Wilkins’ career night vaults Paladins into SoCon title game

By Justin Mathis (@J_Math23)

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Freshman guard Alex Wilkins provided the spark Furman had been searching for. 

Wilkins erupted for 28 points in the second half – finishing with a game-high 34 and setting or tying three school records – to ignite a Paladin offense that struggled in the opening half Sunday against UNC Greensboro.

 

Behind Wilkins’ breakout performance, Furman exploded for 54 points after halftime and pulled away late from the Spartans for an 81-75 victory in the semifinals of the Southern Conference tournament.

 

A ferocious Cooper Bowser dunk, paired with a Wilkins runner in the lane, helped the Paladins slice UNCG’s lead down to 41-38 with 14:38 remaining in regulation.

 

“We had a conversation at halftime about what we had to go do,” said Furman head coach Bob Richey. “It wasn’t schematic. We had to go out there, play with a better spirit, and be the aggressors. We couldn’t go out there and have any self-pity. To our credit, we went from one of the worst offensive first halves of the year to one of the best offensive second halves of the season. (Alex) is continuing to grow, and you saw another step in his maturity tonight.”

 

Another Cooper Bowser three-point conversion and Wilkins three-pointer staked Furman to its first lead, 44-43, with just over 12 minutes remaining. The Spartans rallied with back-to-back buckets, one apiece from KJ Younger and Justin Neely, for a one-point lead. However, the Paladins punched back with an Eddrin Bronson three-pointer that created a three-point advantage with 6:40 to play.

 

Younger posted up and finished strong at the rim, cutting the deficit to one before Wilkins and Cole Bowser countered and extended the cushion back to two possessions.

 

“It was really the leaders (on the team) telling me to keep me head high,” Wilkins stated about getting things going offensively. “My teammates in the huddle continued to talk to me, like this guy to my right (Charles Johnston) was phenomenal and so was (Bowser) when he went out. They were making sure I stayed focus, didn’t foul, and played team ball.”

 

Wilkins and Bronson each canned triples on the next two Paladin possessions, but Lilian Marville drilled back-to-back shots from deep that trimmed the score down to 77-75 with 14 seconds left. However, Furman hit all four of its free throw attempts in the waning moments to secure a third SoCon championship game appearance in the last four seasons.

 

The Spartans built an early 10-4 lead in the first three minutes on the strength of three Neely shots, a Marville jumper, and Younger fastbreak conversion that captured the momentum early. Wilkins and Tom House mustered a layup and three-pointer, respectively, that pulled the Paladins within a three-point margin.

 

Late in the half, UNCG struck for an 11-2 run, buoyed by six points from Neely, but Charles Johnston answered with consecutive baskets for Furman that cut the margin to 38-27 at the halftime break.

 

“I’ve got to give all the glory to God to wake up this morning and get to coach this group,” UNCG head coach Mike Jones said. “The trademark of our program is to get the right kind of people on the bus. That was an incredibly good college basketball game against a really good and well-coached team.”

“I’m also proud of our guys, too. We had a really difficult November, and I wasn’t sure if the guys were going to stick with it, but they did, led by (Neely and Valentino Pinedo). That was a hell of a basketball game and I’m proud of our fight and effort. Unfortunately, in life, sometimes you come up short.”

 

Wilkins’ performance was one to remember, as he now owns the Furman record for most points in a season by a freshman, breaking the mark previously set by Jonathan Moore in 1977. Wilkins also tied the single game record for most points by a Paladin first-year player, also set by Moore with 34 points versus Georgia in the 1976-77 season. Wilkins’ performance produced the most points in a SoCon tournament game for a freshman since Roy Simpson tallied 36 points back in 1972. He also set a new career-high in the win, which was previously 33 points against Chattanooga on February 1, 2026.

 

Cooper Bowser also finished in double figures with 14 points for the Paladins, while Bronson scored 12 points and Johnston recorded nine points with six rebounds. Sunday was the second time the Paladins scored 54 in the second half this season, with both halves taking place against the Spartans. As a team, Furman was 25-of-48 from the field, including 16-for-22 in the latter 20 minutes. The Paladins outscored UNCG, 16-12, in points off turnovers. Furman will face off against East Tennessee State for the SoCon championship Monday at 7 p.m.

