Bulldogs, Terriers, and Catamounts all picked up road wins today, with Samford remaining in first place and the Spartans holding on to at least a tie for second, while the Catamounts increased their hold on the number 4 spot in the conference standings with a two-game lead over the Mocs. The Paladins must win Sunday to remain in the hunt for the regular season crown, and the number one seed in the SoCon MBB tournament, on the "Road to Asheville"

UNCG 93 - Chattanooga 76
UNCG men's basketball team bounced back with a 93-76 victory over Chattanooga Saturday afternoon at McKenzie Arena in Southern Conference (SoCon) play. The Spartans saw four with double-digit points, including Bas Leyte leading the team with 16 points. This matched his season-best. Keyshaun and Kobe Langley each had 15 points, as Kobe's was a season-best. Keondre Kennedy chipped in 13 points. This was the 11th game this season where four or more Spartans recorded double-digit points. UNCG has now won a game by double digits in 13 games this season and scored 90 or more points in five games this season.

Samford 96 - VMI 61
The Samford Men's Basketball Team put on an offensive clinic in its 96-61 blowout victory at VMI on Saturday. With the win, Samford improves to 20-9 overall and 14-2 in Southern Conference play. It is the fourth time the Bulldogs have notched 20 wins in a season and the first time in program history that the Bulldogs have recorded consecutive seasons with 20 regular-season wins. Samford sits just one league win shy of tying the 1998-99 squad for most conference victories in a season at 15. The Bulldogs used a monster second half to pull away from VMI, outscoring them 65-31 over the final 20 minutes. Samford knocked down 15 threes in the second half on 21 attempts (71%) while shooting 23-34 from the field (68%).

Wofford 72 - The Citadel 68
The Wofford College men's basketball team was able to hold on late to get a crucial 72-68 road win over The Citadel at McAlister Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon. The Terriers trailed with 3:35 remaining in the second half but were able to rally late for the second time this week and pick up a win. Clutch free throw shooting late in the game helped to seal the victory as a 68-66 lead with 24 seconds left turned into a 72-68 margin with senior B.J. Mack and freshman Jackson Paveletzke both going 2-2 from the line in the final 24 seconds. Paveletzke's free throws gave Wofford a 72-68 lead with only nine seconds left and a Corey Tripp steal would allow the Terriers to run out the clock on a 72-68 road win.

Western Carolina 71 - Mercer 68
Tre Jackson led four Western Carolina players in double figures with 18 points as the Catamounts held off a later Mercer rally for a 71-68 win over the Bears inside Hawkins Arena on Saturday afternoon. WCU improves to 16-13 overall and 9-7 in Southern Conference play with the win. Mercer falls to 12-17 and 5-11. The Catamounts complete the season sweep of Mercer for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Jackson's 18-point day came as he finished 5-for-15 from the field, 2-for-6 on 3-point attempts, and 6-for-7 at the free throw line. Vonterius Woolbright tallied 16 points along with seven rebounds, and seven assists. Tyzhaun Claude returned to the lineup on Saturday, posting a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Russell Jones Jr. also finished in double figures with 12 points. Of WCU's 71 points, 20 came as a result of Mercer turnovers as the Catamounts forced 15 Bear miscues.

WCU Player of the Game (vs. Mercer)

Purple & Gold's "Catamount Player of the Game" for the Mercer game on February 18th, is redshirt junior forward, Tyzhaun Claude

The Catamount Player of the Game, Tyzhaun Claude returned to the lineup after a three-game absence and posted a double-double in his return.  He scored 12 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, putting up eight points in field goals, and was a perfect 4 for 4 at the charity stripe. Tyzhaun pulled down 10 rebounds, 7 defensive, and 3 offensive rebounds, he also had one steal.   

Congratulations to Tyzhaun and the entire Catamount basketball team for the exciting win over the Mercer Bears.        

