Men's Basketball Southern Conference

Thursday's Men's Basketball Roundup

Wofford 62, The Citadel 55

CHARLESTON, S.C. - On Thursday night, the Wofford men's basketball team used a 12-1 run in the second half on the way to a 62-55 win over The Citadel at McAlister Fieldhouse. Karl Cochran hit four three pointers in the second half and added a huge block in the final minute to give the Terriers a fourth straight SoCon win.

Wofford is now 13-8 on the season and 6-3 in the Southern Conference, while The Citadel is 4-16 overall and 1-8 in conference play. The Terriers had four players score in double figures, led by Karl Cochran with 18 points. Kevin Giltner scored 15 points, Drew Crowell had 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Brad Loesing had ten points. The Bulldogs were led by Bo Holston with 14 points. Mike Groselle, the SoCon scoring leader, was held to ten points. DeVontae Wright led all players with nine rebounds.

The Bulldogs scored first on a free throw and took an 8-6 lead five minutes into the contest. Wofford turned the ball over four times in the first five minutes, but the lead for The Citadel was only 10-8 at the 11:27 mark. The Terriers scored the next six points and took a 14-12 lead with 9:20 left in the first half.

After a three by Kevin Giltner, Wofford had a 17-12 advantage with seven minutes on the clock. Aerris Smith added two more points for the Terriers, but the Bulldogs answered with the next two buckets for a 19-16 score with 3:49 left in the first half. A three by Ashton Moore tied the game at 19 with two minutes left. The Bulldogs continued the 9-0 run to take a 21-19 lead with ten seconds left, but a lay-up by Drew Crowell with one second on the clock tied the game at 21.

To open the second half, the Bulldogs scored the first six points for a 27-21 lead three minutes into play. A three by Karl Cochran cut the advantage to 29-26 at 15:42. Another three by Cochran and a jumper by Brad Loesing tied the game at 31. After a tie at 33, Brad Loesing hit a three for a 36-33 lead with 12:02 left in the second half.

The game was tied at 36, 38 and 40 before a three by Bo Holston gave the Bulldogs a 43-40 lead with eight minutes to go in the contest. Brad Loesing answered with a three and two free throws by Kevin Giltner gave Wofford a 45-43 lead at 7:08. The Terriers continued the 9-0 with a lay-up by Drew Crowell at 5:18 for a 49-43 advantage. A three by Karl Cochran gave Wofford a 52-44 lead with 4:45 left in the half as part of a 12-1 run.

Karl Cochran added his fourth three pointer of the second half at 3:55 to give Wofford a 55-46 lead. With 2:01 left in the game, the Terriers had a 57-50 advantage. The Bulldogs hit a three by DaVontae Wright with 1:18 remaining to cut the lead to 59-55. Karl Cochran came up with a huge block at one end and Kevin Giltner hit two free throws on the other for a 61-55 lead with 34 seconds left. Lee Skinner then added one free throw with 11 seconds remaining for the final 62-55 margin.

The Terriers shot 44.2 percent from the floor for the evening, while The Citadel shot 43.5 percent overall. Wofford finished 7-23 from behind the arc. The Bulldogs went 4-of-14 from three. Wofford was 9-of-11 from the free throw line, while The Citadel went 11-of-14 from the charity stripe. The Terriers had a 30 to 28 lead on the glass.

For the first time this season, Wofford was tied at the half. It marked the tenth straight win for the Terriers at McAlister Fieldhouse and it was also the eleventh straight overall win over the Bulldogs.


Davidson 64, Chattanooga 63

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The Chattanooga Mocs (9-13, 3-6 SoCon) lost 64-63 in the final second to visiting Davidson (15-4, 9-0 SoCon) Thursday night in Southern Conference action. The loss came after UTC fought back from a 13-point second half deficit to tie the game before the Wildcats final heroics.

A layup by Jake Cohen put Davidson up 45-32 with 12:02 to go in the game. The Mocs scored on four of their next five possessions to get within four, 45-41, on two Jared Bryant free throws at 9:56. Bryant scored on back-to-back trips down the floor with a layup and scoring the two free tosses after getting fouled hustling on an offensive rebound.

