Southern Conference Quarterfinals: Who advanced, who is left in semis
· Yahoo Sports
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Four teams remain in the 2026 Southern Conference Tournament. Although the season was a little disappointing considering the league’s drop in overall strength, the tournament has once again lived up to the hype in terms of excitement. Of the six games played thus far, five have been decided by 10 points or less, including three by five points or less.
Following Saturday’s action, the two semifinal matchups will see No. 1 East Tennessee State take on No. 5 Western Carolina in the opening game of Sunday’s semifinal action, slated for 4 p.m. EST, while the second semifinal contest will feature No. 7 seed UNC Greensboro vs. No. 6 Furman, beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. EST.
It will mark the second-straight season that the No. 1, No. 5, No. 6, and No. 7 seeds remain in the semifinals of the Southern Conference Tournament. Wofford’s 75-72 loss to No. 7 UNCG also means that for an 11th-straight Southern Conference Tournament, we will not have a repeat SoCon champion. The Terriers became the first No. 6 seed to ever win the SoCon Tournament last March, when the Terriers knocked off Furman, 92-85, in the championship game.
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The magic of the No. 7 seed continued in the Southern Conference Tournament, as for the fifth time in the past six tournaments, the No. 7 knocked off the No. 2 seed in the tournament to reach at least the semifinals of the tournament.
The second day opened with top-seeded East Tennessee State pulling away from No. 9 The Citadel in the second half. This was thanks to a solid day shooting the ball from the perimeter (10-of-26/38.5%) and strong individual performance from Blake Barkley, who connected on 10-of-11 shots from the field. Barkley led four ETSU players in double figures, with 24 points, as the Bucs moved on to the Southern Conference Tournament semifinals with an 83-76 win over the Bulldogs.
It was the Bucs’ ninth-straight win in the series, including their seventh under the direction of Brooks Savage. With the win, ETSU improves to 22-10 on the season, while the Bulldogs ended their 2025-26 season with an 11-22 mark.
The Citadel wasn’t deterred by the fact that ETSU had won five of its last six over the Bulldogs by double digits, including two this season, but at the final media timeout of the opening half, the Bulldogs found themselves right in the contest, trailing just 27-25.
Points were hard to come by for both teams due to both defense and the physical nature of the game. The Bulldogs’ 2-3 zone kept the Bucs out of rhythm. Braxton Williams hit a three to give The Citadel its first lead of the game, and then Sola Adebisi got an offensive rebound and putback to give the Bulldogs the 30-27 lead with 2:03 remaining in the first half.
Following the timeout, Maki Johnson’s three tied it, and then Brian Taylor II stole and dunked with 90 seconds remaining gave ETSU the lead back, 32-30, which was quickly answered by a bucket from Adebisi to promptly tie the game once again.
Taylor II stepped up and made a jumper and another layup to give the Bucs a 36-32 lead, and the Bucs would end up having the final possession of the half with 13.2 seconds remaining. The Bucs had two chances at a three, but missed both; however, the Bucs used that 6-0 spurt late in the half to take a 36-32 lead to the break.
In the second half, the Bucs came out and flexed their proverbial muscle, using a 16-6 run in the first six minutes of the frame to assume a 52-38 lead after Taylor II knocked down a three. Jaylen King, who won the SoCon’s Sixth Man of the Year last week, drove to the basket and was fouled, making both free throws to keep the margin at 14, but Keynan Davis answered with a pair of threes to get the Bulldogs back to within eight, at 54-46, with twelve-and-a-half minutes remaining.
Taylor II’s three put ETSU back up double-digits, at 57-46, and that’s where the score remained as the two teams headed to their respective benches for the second media timeout of the second half with 11:31 left.
Back-to-back Jaylen Smith made jumpers gave the Bucs a 63-50 lead with 7:36 remaining, prompting The Citadel’s Ed Conroy to take a timeout, hoping his Bulldogs could mount one final charge. ETSU’s defense against the Bulldogs differed from Chattanooga’s in the opening round. The Bulldogs struggled to find open looks from the perimeter.