 

Neely posted a team-high 27 points along with five rebounds for the Spartans. Marville finished with 20 points, as well as 15 points from Younger. UNCG shot 26-of-49 from the deck and outscored the Paladins, 30-28, in the paint. The Spartans finish the 2025-26 season at 15-19 overall.

ETSU escapes Western Carolina to play for SoCon championship

By Jordan Ferrell (@FerrellonFM983)

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Semifinal Sunday in the Southern Conference tournament.

Two games. Four hungry teams. The hopes of accomplishing the goal of a whole season’s worth of work just two wins away. 

The atmosphere in Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville was electric with fans packing both sides and both decks of the arena awaiting the tipoff between two teams that are both within an hour of the city, top seed East Tennessee State and Western Carolina. 

Western Carolina’s road to the semis required winning an emotional thriller over Mercer in the late quarterfinal game Saturday night. Tidjiane Dioumassi’s 21 points and Samuel Dada’s 14 rebounds helped to propel the Catamounts to a 77-73 victory, their seventh in a row. 

“This team I have coached here this year is super special,” said Western Carolina head coach Tim Craft. “We have some of the best leadership I have ever been around in all my years as a head coach or an assistant. I am really thankful and blessed to be able to coach them. We won seven in a row and felt like we could beat anybody in the league coming down the stretch. We had Cord (Stansberry) and seven or eight guys come back from last year’s team that won four league games. They trusted in us and believed we could build something.”

The upset-minded Western Carolina fans got even more bright eyed in the first moments of the game as the Catamounts took the opening tip and started the scoring almost immediately on a Tahlan Pettway three from the left side of the top of the key. 

That translated to a 5-0 run when Cord Stansberry took a bad pass and put up a layup. East Tennessee State would not find the scoreboard until the 17:30 mark, when Jordan McCullum swished a triple from the right corner, sparking a personal 5-0 run to bring the game to a deadlock at the first media timeout. 

Following a Stansberry three from the left wing, ETSU was forced to burn a timeout. At the time, the Buccaneers were trailing 29-17. That skid turned into a full-blown free fall, going 0-for-6 from the field in that stretch. Western Carolina took full advantage, upping the ante to 31-17 at the final timeout of the first half. 

By the time the buzzer sounded, though the Buccaneers had broken the scoreless streak, they ended the half having gone over seven minutes without a field goal – at one point 0-for-11 before a couple of free throws from Blake Barkley. At the intermission, the Catamounts held a 38-24 edge. 

The second stanza began with the Catamounts going on a 5-0 spurt behind a three from Pettway and a layup from Stansberry. But, the Bucs answered with one of their own, a personal 5-0 run by McCullum. That set the tone for a back-and-forth affair in which Western Carolina held a 10-point lead that continued to stand through the 12-minute media timeout, when the boat rocked back toward ETSU. 

ETSU took advantage of an 0-for-5 Catamount stretch to pull back within seven. That deficit would continue to shrink when the Catamounts went nearly six minutes without a basket ahead of the final media timeout, where they clung to a 63-57 advantage. Out of the timeout, Western Carolina got two free throws from Stansberry that were answered on the other end by a Barkley midrange jumper, who also later hit a pair from the stripe to pull the game within four points.

Barkley continued to be the man of the hour for the Bucs while the WCU slide continued. On the ensuing inbound from the Catamounts, a traveling call gave the ball right back to the Bucs, who would score on a second chance layup from Barkley to cut the lead to 67-65. He put the exclamation point on a personal 11-0 run with a game-tying layup, also adding the and-1 with 38 seconds left on the clock to give the Bucs their first lead of the day. 

“I kind of blacked out,” said Barkley of his hot streak. “Coach (Brooks Savage) was calling plays for me. He has a lot of trust in me. My teammates have a lot of faith in me. Jaylen (Smith) had it going, and (Brian Taylor) had it going. They could have tried to do something themselves, but they had a lot of trust in me to go down and make the play. The same way I have a lot of faith. I always have trust in God and everything works out.” 

The Catamount faithful’s hopes of an upset came down to one last desperation heave that glanced off the rim, putting Western Carolina without a single field goal for almost the last nine minutes of the contest as the Buccaneers overcame, survived, and advanced to the SoCon championship Monday.

