ASHEVILLE, N.C. — East Tennessee State and Western Carolina will meet in a Southern Conference Tournament semifinal matchup Sunday at 4 p.m. EST, following a quarterfinal round that saw three of four games decided by a single possession, according to tournament results.
The Buccaneers (22-10) advanced with an 83-76 victory over The Citadel on Saturday, led by Blake Barkley’s 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting. Jordan McCullum added 13 points for ETSU, the tournament’s No. 1 seed. Sola Adebisi scored 23 points for The Citadel in the loss, finishing the tournament with 49 total points.
ETSU’s win marked their ninth consecutive victory over The Citadel and seventh under head coach Brooks Savage. The Buccaneers shot 67% from the field in the second half, overcoming a tight first half where The Citadel briefly held the lead. ETSU’s defense limited The Citadel to 30.8% shooting from three-point range, a key factor in securing the win.
In Saturday’s other quarterfinal, UNC Greensboro upset No. 2 seed Wofford 75-72. Justin Neely led the Spartans with 22 points and a remarkable 24 rebounds, the third-most in a SoCon Tournament game. KJ Younger added 19 points, and Noah Norgaard contributed 17, including crucial three-pointers. Wofford was led by Kahmare Holmes, who scored 24 points.
UNC Greensboro’s victory continues a trend in the SoCon Tournament, as the No. 7 seed has now defeated the No. 2 seed in five of the last six tournaments. This marks the Spartans’ 10th semifinal appearance since joining the conference in 1997, and their first since 2021. They have a 6-3 all-time record in tournament semifinals.
No. 6 seed Furman also advanced, defeating Samford 86-81. Jadin Booth led Samford with 34 points, but Furman’s balanced attack, led by Tom House with 20 points, and a 48-6 advantage in bench scoring, proved decisive. Cooper Bowser added 14 points off the bench for the Paladins.
The final quarterfinal saw No. 5 Western Carolina defeat No. 4 Mercer 77-73. Tidjiane Dioumassi led the Catamounts with 21 points, whereas Marcus Kell added 15. Western Carolina dominated the boards, finishing with a 53-29 rebounding advantage, including 25 offensive rebounds. Baraka Okojie led Mercer with 26 points.
Western Carolina’s win was their seventh straight, and they will face East Tennessee State, having swept the season series against the Buccaneers. The tournament has seen a pattern of close contests, with five of the six games played thus far decided by 10 points or less. The semifinals will continue Sunday with UNC Greensboro facing Furman at approximately 6:30 p.m. EST.