After connecting on 15 threes against the Mocs, the Bucs showed why they were the top defensive dog in the league, limiting The Citadel to just eight threes on 26 attempts (30.8%) for the game.
ETSU went to the final media timeout holding a comfortable 71-58 lead. The Bucs would eventually hold off the Bulldogs with a seven-point win. The Bucs shot a sizzling 67% (16-of-24) from the field in the second half!
The Bucs finished with four players in double figures. Blake Barkley led the team with a game-high 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field, including a career-best three three-pointers; the Northwestern Wildcat transfer finished the day 3-for-3 from long range. He also added six rebounds and two steals. Jordan McCullum added a solid 13 points and four boards, while Brian Taylor II and Jaylen Smith finished with 11 points apiece to round out the double-figure scorers.
Sola Adebisi finished the tournament with 49 points for The Citadel, as he was one of three Bulldogs to score in double figures in the loss to the Bucs. He finished the game with 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists, shooting 10-of-15 from the field, including 1-for-4 from three-point range and 9-for-11 from two-point range.
Braxton Williams, who finished with 19 points, also reached double figures in the loss, joining Adebisi. Keynan Davis added 11 points off the bench, marking his second consecutive double-figure scoring performance.
SoCon Saturday Game 2
The second matchup of the day would see UNCG head coach Mike Jones pick up his second tournament win in four seasons, as he continued to make up for lost time, leading the seventh-seeded Spartans to a 75-72 win over No. 2 Wofford. This marks the Spartans’ 10th semifinal appearance since joining the SoCon before the 1997-98 season and their first appearance at the penultimate stage since the 2021 tournament. UNCG is 6-3 all-time in tournament semifinals, improving to 27-25 all-time in tournament play. The Spartans have now won seven of their past 10 games and are starting to play some of their best basketball at the right time.
Justin Neely was a man among boys once again, as he already completed a double-double performance by the half, scoring 14 first-half points and adding 12 rebounds, as the Spartans took a 36-32 lead to the break. He finished the night with 22 points and 24 rebounds—the third-most rebounds ever in a SoCon Tournament game. It also marked Neely’s 20th double-double of the season.
KJ Younger added 19 for UNCG, while freshman guard Noah Norgaard added 17 points, including several clutch threes. The young Danish guard finished the game 5-for-10 from long-range.
Wofford got 24 points, six rebounds, and one steal from first-team all-league performer Kahmare Holmes, while second-teamer Nils Machowski added 22 points, eight rebounds and two steals to lead Wofford’s scoring efforts. Chace Watley rounded out Wofford’s double-figure scorers with 12.
In the second half, the Spartans would extend their lead out to eight points before the first media timeout on a Neely jumper, at 40-32, but Chace Watley answered with a three to trim it back to five with 17:10 remaining. Neely was fouled on the other end and knocked down a pair of free throws to extend the lead back to seven. Then, Watley converted a layup, Machowski made a layup in transition and Watley connected on another three to tie the game. Five straight points by Kahmare Holmes then gave the Terriers a 46-42 lead.
All told, Wofford went on a 16-0 run in just over four and a half minutes. Holmes scored 11-straight points during the run, whipping the crowd of 5,140—which heavily favored the Terriers—into a frenzy, as the Terriers started to cook. After Holmes converted a layup at the 12:45 mark of the second half, he extended Wofford’s lead to nine, at 51-42, with 12:45 remaining.
Behind Neely and Younger, however, the Spartans stalled and used a 13-4 run to tie the game, 55-55, when Neely made a free throw at the 9:37 mark. From there the Spartans remained in the game the rest of the way, as Wofford never led by more than six points.
When Chace Whatley converted a layup in transition, giving the Terriers a 66-60 lead with 5:07 left, it appeared they might have enough to blow the game open. But it would be a game-defining moment for Mike Jones’ team, which reeled off seven-straight to take a 67-66 lead following a pair of KJ Younger made free throws with 3:32 remaining. After Wofford tied it on Holmes’ lone made free throw (1-for-9 from the charity stripe), Noah Norgaard answered with a huge three. Wofford’s Machowski then answered with a three of his own, tying the game, 70-70, with 55 seconds remaining.