The Wildcats extended the lead to seven twice, leading 52-43 on two J.P Kuhlman free throws at 7:37. UTC quickly got within one, 53-42, on a Ricky Taylor layup with 5:25 remaining.

Cohen scored at the line and in the paint on his next two trips into the offensive zone to get back to a five-point cushion, 57-52, at 4:33. For a third time, the lead swelled to seven, 62-55, on Chris Czerapowicz' layup with 1:21 to play.

Bryant and Keegan Bell tightened the score with the crowd reaching a fever pitch. Bryant scored on a layup at 1:07 before Chattanooga forced a Davidson turnover. Bell coolly canned a trey with 53 ticks left to make it a 62-60 contest.

Czerapowicz made one of two at the free throw line with 10 seconds to go after a Mocs turnover and foul sent him to the line making it a three-point margin, 63-60. Bell once again hit the clutch bucket from up top, tying the game at 63-all with 4.5 left.

The Wildcats got the ball in and Nik Cochran drove to the basket. A foul was called with 1.2 to go and Cochran made one to clinch the win. Bell's 75-foot heave was off the mark as Davidson escaped.

Taylor's 14 points led UTC's four scorers in double figures. Bryant and Dontay Hampton each had 10 points off the bench, while Drazen Zlovaric chipped in 10 as well. Bryant's play was his best to date as he added eight rebounds to lead the Mocs effort on the glass while shooting a perfect 4-4 from the field and 2-2 from the line.

Davidson was paced by Kuhlman's 16 points including a 4-5 performance from beyond the arc. Cohen had 10 points, while De'Mon Brooks added a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Wildcats are the 11th team this season the UTC defense has held to less than 40 percent shooting. The 38.6 percent night from the floor is a season-low in SoCon play.


UNCG 77, Appalachian State 73 (OT)

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Appalachian State University men's basketball forced overtime with an 8-1 run over the final 1:23 of regulation but dropped a heartbreaking 77-73 decision to UNCG on Thursday evening at the Greensboro Coliseum.

In what was a wild game from the opening tip, Appalachian (8-11, 4-5 SoCon) began the contest with an 11-2 run and led by as many as 17 points late in the first half, only to see UNCG take a seven-point lead at 63-56 with just 1:28 left to play in regulation.

However, spurred by a three-pointer from Greensboro native Mike Neal and five clutch free throws by Omar Carter, including two with 14.4 seconds on the clock, ASU erased the Spartans' seven-point advantage and sent the contest to overtime knotted at 64-64.

Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, UNCG jumped out to a four-point lead less than a minute into the extra period on four free throws and never relinquished the advantage. Highlighting the frustrating extra period for the Apps, ASU missed short jumpers on back-to-back possessions after it pulled within three points with under two minutes to play.

The Mountaineers closed the deficit to 75-73 on a Tab Hamilton layup with three seconds left but Greensboro's Darrell Armstrong sealed the Spartans' fifth-straight victory with a pair of free throws.

The overtime affair was Appalachian's first since an 80-78 triumph over UNCG at Greensboro Coliseum on Feb. 2 of last season. The setback was ASU's first at the Coliseum since Jan. 8, 2001, snapping a three-game winning streak at the venerable venue.

On his 24th birthday, Carter scored 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead ASU. Andre Williamson chipped in 13 points, eight rebounds and a career-high-tying five blocked shots while Jamaal Trice's 11 points and Hamilton's 10 rounded out four Mountaineers in double-figures.

Armstrong and Trevis Simpson led UNCG with 27 and 24 points, respectively.


Elon 71, Western Carolina 63

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Coupled with a season-high 26 points from sophomore Jack Isenbarger, the Elon Phoenix gutted out a crucial 71-63 Southern Conference road victory over Western Carolina at the Ramsey Center on Thursday night. Elon answered every punch the Catamounts threw, its defense limiting WCU to 35 percent from the field, including a 22 percent performance from beyond the arc.
 
With a 5-3 league record, the Phoenix (10-9 overall) remains atop the North Division as Elon heads to Boone, N.C., for a date with Appalachian State on Saturday. Elon's win was its first in Cullowhee since 2007 and first over Western (9-12, 3-5) in four games.
 