                                                                  

Game #29 - Mercer Bears

Who: Mercer Bears
When: Saturday, February 18, 2023

Time: 2:00 pm
Where: Hawkins Arena, Macon, GA
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
   -announcer: Gary Ayers (PxP)
TV/video: ESPN+
   -announcer:  
Nickname: Bears
Colors: Black & Orange
Students: 9,024
Mascot: Toby
Message Board:  MU Bear Down

Head Coach: Greg Gary begins his fourth season leading the Mercer men’s program.
Gary's record vs. WCU: 4-5
Gray's record vs. UNCG: 2-2

Mercer's current record: 12-16 overall, 6-6 home, 4-9 away, 2-1 neutral, 5-10 SoCon
Mercer's last season record: 16-17 overall, 10-4 home, 4-11 away, 2-2 neutral, 8-10 SoCon

The Series: The Cats are 13-13 overall against Mercer, in a series that started in 1978. The Cats are 5-5 in the last ten games played against the Bears and are 4-6 in games played in Macon. The two teams split last season, each winning on their home court, but Mercer picked up another win over the Cats in the SoCon tournament, knocking the Cats out of the tournament in the first round last season.  Neither team has won back-to-back games in the series since the 2018-19 season. The Bears have won the last six meetings with the Catamounts in Macon, dating back to the 2016-17 season.

Mercer comes into the game riding a three-game conference losing streak but did play Samford to a one-point overtime loss on Feb. 8th.  Mercer dropped two of the last three games by a combined four points, including an overtime finish against Samford. 

Currently, the Bears are tied with the Citadel for 8th place in the conference. Mercer sits in 7th place in scoring offense, posting an average of 69.2 points per game (ppg), and sits in 6th place in scoring defense, holding teams to an average of 70.9 points per game.  

SoCon MBB - (Feb. 18, 2023)

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Only four games are on the schedule for Saturday, as Furman will have to wait until Sunday for their second straight loss, this time at the hands of the Bucs. Now that there is a little separation in the top three (thanks to The Citadel), we will see if numbers 2 & 3 can keep up with the Bulldogs. The Cats travel to Macon for a big test against the Bears on their home court, the Cats have an opportunity to sweep another SoCon foe. The Terriers have to go into the lion's den called McAlister Field House, I don't think any SoCon teams would want to play the Bulldogs after their win on Wednesday night. Samford travels to Lexington, to face the last place Keydets, beware of the trap game. The SoCon is getting good exposure this week nationally, UNCG/Chattanooga on CBS SN and ETSU/Furman on ESPNU on Sunday, on the "Road to Asheville"

12:00 PM Watch on CBSSN
UNCG (18-10, 12-3 SoCon) at Chattanooga (15-13, 7-8 SoCon)
McKenzie Arena - Chattanooga, TN

1:00 PM Watch on ESPN+
Samford (19-9, 13-2 SoCon) at VMI (6-22, 1-14
SoCon)
Cameron Hall - Lexington, VA

1:00 PM Watch on ESPN+
Wofford (14-14, 6-9 SoCon) at The Citadel (10-18, 5-10 SoCon)
McAlister Field House - Charleston, SC

2:00 PM Watch on ESPN+
Western Carolina (15-13, 8-7 SoCon) at Mercer (12-16, 5-10 SoCon)
Hawkins Arena - Macon, GA

If it ended today - Wednesday, 2-15-23

If the regular season play ended today, this is how the seeding would look...

First round // Friday, March 3
Game - Matchup - Time
Game 1  #9 The Citadel vs. #8 Mercer - 5 p.m.
Game 2  #7 Wofford vs. #10 VMI - 7:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals // Saturday, March 4
Game - Matchup - Time
Game 3   #1 Samford vs. Game 1 winner - 12 p.m.
Game 4  #4 Western Carolina vs. #5 Chattanooga - 2:30 p.m.
Game 5  #2 Furman vs. Game 2 winner - 6 p.m.
Game 6   #3 UNCG vs. #6 ETSU - 8:30 p.m.

WCU Player of the Game (vs. ETSU)

Purple & Gold's "Catamount Player of the Game" for the ETSU game on February 15th, is senior guard, Tyler Harris

The Catamount Player of the Game, Tyler Harris scored a team-high 14 points, as he finished in double figures for the fifth time this season, leading four Catamounts scoring in double-figures. Tyler put up 4 of 5 shots from beyond the three-point line and was Two of two from the charity stripe. Tyler pulled down 2 rebounds and had one assist, as well as 1 block and one steal.   

