SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference has announced the seeding for the 2022 Ingles SoCon Women’s Basketball Championship, which will begin Thursday, March 3, at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina.
 
After capturing its third Southern Conference tournament championship in the last four years in 2021, Mercer (20-6, 13-1 SoCon) earned the 2021-22 regular-season title outright and will enter the 2022 tournament as the top seed. The Bears will open up the tournament against No. 8 seed Western Carolina (7-22, 0-14) on Thursday at 11 a.m. The Bears went 2-0 against the Catamounts this season, clinching a 69-58 win over Western Carolina in Cullowhee, North Carolina, on Jan. 15 before downing the Catamounts 46-40 in Macon, Georgia on Feb. 10.
 
Samford (12-16, 7-7 SoCon) and UNC Greensboro (9-18, 5-9) are slotted No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, and will face off in Thursday’s second game at 1:15 p.m. The Bulldogs went 2-0 against the Spartans this season, with Samford overcoming a double-digit deficit in their first meeting on Jan. 15 to take a 62-57 victory over UNCG before defeating the Spartans 73-57 on Feb. 10.
 
Wofford (16-12, 11-3) is the No. 2 seed. Two of its league losses came to top-seed Mercer. Jimmy Garrity’s squad will battle No. 7 ETSU (6-21, 5-9) in game three of the first round at 3:30 p.m. The two programs split their regular-season meetings this season, with the Terriers earning a 73-51 win over the Bucs in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Jan. 29 before falling 70-64 to ETSU in Johnson City, Tennessee, on Feb. 24. Wofford played in the title game last season, falling 60-38 to Mercer.  
 
No. 3 seed Furman (17-11, 10-4) will take on No. 6 Chattanooga (7-22, 5-9) in the final first-round game at 5:45 p.m. The Paladins completed the regular-season sweep of the Mocs with a 64-43 victory over Chattanooga in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Feb. 24 after upending the Mocs 63-50 in Greenville, South Carolina on Jan. 29.
 
Semifinal action will take place on Friday and the women’s championship game will tip off on Sunday at 12 p.m.
 
All women’s basketball games will be held at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville and are set to be broadcast on ESPN+. The title game will also air on select Nexstar affiliates. For more information, visit SoConSports.com.
 
2022 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Championship
Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville   Asheville, N.C.
 
Thursday, March 3
Game 1 – No. 1 Mercer vs. No. 8 Western Carolina, 11 a.m.*
Game 2 – No. 4 Samford vs. No. 5 UNCG, 1:15 p.m.^
Game 3 – No. 2 Wofford vs. No. 7 ETSU, 3:30 p.m. ^
Game 4 – No. 3 Furman vs. No. 6 Chattanooga, 5:45 p.m. ^
 
Friday, March 4
Game 5 – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 11 a.m.*
Game 6 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 1:15 p.m. ^
 
Sunday, March 6
Championship Game
Game 7 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 12 p.m.
 
NOTE: All times Eastern. All games to be broadcast on ESPN+, with the championship game also on Nexstar.
 
* Tip-off as part of Education Day program on March 3 and March 4.
 
^ Denotes approximate game time.  The first games both days will have a firm start time. Each game thereafter will start 30 minutes following the conclusion of the preceding game but will not start prior to the listed time.