Isenbarger nailed two of his first three attempts from downtown en route to a 7-of-13 shooting night that saw the guard with 16 first-half points. The sharpshooter drained five triples and had the team's best night from the charity stripe, hitting 7-of-8 free throws. Eight of Isenbarger's points came during a 14-4 Elon run to close the opening half, giving the Phoenix a lead it would never relinquish. 
 
Elon shot 47 percent from long range, a critical statistic because the Phoenix struggled from 15 feet. Elon got to the line 38 times, in large part because Western Carolina tried to take advantage of the Phoenix's poor night from the foul line. Elon managed only 21 free throws, but combined defense with key offensive plays to pull out the win.
 
Western Carolina finished the second half with nine field goals, but four of those came in the last 1:32 after the Phoenix had built its biggest lead of the night at 61-49. Elon turned 16 Catamount turnovers into 15 points.
 
The Phoenix also got double digit scoring from Austin Hamilton (13) and Sebastian Koch (12). Hamilton had five assists as Elon had assists on 13 of 21 buckets. Forward Ryley Beaumont pulled down 10 rebounds.
 
Western had three in double figures as well with Trey Sumler's 18 leading the way. Elon held the Catamounts' leading scorer Harouna Mutombo to a season-low three points.
 
The Catamounts broke a 14-14 tie with an 8-1 run that forced an Elon timeout at the 8:05 mark of the first half. The Phoenix responded, scoring 10 unanswered points and holding WCU to only four points for the remainder of the period. An Isenbarger trey sent the visitors to the locker room with a 29-26 advantage.

Both teams started slow on the offensive end in the final half. Elon grew its lead to 39-34, before a 7-3 Western run closed the gap to 42-41with 10:16 to go. Once again it was Isenbarger with trey that sparked the Phoenix offense. Big man Lucas Troutman found Beaumont open under the basket on the next possession and then a Troutman tip-in on the following trip made it 49-41 in favor of the Phoenix.
 
Western would never get closer than five points for the remainder of the contest and a 10-3 Elon run spanning six minutes put the visitors on top, 61-49, with 1:53 left. It became a free throw shooting affair for the final two minutes. Elon sank enough freebies and finished strong on defense to leave with the victory.


Samford 57, Georgia Southern 55

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The Samford University basketball team earned its third win in four games Thursday as the Bulldogs tallied a 57-55 victory in a critical Southern Conference home matchup with the streaking Georgia Southern Eagles. The gritty, nail-biting triumph occurred at the Pete Hanna Center and snapped Georgia Southern's two-game winning streak.

With the triumph, Samford (6-13, 3-5 SoCon) improved its record at home this season to 4-6 and registered its second straight victory in the Pete Hanna Center. On Jan. 14, prior to a two-game road swing, the Bulldogs reeled off an 11-point home victory against Chattanooga, 81-70.

On Thursday, Chattanooga squared off at home with first-place Davidson and dropped a heartbreaking,

64-63 decision on a last-second free throw. Davidson is Samford's next opponent as the Wildcats head to Birmingham for a Saturday showdown beginning at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs have never defeated Davidson.

Against Georgia Southern (8-12, 6-4 SoCon) on Thursday, Samford's hard-fought win came down to the final possession.

After a potential game-winning 3-point basket from the Eagles' Jelani Hewitt rimmed out, the Bulldogs' senior leader Jeffrey Merritt out-fought three Georgia Southern big men for the rebound and was fouled on the play.

Merritt connected on the second free throw to give Samford a 57-55 advantage with less than five seconds remaining. Following a timeout, the Eagles inbounded the ball to halfcourt where their speedy point guard Ben Drayton III grabbed a quick pass and screamed down the left sideline. He arrived at the free throw line extended with about a second remaining, jump-stopped towards the goal and fired a shot off the backboard.

The shot would have tied the game at 57-57 and forced overtime, but the ball skimmed off the front of the rim and fell directly into the arms of Samford's Raijon Kelly.