Congratulations to Tyler and the entire Catamount basketball team for the exciting win over the ETSU Bucs.        

                                                                  

Kate Mattison - SoCon Student Athlete of the Week

Western Carolina indoor track and field runner Kate Mattison has been named the Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for all competitions from Feb. 8-14.

Mattison lowered her own school and personal records in the mile at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational in Lynchburg, Virginia, on Saturday, turning in a time of 4:55.07 to finish 11th in the event and drop 0.90 seconds from the program record she set on Jan. 21. She also competed in the 3,000-meter run at the meet on Friday, finishing 14th in a personal-best time of 9:52.01. Her mile time ranks eighth in the SoCon this season, while her 3,000m time is good for ninth. 

A fifth-year senior from Oconee, Georgia, Mattison has a 4.0 GPA and is pursuing a Master of Health Science degree.

 

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

 

SoCon MBB - (Feb. 15, 2023)

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

All ten teams are in action on Wednesday night, with the big game taking place in Homewood, AL as the Spartans travel to Alabama to face the Bulldogs, as two of the top three teams face off. After Wednesday, there will be at least one less team tied for first in the SoCon standings. WCU looks to bounce back after a loss to Furman last Saturday, hoping to firm up their hold on the fourth place in the standings. The Mocs visit VMI hoping to do the same for 5th place as they visit VMI..... on the "Road to Asheville".


7:00 PM - Watch on ESPN+
ETSU (10-17, 6-8 SoCon) at Western Carolina (14-13, 7-7 SoCon)
Ramsey Regional Activity Center - Cullowhee, NC

7:00 PM  - Watch on ESPN+
Chattanooga (14-13, 6-8 SoCon) at VMI (6-21, 1-13 SoCon)
Cameron Hall - Lexington, VA

7:00 PM  - Watch on ESPN+
Furman (21-6, 12-2 SoCon) at The Citadel (9-16, 4-10 SoCon)
McAlister Field House - Charleston, SC

7:00 PM  - Watch on ESPN+
Mercer (12-15, 5-9 SoCon) at Wofford (13-14, 5-9 SoCon)
Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium - Spartanburg, SC

7:30 PM  - Watch on ESPN+
UNCG (18-9, 12-2 SoCon) at Samford (18-9, 12-2 SoCon)
Pete Hanna Center - Homewood, AL

Tre' Jackson - SoCon MBB Player of the Week

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

 

Game #28: ETSU Bucs

Who: ETSU Bucs

When: Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Time: 7:00 pm
Where: Ramsey Center, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
   -announcer: Gary Ayers (PxP)
TV/video: ESPN+

   -announcer:  Daniel Hooker
Nickname: Buccaneers
Colors: Navy Blue & Gold (yellow) 

Students: 14,334
Mascot: Bucky

Message Board:  Buccaneer Nation

Head Coach: Desmond Oliver was named the 18th head coach in program history on April 5, 2021.
Oliver's record vs. WCU: 1-2
Gray's record vs. ETSU: 2-1

ETSU's current record: 10-17 overall, 5-9 home, 4-7 away, 1-1 neutral, 6-8 SoCon
ETSU's last season record: 15-17 overall, 8-6 home, 4-10 away, 3-2 neutral, 7-11 SoCon

The Series: The Cats are 26-58 all-time versus the Bucs, and are only 13-25 in games played in Cullowhee. The Cats are 2-8 in the last ten games played against ETSU and have won the last two games against the Bucs. Last year in Cullowhee the Cats broke a 13-game losing streak with ETSU. 

In the SoCon preseason polls, the Bucs were picked to finish 6th by both the coaches and the media. The Bucs currently are tied for 5th place (w/Chattanooga) in the SoCon standings, just one game behind the Catamounts. The Bucs currently rank 9th in scoring offense, putting up 69.2 points per game (ppg), however in scoring defense, the Bucs come in third, giving up only 68.7 ppg.