“Credit to Western Carolina, they have been playing their tails off,” said ETSU Head Coach Brooks Savage. “Coming in having won seven in a row is hard to do. I have a lot of admiration and respect for Coach Craft and his teams. They play hard and always have. He is a good ball coach, and we knew with the finish they have had to the season that this would not be easy. I thought they were really physical, but did not match up with us in terms of us not being able to outphysical them. We get the best of each other from a physicality standpoint.”

“I thought we did a great job in transition defense, which hurt us in the first couple of games. We didn’t get crushed on the offensive glass and they are one of the best in the country in that category. We hung in there, got it going and made a few more plays than they did.” 

The two sides matched up three times this season, with the Bucs dropping the series. In fact, prior to Sunday’s tilt, Western Carolina had won nine of the last ten meetings. But, that comparison to baseball is exactly how Savage put the game in a nutshell. 

“It was like one of those ‘how can you not be romantic about baseball?’ things,” he said. “They made a couple of plays in the regular season. We made a couple today. That is kind of how it goes and this was a really fitting ending to what was a really exciting three game series between us. We are fortunate to get the win.”

“Our guys were tough as nails, played to our identity, played extremely hard, especially in the second half. We cut it close a couple of times, missed our moment, but we just hung in there and threw the last punch.” 

The one thing people will look at as the story of this game is the lack of scoring down the stretch by Western Carolina, but to just focus on that would be a discredit to the effort shown by the Bucs down the stretch. 

“We just dug our heels in,” said Savage. “We showed a video the other day of all the preseason conditioning: Running the hills, crawling in the grass at 6 a.m., making the mile, which if you don’t, you have to keep running until you do. All of that builds your armor and toughness. All of that builds your collective armor as a team. All of the edge in practice, the demands and expectations, all the toughness and grit showed up when we needed it the most. These guys are resilient. They dug their heels in, guarded the ball, tried not to foul as much, kept the floor really tight. We stayed the course and we wanted them to have to beat us from three. They were 2-for-14 from there in the second half and that was one basket short of being good enough.”

“East Tennessee State was just desperate,” said Craft of the late swing. “They were first in the league in defensive efficiency. They did a good job guarding us and turned us over a bit in the press. We got good opportunities that just did not go down. It was our worst half in the last three or four weeks offensively. I certainly credit ETSU’s defense. But I don’t think it was any one thing. We made some great plays, but just did not capitalize on our opportunities.” 

The Bucs were led by Brian Taylor, who tallied 22 points, as well as Barkley, who was two rebounds shy of a double-double with 19 points and eight boards. Marcus Kell led all Western Carolina scorers with 18 points while Stansberry had 16 and Dioumassi had 14.  

East Tennessee State now awaits Furman in Monday’s SoCon championship game after the Paladins defeated UNC Greensboro. 

High Point wins back-to-back titles among family

High Point poses for photos after winning the Big South tournament Sunday. (Photo:  Big South Conference)

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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Maybe Jon Bon Jovi – of all people – said it best.

“It’s all the same. Only the names will change.”

Two seasons in Johnson City for the Big South tournament. Two trips to the NCAA Tournament. Two extra golden guests on the bus back to High Point.

If you ask the back-to-back champion Panthers – including tournament MVP Terry Anderson – they’ll tell you that last year and this year have more in common than they have differences.

“To be honest, I don’t feel any differences (between the teams),” Anderson said after the Panthers’ 91-76 victory over Winthrop Sunday at Freedom Hall. “(Last year’s team) are my brothers. (This year’s team) are my brothers. We’re all family.”

Family is a common thread at High Point. First-year head coach Flynn Clayman knows that more than anyone. His wife, Katie, is an assistant coach for the women’s team that also had a date with history Sunday night in the same building. Clayman’s family has grown while at High Point. The Panthers clearly want to keep Clayman in their family, giving him a five-year contract extension through the 2030-31 season earlier this year.

That’s not to say families don’t have their share of tough times. Earlier this season, transfer forward Cam Fletcher missed several games as part of what was described at the time as an “internal team issue”. While some wondered if Fletcher would be welcomed back to the family, the players in the locker room felt he never missed a moment.

Fletcher picked the biggest day of the season to have his biggest day of the season. The Xavier transfer scored 17 points and hauled in 19 boards, turning in a performance that sent everyone on press row scrambling for the Big South single-game record book.