The biggest play of the afternoon came from Valentino Pinedo, however, as he tipped in Donald Whitehead Jr.’s missed layup attempt, giving UNCG the 72-70 lead with 36 seconds left. After Younger fouled Holmes while he was shooting, sending the sophomore to the line for two more free throws with 25 seconds left, he missed both. This gave the Spartans new life, as Neely pulled down another rebound.
Whitehead Jr. would then be fouled on the other end and would go to the line for two shots with 18 seconds left. He made the first, but missed the second. However, Neely chased down the rebound and saved the ball to Wofford’s Machowski, who went all the way in for a layup on the other end, cutting the UNCG lead to one (73-72) with 12 seconds left. Wofford’s Brian Sumpter fouled Neely with eight seconds remaining. Neely sank both free throws. After a Terriers timeout to set up a final play, Machowski attempted an ill-advised half-court heave off a screen from Rex Stirling, hoping to draw a foul while shooting a three. The shot fell well short, and the Spartans pulled off the first major upset of the 2026 SoCon Tournament.
SoCon Saturday Game 3
No. 6 Furman became the third lower-seeded team to win in the tournament. For the second straight season, the Paladins knocked out a higher-seeded Samford team in their opening game of the Southern Conference Tournament, winning this season’s clash 86-81, a much closer contest. Last season, the No. 5-seeded Paladins connected on 17 three-pointers en route to a 95-78 win over the Bulldogs in Asheville.
With the win, Furman advances to the semifinals on Sunday to face No. 7 UNC Greensboro (15-18). It will mark only the second semifinal clash between the Paladins and Spartans; UNCG won the previous meeting, 66-62, in 2019.
The win also guaranteed that for the ninth time in 11 seasons, the Paladins have won 20 or more games, as Furman improved to 20-12 overall, while Samford concludes its season with a 18-14 mark.
Southern Conference Player of the Year Jadin Booth led the Bulldogs with 34 points, scoring 23 of those in the opening half. However, the two teams headed to the locker room tied at 46-46. The Paladins shot 66.7% from three-point range in the opening half (8-of-12), making eight of their first 10 shots from long range. However, Samford shot 60% (15-of-25) from the field in the opening 20 minutes to stay in the game. The Bulldogs withstood an early onslaught that saw the Paladins take as much as an 11-point lead (33-22) midway through the opening frame.
In the second half, the Bulldogs assumed a 52-50 lead on a Cade Norris three-pointer from the right corner with 16:25 left. However, Furman responded with an 11-2 run, starting with a Ben Vander Wal offensive rebound and layup and ending with an Alex Wilkins layup off a Samford turnover to give the Paladins a 61-54 lead with 10:28 remaining.
Three minutes later, the Bulldogs threatened to overtake the Paladins when Dylan Faulkner converted a layup off a Furman turnover, bringing the Bulldogs within one point, 66-65, with 7:21 remaining. However, a crucial 9-0 run by Furman, featuring five points from Tom House, allowed the Paladins to push the lead to double digits (75-65) after a House triple with 3:14 remaining.
Samford answered by scoring five of the next six points, closing the gap to 76-70 after a Keaton Norris 12-foot jumper with 1:45 remaining. On the next Furman possession, however, House used a perfectly timed pump-fake on a three-pointer and drew a foul on Samford’s Faulkner, with 49 seconds left. He made all three free throws to extend Furman’s lead back to nine, at 79-70. It was part of a 7-of-7 performance from the line for House, as the Paladins made 10-of-11 free throws down the stretch to finish off a sixth-straight win over Samford, including a three-game sweep of the Bulldogs for the second straight season.
