No. 1 seed UNCG 80, No. 8 seed The Citadel 72

ASHEVILLE. N.C. – Crunch time is usually Miller time for UNC Greensboro, and Isiah Miller came through once again in an 80-72 win over The Citadel in quarterfinal play Saturday at the 2021 Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championship presented by General Shale Brick at Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville.
 
The senior guard and league's Player of the Year each of the last two seasons, Miller broke a 69-69 tie with a short jumper late in the game and then sank four free throws in the final minute to help the top-seeded Spartans (19-8) into Sunday's 5 p.m. semifinal against No. 4 Chattanooga or No. 5 ETSU.
 
UNCG played solid defense late, as No. 8 The Citadel missed seven of its last eight shots from the floor, including its final five to end the game.
 
Miller finished with 21 points and got help from three teammates who also scored in double figures – Hayden Koval and Angelo Allegri (13 each) and A.J. McGinnis (10).
 
Koval made 3-of-3 3-pointers in the first half for UNCG, seeking to reach the tournament title game for the fourth time in five seasons.  
 
Fletcher Abee scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half to lead the Bulldogs, and Hayden Brown added 15 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Spartans led 45-39 at halftime after making 7-of-12 3-pointers. 
 
The Citadel had a 10-3 run to open the second half to take the lead and the game remained tight until Miller's late heroics.
 
The Bulldogs finished 13-12, the program's first winning record since the 2008-09 season.


No. 5 ETSU 63, No. 4 seed Chattanooga 53

ASHEVILLE. N.C. – ETSU recovered from a slow start and found the range offensively at the right time to edge past Chattanooga 63-53 Saturday in quarterfinal play at the 2021 Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championship presented by General Shale Brick at Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville.
 
The fifth-seeded Buccaneers (13-11) scored just two points on 1-of-10 shooting to fall behind 11-2 in the opening nine minutes.
 
But in the final four minutes with the game in balance, ETSU made six straight baskets and also sank all four free-throw attempts to outscore the Mocs 12-4.
 
The win moves ETSU into Sunday's 5 p.m. semifinal against top seed UNC Greensboro (19-8).
 
No. 4 Chattanooga (18-8) had just eight players available due to COVID-related issues, and among those missing were leading scorer and all-conference guard Malachi Smith and starting post player Darius Banks.
 
With three starters logging more than 35 minutes, the Mocs struggled offensively, shooting just 32 percent from the floor.
After Jamaal Walker's dunk pulled the Mocs to within 51-49 at the 3:20 mark, ETSU's Ty Brewer sank a long jumper and David Sloan added layups on consecutive possessions before Damari Monsanto sealed the win with four free throws in the final 30 seconds.
 
Monsanto finished with 18 points and Sloan added 16.
 
Walker led the Mocs with 16 points.
 
The Bucs overcame their slow start to take a 23-21 lead at intermission, closing the first half on a 9-0 run.
 
Chattanooga missed its last seven shots of the half and didn't score in the final four minutes, 46 seconds.   
 
2021 Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Championship presented by General Shale Brick schedule
Friday, March 5 (ESPN+)
Game 1 - (8) The Citadel 100, (9) Western Carolina 68
Game 2 - (7) Mercer 87, (10) Samford 59
 
Saturday, March 6 (ESPN+/Nexstar)
Game 3 - (1) UNCG 80, (8) The Citadel 70
Game 4 - (5) ETSU 63, (4) Chattanooga 53
Game 5 - (2) Wofford vs. (7) Mercer, 5:30 p.m.
Game 6 - (3) Furman vs. (6) VMI, 8 p.m.
 
Sunday, March 7 (ESPNU)
Game 7 – (1) UNCG vs. (5) ETSU, 5 p.m.
Game 8 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7:30 p.m.
 
Monday, March 8 (ESPN)
Championship game, 7 p.m.