Fletcher and Clayman embraced after the victory, just like family.

“That was a special moment,” Clayman said. “He’s so talented. He’s such a good guy. He really has been through a lot this year and in his college career. He’s had a lot of injuries. He’s had a lot of things not break his way.”

“Earlier this year, he made the decision that he was going to be about the team. I promised him that if you’re about the team, when it matters most, you’re going to be the best player on the floor. He’s the best player in the league, if you’re just talking talent. Tonight, he showed that. If you’re just getting down to the keys of the game, they would have killed us on the glass if Cam didn’t step up and do what he did, and we probably don’t win this game. I’m so proud of him that he got to do that in this moment.”

There’s also the new family member. Point guard Rob Martin, who transferred from Southeast Missouri after last season, was the league’s Newcomer of the Year and a member of the all-tournament team. Martin’s story also got its happy ending.

“I met with Flynn about two or three months ago, and we were just talking about my plan and my playing the right way,” Martin said. “I got a little emotional about it, because I thought I wasn’t playing the right way or leading the team like I should. That meeting really changed my perspective.”

That family member that always sacrifices for the rest of the family? He’s wearing purple, too.

Guard Chase Johnston has been through a college career marked by injuries, success, and now multiple NCAA trips. He learned from guards Trae Benham and Abdoulaye Thiam, two mainstays on last year’s championship team, of the value of giving of yourself for the gain of the family.

“First and foremost, I just want to give all the glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He’s the reason I’m able to sit up here and to be the servant I’m able to be,” Johnston said. “Laye and Trae kind of paved the way. I learned so much from Trae and his leadership last year. That’s my best friend and brother in Christ.”

“Yeah, it’s a different role (than last year). Flynn and I talked about it 11 games in, and is it hard to take that? For sure. When you’re part of something bigger than yourself and you have your eyes fixed on Jesus, you’re able to do things you never thought you could. I’m just so grateful to be sitting here. Words can’t express the gratitude I have right now.”

Anderson is the family member that sat at the head of the table Sunday. The 6-foot-6 guard scored 18 on 6-of-10 shooting despite battling foul trouble much of the day.

“I’m thankful to be here and I’m thankful for the award,” Anderson said. “It’s just a team effort. We all stuck together throughout the season.”

Clayman was not shy in his praise for Anderson.

“This is a special kid right here,” Clayman said. “I don’t know one teammate who doesn’t respect the heck out of him and I don’t know one person who’s ever coached him who doesn’t respect the heck out of him. He’s selfless. He gives everything he has. You see that in the way he plays. He’s a real underdog. He’s had to work his way up. He had no offers out of high school.”

“He has super high character. He could have had a negative attitude. He could have checked out. He could have done all those things. He stayed ready. He knew he was ready for the moment.”

So now, the entire family will load up the planes or buses and head off to another family reunion at the NCAA tournament. There will also likely be some extended family there, in the form of the loud, partisan fan group that packed the entire Panther side of the arena Sunday. They’re always welcome at the table, too.

“(The fanbase) gives us an extra bit of energy,” Clayman said. “When we blew the lead – we were up 13 and they came back and took the lead – your fans are right there to get you back going. In those moments, you could feel really lonely or feel like the sky is falling, and when you’ve got fans there who are supporting you like these guys were, you’re just thankful.”

“I’ve said since I’ve been here that I think we have some of the best fans in mid-major basketball. We could compete with some high-major schools,” Johnston added. “They don’t just show up for these three days (in the conference tournament). They show up throughout the year and sell it out. We’re so grateful for them, and they give us an edge in big games like this.”

Oh – and there’s one more family event to attend before any of that happens. Katie will also be going dancing if the Panthers can pull it off Sunday night against Radford. Flynn will, as one might imagine, be there to cheer her on.

“I’ll absolutely be staying (for the second game), because my wife is coaching,” Clayman said to laughter in the room. “If we had lost, I’d probably be hiding out in the top (of the arena), but now I get to kind of be comfortable and enjoy it.”

Bobcats’ belief and determination brings QU back to MAAC title game

Quinnipiac celebrates return to MAAC championship game after overtime win over Iona. Bobcats now chase first NCAA Tournament berth since 2019. (Photo by Quinnipiac Athletics)

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Tricia Fabbri has seen many teams come and go through the doors of her locker room over 31 years as the head coach at Quinnipiac. Very few, maybe none, before have embodied the literal concept of a team as much as her current cadre of Bobcats.