Currently tied for fifth place in the SoCon standings with Chattanooga, ETSU comes into the game having lost two of the last four games, breaking a two-game skid with a win over VMI Friday night in Johnson City.  After winning its first four SoCon road games, the Bucs have dropped three straight league games away from Johnson City. The Bucs have three players averaging double-figure scoring, Jalen Haynes, and Jordan King are both averaging 14 ppg, with  Deanthony Tipler putting up 11 ppg.  Jaden Seymour leads the team in rebounding with 7.3 rebounds per game.  The Bucs are averaging 6 three-pointers per game, and as a team hitting 66% of their shots at the charity stripe. 

If it ended today - Saturday, 2-11-23

If the regular season play ended today, this is how the seeding would look...

First round // Friday, March 3
Game - Matchup - Time
Game 1  #9 The Citadel vs. #8 Mercer - 5 p.m.
Game 2  #7 Wofford vs. #10 VMI - 7:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals // Saturday, March 4
Game - Matchup - Time
Game 3   #1 Furman vs. Game 1 winner - 12 p.m.
Game 4  #4 Western Carolina vs. #5 Chattanooga - 2:30 p.m.
Game 5  #2 Samford vs. Game 2 winner - 6 p.m.
Game 6   #3 UNCG vs. #6 ETSU - 8:30 p.m.

SoCon MBB (2-11-23)

Saturday, February 11, 2023 

Only three games on the calendar for Saturday, as one conference game was played on Friday, and one is scheduled for Sunday. Two of the three teams tied for first in the conference standings play Saturday, with Furman having the most difficult challenge of the three, facing a team that beat them earlier in the season, a team that has surpassed most casual fans' expectations, Western Carolina. The Citadel Bulldogs visit Homewood and the "other" Bulldogs, as the Bears travel to Chattanooga to face the Mocs, both teams hoping to stay out of the dreaded 7th place in the conference standings, on the "Road to Asheville."


2:00 PM Watch on ESPN+
Western Carolina (14-12, 7-6 SoCon) at Furman (20-6, 11-2 SoCon)
Timmons Arena - Greenville, SC


3:00 PM Watch on ESPN+
The Citadel (9-17, 4-9 SoCon) at Samford (17-9, 11-2 SoCon)
Pete Hanna Center - Homewood, AL


3:30 PM Watch on CBSSN
Mercer (12-14, 5-8 SoCon) - Chattanooga (13-13, 5-8 SoCon)
McKenzie Arena - Chattanooga, TN

Game 27: Furman

Who: Furman Paladins
When: Saturday, February 11, 2022
Time: 2:00 pm
Where: Travelers Rest, SC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network
    -announcer: Gary Ayers (PxP)
TV/video  Nexstar / ESPN+

   -announcer: David Jackson (Play by Play), Ralph Patterson (Color Analyst)
Live Stats: Furman Live Stats
Nickname: Paladins
Colors: Purple & White
Students: 2,662
Mascot: Paladins

Message Board:  GoPaladins

Head Coach: Bob Richey is in his sixth season as head coach of the Furman men’s basketball team and 12th overall with the program.

 
Richey's record vs. WCU: 10-1
Gray's record vs. Furman: 1-2

Furman's current record: 20-6 overall, 11-2 home, 7-2 away, 2-2 neutral, 11-2 SoCon
Furman's last season's record: 22-12 overall, 12-3 home, 8-8 away, 12-6 SoCon

The Series: The Cats are 30-52 overall vs. the Paladins, and are 9-30 in games played in Travelers Rest. However, the Cats broke a 12-game losing streak last December in Cullowhee when they beat the Paldins by a final score of 79-67.

In the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week on Saturday afternoon at Timmons Arena, the Paladins are coming off a 94-63 victory over VMI, and are on a 7-game win streak, since their loss to UNCG on Jan 14th in Timmons Arena, Travelers Rest, SC. Furman was the preseason favorite to win the 2022-23 Southern Conference men’s basketball title in polling of the league’s 10 men’s basketball coaches and media. The Paladins are currently in a three-way tie with Samford and UNCG for first place, all tied at 11-2 in the conference standings. Only Western Carolina and UNCG have prevented the Paladins from holding sole possession of 1st place, and the Paladins avenged their first loss to the Spartans, by beating them in Greensboro. 

