No. 2 ETSU 81, No. 7 Mercer 65
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The ETSU Bucs broke open a close game in the second half for an 81-65 win over the Mercer Bears. Ge’Lawn Guyn led a trio of Bucs in double figures with a game-high 25.
Phillip Leonard’s layup with 16 minutes to go got the Bears within one, 44-43. T.J. Cromer hit threes on back-to-back possessions to extend the margin back to seven, 50-43.
It was an eight-point affair, 57-49 with 8:39 to go, when ETSU methodically put the game out of reach. It became double digits for good on two Peter Jurkin free throws at 5:11. It reached its zenith of 18 at 3:06 on the third Guyn triple of the half.
Cromer (17) and Deuce Bello (10) joined Guyn in double figures. Bello added eight rebounds and three steals. Leonard paced Mercer with 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Demetre Rivers and Ethan Stair chipped in 11 and 10, respectively.
ETSU jumped out to a 17-5 lead when the Bears clamped down. They held the second seed scoreless for more than six minutes going on an 18-0 run to take a 23-17 advantage. The two traded the lead a couple of times more before ETSU took a two-point margin, 37-35, into the break.
The Bucs advance to the semifinals to take on the winner of Furman-UNCG. The game airs Sunday on ESPN3 at 7:30 p.m.
No. 3 Furman 80, No. 6 UNCG 64
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Furman Paladins warded off a UNCG Spartans second half rally to cruise to an 80-64 win in the nightcap of the Southern Conference Championship quarterfinals. Stephen Croone and Devin Sibley shared game-high honors with 20 points apiece in the win.
Furman built a 17-point advantage, 53-36, on Daniel Fowler’s three-ball with 13:46 to play. It was still 14 points, 59-45, when UNCG made a charge.
Asad Lamot’s triple with 7:36 to play cut the deficit to just six, 61-55. But Furman weathered the storm. With a 63-57 lead, the Paladins went on a 17-4 run to take their largest lead of 19, 78-59.
Kayel Locke led the Spartans with 16 points and seven rebounds. R.J. White added 10 points, six boards and two blocks.
Furman led for a majority of the game (37:11). The first half was much like the second where it took a big lead (14), only to see UNCG battle back. The Spartans got within five, 34-29, on Diante Baldwin’s jumper before settling finishing the half trailing 36-29.
The Paladins square off with ETSU in Sunday’s second semifinal game. It airs Sunday on ESPN3 at 7:30 p.m.
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