Quinnipiac has been tested, even through a 19-1 conference season. It has bent, especially in recent days when point guard and lead facilitator Paige Girardi has been unavailable. It has been pushed to the limit, as Iona yet again did in Sunday’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament semifinal.

One thing the Bobcats have not done is break. And after surviving Iona’s latest upset bid Sunday, one that required overtime to close, Quinnipiac is not only intact, but very much walking through an inferno taller and stronger than at any other point during the season.

“I think it’s been one of the best teams that we have coached,” Fabbri remarked in the aftermath of a 63-62 victory that underscored the resilience that has long been a hallmark of Bobcat squads of her tenure. “We were gritty when it mattered the most. In terms of resilience, focus, determination on knowing exactly what we want to do, how we’re going to accomplish it and go about our business one day at a time, (it) has been second to none in terms of teams that I’ve coached in the past.”

“I’m nothing but proud of this team for how far we’ve come,” junior forward Anna Foley reflected. “We know what we’re capable of. The word this week, the past month, has been, ‘believe.’ We knew we could believe and come out with the win, no matter how dire it looked. We leaned on each other and we know what’s waiting for us tomorrow. We just have to go take it.”

From where Quinnipiac came in the offseason, following the transfer of former MAAC Player and Rookie of the Year Gal Raviv, is a testament to the culture of winning Fabbri has tended to during her time in Hamden. With veterans like Foley, Karson Martin, Jackie Grisdale and Ella O’Donnell captaining the ship, it eases the pressure on the underclassmen in the program and allows them to produce at their own pace. A byproduct of that production is the natural maturation during the season, something exhibited by freshman Ella Ryan, who has been instrumental in her rookie season.

“I like to think that I have this basketball part of self that I balance with my personal self,” Ryan said when asked about her ability to stay unfazed by the moment. “And as soon as I step on the court, Basketball Ella takes over. I’m focused, the mentality is there, and it’s honestly just next possession up, stay calm, let it go and focus on what’s coming and not what already happened.”

“The fact that, as a freshman, she’s had to step up since game two, the pressure and the responsibility that she’s had to have this entire season — starting and still doing what she’s doing — is insane,” Martin added.

The veteran instincts have contributed to a battle-hardened group that now stands 40 minutes from the program’s first NCAA Tournament trip since 2019, a drought that was once considered to be unheard of before the emergence of Fairfield at the top of the MAAC. But whether it is the in-state rival Stags or anyone else that stands before the Bobcats, one thing remains certain, that everyone will need to be stopped to prevent Quinnipiac from ascending the summit once more.

“Time and again, it’s been a great balance of talent offensively and being really gritty defensively off the glass,” Fabbri said. “On and off the court, it’s been super connected. We won our 26th game today, we did that last year. I think they’ve been undervalued with what they have done and accomplished in this conference to get all the way back to a championship game.”

“To watch what this team has been able to create and get all the way back here, I think that’s pretty impressive and I think it speaks to the character of the young ladies that we have in that locker room, and the belief that we have in each other. Everyone can say it should happen, but this time of year, it doesn’t necessarily happen. To be able to do that has been really impressive for these young ladies and the staff this year.”

LIU vs. Wagner Photo Gallery

Photos from LIU’s 64-56 win over Wagner in the semifinals of the NEC tournament on March 7, 2026:

(All photos by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Fordham ends regular season with bang, clinches No. 8 seed in A-10 tourney

Led by Dejour Reaves and Atlantic 10’s best defense, Fordham is surging entering conference tournament in year one under Mike Magpayo. (Photo by Fordham University Athletics)

By Pete Janny (@pete_janny)

NEW YORK — On a day where Fordham honored its four seniors, the Rams devoured the opposing Rams of the University of Rhode Island with a final score of 61-49. Contrary to what first-year head coach Mike Magpayo thought entering the year, the Fordham defense was once again the ultimate strength on Saturday, limiting URI to 21 second-half points and forcing 16 turnovers.

“We stuck to our process and did a lot of fundamental defense,” said Magpayo, one game removed from his team giving up a season-high 87 points to La Salle. “It was great to see the offense blow up (versus La Salle), but who we are has to begin and end with defense and rebounding.”