The Paladins lead the league in offensive scoring, putting up an average of 82 points per game (PPG), and come in tied for 7th place in scoring defense, giving up 71.5 ppg.  Free throw shooting has been a key for the Paladins, who are 13-0 when outscoring their opponents at the charity stripe. Furman is hitting 75.15% at the line as a team. The Paladins have connected on 20 or more free throw attempts in four of the last five games while shooting better than 79% in four of the last five.

Furman starting lineup:

SoCon MBB - A Wednesday Recap

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Furman, Samford, and UNCG remain tied for first place, while the Catamounts put a firm hold on the fourth spot in the conference standings with a double overtime win over the Terriers. Samford squeezed out a overtime, one-point win in Macon,  while the Paladins easily took care of the Keydets in Lexington. The Mocs kept alive their hope for one of the top 6 seeds for the upcoming tournament with a win over The Citadel, on the "Road to Asheville".  

Western Carolina 95 - Wofford 91
Tre Jackson wrote his name in the Western Carolina men's basketball record books with 47 points and Vonterius Woolbright made the go-ahead basket with 16 seconds remaining in double overtime as the Catamounts downed Wofford 95-91 on Wednesday night inside Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. WCU completes the series sweep of Wofford with the win and improves to 14-12 overall and 7-6 in SoCon play. With the win, the Catamounts remain undefeated in overtime contests under head coach Justin Gray at 6-0 and won their first double overtime game since a 98-96 triumph at Jacksonville on Nov. 21, 2019. Wofford drops to 13-13 and 5-8.

Samford 70 - Mercer 69
The Samford Men's Basketball Team picked up its third-straight win with a 70-69 overtime victory at Southern Conference foe Mercer on Wednesday evening. The win improves the Bulldogs' record to 17-9 overall and 11-2 in SoCon play while dropping the Bears to 12-14 overall and 5-8 in league action. The victory also marks Samford's first win at Mercer since the 2001-02 campaign. Ques Glover led all players with 22 points on an 8-16 shooting night while Jermaine Marshall recorded 17 points and four rebounds. A.J. Staton-McCray flirted with a double-double, tallying nine points and a game-high eight boards. Logan Dye added 10 points and five rebounds while Bubba Parham registered seven points and four rebounds.

Furman 94 - VMI 63
Furman reached the 20-win plateau for the sixth time in the last seven seasons and notched its sixth consecutive road victory with a 94-63 triumph over VMI on Wednesday night at Cameron Hall in Lexington, Va. The Southern Conference-leading Paladins (20-6, 11-2 SoCon) shot 54% from the field, connected on 17 three-pointers, and dished out a season-best 30 assists on 36 field goals to secure their seventh consecutive victory and complete the regular season sweep of VMI. Leading 25-19 with under six minutes left in the first half, Furman drained three consecutive triples to ignite a 29-4 run to end the period and carry a 54-23 lead into the break. Sophomores JP Pegues and Alex Williams posted eight and six points, respectively, during the decisive stretch as the Paladins hit nine of their final 10 shots in the half.

The Citadel 63 - Chattanooga 82
The Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team connected on 15 threes while Jamal Johnson poured in a career-high 24 points to help lift the Mocs to an 82-63 victory over The Citadel in Southern Conference action on Wednesday night inside McKenzie Arena. Following the win, Chattanooga snaps a three-game home skid and improves to 13-13 overall and 5-8 inside SoCon play. The Citadel falls to 9-17 overall and 4-9 in conference action. UTC saw nine different players connect on at least one three during the win, landing just one shy of tying the NCAA Division I record of 10… which was set by the Mocs earlier this season against Covenant. In addition to the electric offensive performance, the Chattanooga defense forced a season-high 21 turnovers which led to a 28-8 edge in points off miscues.