The senior transfer from Florida State finished with a team-leading 20 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, including going 3-for-4 from three-point range and the aforementioned 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. Alex Wilkins, who scored Furman’s first 10 points of the game, finished with 19 points and three assists, while Cooper Bowser and Cole Bowser combined for 24 of Furman’s incredible 48 bench points. The Paladins held a 48-6 advantage in bench scoring. Cooper Bowser finished 6-of-12 from the field and 2-for-2 from the line, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds. Cooper’s brother, true freshman forward Cole Bowser, finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Booth was once again sensational, finishing his evening with 34 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and 8-of-15 from long-range. In the process of another jaw-dropping effort, he set the Samford single-season record for three-pointers. He also converted 6-of-7 charity shots.
Joining Booth in double figures for the Bulldogs were Dylan Faulkner, who added 12 points and nine boards, while Cade Norris and Keaton Norris both added 11.
SoCon Saturday Game 4
The final game of the evening pitted No. 4 Mercer against No. 5 Western Carolina, and the game lived up to the hype many predicted when the bracket was finalized last week. The Catamounts notched a seventh-straight win in thrilling fashion, ending Mercer’s outstanding 2025-26 season with a 77-73 win inside the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in the quarterfinal finale.
The Catmounts improved to 15-15 with the win, while Mercer’s season concluded with a 19-13 mark. The Catamounts will now face No. 1 East Tennessee State in the first of two semifinal clashes on Sunday, as tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. EST at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center. The Catamounts won both regular-season meetings with ETSU and were the only team to sweep the Bucs in the regular-season.
It appeared the Bears would run away with the game, as they ran out to a 24-9 lead midway through the first half. The Catamounts fell behind by as much as 17 (28-11), with nine minutes left in the half. However, a 14-1 run over the next four minutes got WCU back into the game where they remained for the rest of the night, closing the gap to just four (29-25) following a Tahlan Pettway layup high off the window with 5:14 left in the opening half.
Less than two minutes later, a three-pointer by Tidjiane Dioumassi in transition gave the Catamounts a 33-32 lead with 3:32 remaining in the opening half. A Pettway jumper with 36 seconds remaining in the half ensured the Catamounts would take a 36-35 lead into the halftime locker room.
Mercer again started strong, using a 12-3 run to start the half to take a 47-39 lead after a Zaire Williams three-pointer with 15:16 remaining. WCU quickly bounced back with six straight points—a Marcus Kell three-pointer and three Pettway foul shots—pulling to within 47-45, with 14:31 left.
Mercer’s Baraka Okojie and Quinton Perkins II then connected on back-to-back threes as part of a 9-0 run by the Bears, giving Mercer a 54-45 lead with 12:45 remaining. The lead remained nine, at 58-49, when Armani Mighty knocked down a short jumper with 10:19 left.
Western Carolina kept on keeping on, however, as the Catamounts used a 10-0 run to regain the lead, 59-58, following a Pettway patented fade-a-away jumper with 7:05 remaining. The final five minutes of the game featured three ties and two lead changes, with neither team leading by more than five points. However, after Mercer reclaimed a one-point, 72-71, lead on a Zaire Williams free throw, Kell made a pair of free throws on the other end with 31 seconds remaining, giving the Catamounts a 73-72 lead, which they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
Dioumassi led WCU in the contest with 21 points, three assists and three rebounds, leading four Catamounts in double figures. The former Southern Jaguar connected on 8-of-16 shots from the field, including going 4-for-6 from three-point range in the win. Pettway, a true freshman point guard from Worcester, MA, finished his fifth-straight game in double figures, scoring 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Marcus Kell added 15 points and Cord Stansberry finished with 13 to round out the Catamounts in double figures.
A major key to the win for the Catamounts was an astounding 53-29 advantage on the glass, which led to a 27-8 disparity in second-chance points, as the Catamounts pulled down a whopping 25 offensive rebounds. Samuel Dada led the Catamounts with 14 rebounds, including grabbing nine offensive boards.
Mercer finished the game led by Baraka Okojie, who scored a game-high 26 points and added four assists. Zaire Williams and Brady Shoulders added 18 and 11 points, respectively, for the Bears.
Check Mid-Major Madness tomorrow for a full semifinals recap and preview of Monday evening’s championship game at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, NC.