Early on, it looked like Fordham would be unsuccessful in spoiling Jahmere Tripp’s return game to Rose Hill, after two up-and-down seasons in a Fordham uniform. Now wearing a different uniform, Tripp dazzled the Rose Hill crowd with 14 of his team’s first 23 points, while Fordham struggled to convert offensively. 

URI led, 23-13, by the 6:31 mark of the first half, but suddenly a switch flipped. Fordham started to find success with its zone, confusing URI and slowing the visiting Rams’ decision making. Being able to establish a defensive identity meant the bigs doing a better job of closing gaps in the lane and finding crisper rotation patterns within the zone. And even when trailing, Fordham managed to stay tough on the defensive boards, which saved them from having to exert more energy. 

A 10-0 Fordham run tied the game at 23, and the home team ultimately closed on a 12-5 run to trail only 28-25 at halftime. In addition to their defensive momentum, Magpayo credits the offensive post touches for carving out room for shooters, which made URI pay. Consequently, the three-point fest was on, and Fordham got back-to-back conversions from Christian Henry and Louis Lesmond to help expedite their comeback. 

The urgency and pride of both Rikus Schulte and his backup, Abass Bodija, were vital for Fordham. The proceedings ended with Schulte’s ninth double-double of the season, with 14 points and 13 rebounds. The 6-foot-9 native of Germany has a great feel for the game down low in frontcourt sets and could also be a rim runner at times, making him a versatile piece for these new-look Rams. Schulte came away with a steal and fastbreak dunk as part of an 8-0 Fordham run that established a 47-40 lead with 7:53 left. 

“We started to get more disruptive and started to punch back,” Magpayo said of his team’s grand awakening. “Rikus’ steal and dunk turned it.” 

With the temperature rising in Rose Hill and a seemingly helpless Archie Miller looking on, Fordham closed the game late with several free throws. In the end, URI’s faltering had plenty to do with its three-point struggles — 2-for-14 in the second half — and getting outrebounded by Fordham, 40-26.

Dejour Reaves continued his season-long streak of consecutive double-digit scoring performances with 17, but it felt like the Fordham bigs were mostly responsible for draining URI, who expended a lot in the first half to gain an early advantage. Talking about the growth of Schulte, his UC Riverside-turned-Fordham player, brings a smile to Magpayo’s face.

“In the non-conference, we were tickled to see the improvement (of Schulte) but we didn’t know about the A-10 yet,” he said. “He had a big game early on in the non-conference, and we kept telling him how good he can be. The bottom line is he’s become a great A-10 player and Fordham Ram.”

Then, there’s the rapport between Magpayo and Reaves, which was something both saw as a possibility from the moment his Fordham courting began. Not only has Reaves led the A-10 in scoring with 17.7 points per game, but he has improved drastically as a facilitator and, most importantly, has begun the process of restoring faith from the fan base beyond his remaining days at Rose Hill. 

“I take a lot of pride in being in the A-10 and I know it is going to be tougher than where I was in past years, “ Reaves said postgame. “The first time I spoke with Coach Mike (Magpayo), he told me he wanted me to be their point guard and do a lot for the team, more than just scoring. I’ve had great coaches who have helped me.”

Fordham will enter the A-10 tournament on a winning note after completing the season sweep of URI. As for Miller’s outfit, Rhode Island had previously experienced the ultimate high of beating Saint Louis at home last month, and the lowest of lows by losing to Loyola Chicago to begin conference play. Magpayo dealt URI another curveball on Saturday by opting for a zone defense, which wasn’t prevalent during the 70-66 overtime win in Kingston earlier this season. 

According to Magpayo, Fordham’s confidence with the zone blossomed out of desperation when only seven scholarship players were healthy to suit up for an 82-53 victory over archrival Manhattan back in December. Once Fordham had begun embracing its defensive chops, there was little doubt that the Rams would be okay in the eyes of their head coach. The Rams led the A-10 in scoring defense at 65.5 points per game, a stellar accomplishment in year one with a new coach. 

“The win over George Washington also cemented that when we play ball we can hang with most everybody in the league,” Magpayo said, evoking a full circle moment ahead of the 8/9 second-round matchup with the Revolutionaries on Thursday in Pittsburgh. “We still have to prove it against the VCUs and Saint Louises, and have a lot to do over the next four days to get ready.” 