Merritt, the Bulldogs' hard-nosed guard from Oklahoma City, Okla., once again turned in a stellar all-around game. In another key performance from Samford, the senior finished Thursday's game with eight points, seven rebounds and six assists. Merritt also played a game-high 38 minutes and didn't commit a turnover.

Heading into Thursday's game, Merritt was ranked fifth in the SoCon with a 1.7 assist/turnover ratio.

Late in the second half, Samford's Kelly knocked down a clutch 3-point basket to give his squad a 53-48 advantage. The Eagles' Hewitt then answered with a deep 3-pointer of his own, before the Bulldogs' Drew Windler connected on a driving layup with 3:35 remaining to extend Samford's lead to 55-51.

Down the stretch, the teams traded free throws until Georgia Southern's last-second attempt caromed off the rim.

Windler, who scored the key basket for the Bulldogs, finished with a team-high 18 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field. Samford's sophomore center only pulled down one rebound Thursday, but knocked down a pair of crucial 3-point baskets and went a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.

Fellow sophomore Will Cook added nine points, five assists, four rebounds, a block and a steal for Samford, while Hood chipped in with eight points. The Bulldogs also received six points from Matthew Friday, five points from Kelly and a deep momentum-shifting 3-pointer from true freshman Devin McNeil.

Georgia Southern's Hewitt led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor. The Eagles' sophomore sniper from Mirimar, Fla., also knocked down a game-high five 3-point field goals and added a team-high six assists.

Eric Ferguson, Georgia Southern's high-flying forward from Statesboro, Ga., concluded Thursday's contest with 14 points and five highlight-reel dunks. Ferguson ignited the Eagles' second-half rally with four straight dunks to open the final period. He finished 6-of-8 from the field and added four rebounds.

Georgia Southern outshot Samford 48.9 percent to 40 percent, but the Bulldogs only committed 10 turnovers. Two weeks ago to the day, in the Bulldogs' 58-53 road loss to the Eagles, they committed 19 turnovers. Samford won the points-off-turnovers category Thursday, 15-7, while Georgia Southern out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 34-22.


Furman 69, College of Charleston 63

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Furman built a 14-point second half lead and held on late to nip the College of Charleston, 69-63, on Thursday night at TD Arena to claim its first victory on the Cougars' home floor since the 1952-53 season.

The victory, which snapped a nine-game skid against Charleston, improved the Paladins to 10-10 overall and 4-5 in Southern Conference play.  CofC fell to 12-8 overall and 4-5 in league play.

After carrying a 31-25 lead into intermission, Furman opened the second half with back-to-back treys from junior Bryant Irwin to grab a 37-25 advantage and Chris Toler added a jumper less than two minutes later to up the cushion to 39-25.

Trailing 41-27 with under 16:30 remaining, Antwaine Wiggins scored five consecutive points in a 9-2 Charleston run that trimmed the Furman margin to 43-36 on Andrew Lawrence's free throw with 12:55 to play.  Furman responded by pushing the margin back to double digits on five occasions in the next 11 minutes and led 67-57 when Brandon Sebirumbi drained a pair of free throws with 1:07 left.  

Matt Sundberg buried a jumper and Trevonte Dixon stole a David Brown pass and converted the layup to cut the Paladin lead to just 67-61 with 56 seconds left.  Sebirumbi missed a pair of free throws as Furman went on to convert just 2-of-8 at the line in the final minutes, but College of Charleston was unable to connect on any of its five three-point attempts in the final seconds as the Paladins survived for their fourth road win of the season.

Furman held the Cougars to 35 percent shooting from the field and just 4-of-23 shooting from three-point range to win at the College of Charleston for the first time in the last 14 meetings on CofC's home floor.  The Paladins, who connected on 5-of-11 from long range, shot 43.9 percent and out-rebounded Charleston 40-38.

Sebirumbi made 5-of-10 shot to pace the Paladins with 15 points and nine rebounds.  Irwin scored 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range while Charlie Reddick fouled out with 12 points.  Bryson Barnes tallied seven points, six rebounds and four blocks as the Paladin bench outscored Charleston's reserves 32-13.

Lawrence led the Cougars with 15 points and Wiggins and Trent Wiedeman added 12 and 10, respectively.