Catamounts claw past Mercer into SoCon semis

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Western Carolina erased a 17-point deficit in the first half and climbed out of a nine-point hole in the second as the Catamounts clawed their way past Mercer, 77-73, in the Southern Conference tournament quarterfinals.

“That was a heck of a college basketball game,” WCU coach Tim Craft said. “All credit goes to Mercer and coach (Ryan) Ridder. He had his team ready to go tonight and I did not. Our guys batted to get back in the game. I thought our offensive rebounding was the key (25) was key to getting us back in the game.”

Mercer (19-13) jumped out to a 5-0 lead on a three by Baraka Okojie. He also garnered a pair of layups in an early spurt that saw the Bears lead, 14-5, at the first media timeout. Tayeshaun Smith broke the Western Carolina drought with a tip-in, but the Catamounts were only shooting at a 29 percent clip as they trailed, 18-9.

The hole got deeper as Mercer’s Brady Shoulders had a pair of steals and layups to put the Bears up 22-9 at the 10:51 mark of the first half. Armani Mighty added a dunk and Shoulders scored again on a drive to  the basket to lead by 17. Western Carolina went on a quick 5-0 spurt, capped on a three by Tahlan Pettway, cutting the deficit to 28-17. He followed with a midrange jumper, and by the time Tidjiane Dioumassi hit a three, the Catamounts had clawed back to 29-23. Okojie stopped the extended run with an acrobatic layup, but Dioumassi stayed hot with another triple as WCU only trailed, 35-32, at the final media timeout of the half. Dioumassi gave Western Carolina its first lead of the game with a fallaway jumper as the Catamounts had come all the way back to take a 36-35 halftime lead.

Okojie’s good game continued with two quick buckets to start the second half. Quinton Perkins added a three as Mercer led, 42-38. Zaire Williams added a layup as the Bears continued to grab control of the contest. Williams hit another triple, but once again, the Catamounts railed. Pettway converted a trio of free throws to cut the deficit to 48-45.

Okojie answered with a three and by the time Perkins hit one from beyond the arc, Mercer had pushed its lead back to 54-45 with 12:43 left in the game. Dioumassi hit a three and Samuel Dada followed with a tip-in. Pettway buried a trey and Dioumassi scored a driving layup to give WCU a 59-58 lead, forcing a Mercer timeout.

Shoulders ended the run with a big triple for Mercer, but Dioumassi would not be denied. His runner gave Western Carolina a 66-63 lead with 3:26 left in the game. Cord Stansberry then hit a three to increase the advantage to 69-65, but Williams would later splash a Mercer trifecta to tie the game at 71 with 90 seconds left. After a stop by the Bears, Williams hit one of two free throws to put Mercer ahead, 72-71, with 40 seconds left.

The lead changed hands again when Stansberry and Marcus Kell hit three of the next four shots from the foul line to lead, 74-72, with 13 seconds left. Okojie missed a heave at the buzzer, and Western Carolina advanced with a 77-73 win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: There were several impressive stat lines in the game for both teams. Okojie scored a game-high 26 points for Mercer, while Dioumassi and Pettway were a two-headed monster for Western Carolina, scoring a combined 39 of the team’s 77 points. The Catamounts also owned the glass by a wide 53-29 margin, with 25 offensive rebounds leading to 27 second-chance points. Mercer converted 14 Western Carolina turnovers into 21 points.

I SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE: Despite scoring 26 points, Baraka Okojie feels like he let his team down.

“I should have done more,” he said. “I missed a couple bunnies that I usually make nine out of ten times. I didn’t get to the foul line enough and I only had one rebound tonight. That’s not enough. We were up by 17 points, and we lost it. I think we were the better team tonight and we could not get the job done.”

STREAKING TO THE SEMIS: Western Carolina ran its winning streak to seven games with the victory. That’s the longest such streak in the modern era, behind an 11-game run in 2010. The Catamounts have not lost since a 77-66 setback to Wofford on February 7.

UP NEXT: Western Carolina (15-15) faces top-seeded ETSU Sunday at 4 p.m. The two programs split a pair of close games in the regular season, with the contests being decided by a total of six points.