WBK: Samford, Furman advance to semifinals

No. 6 Samford 59, No. 3 Wofford 57 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — No. 6 Samford survived a late surge from No. 3 Wofford to secure a 59–57 victory and advance to the semifinals of the Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament at Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville on Thursday.

Samford built an 18‑point lead midway through the third quarter, but Wofford trimmed the margin to eight by the end of the period and continued its rally in the fourth.

A steal and layup by Queen Ikhiuwu brought the Terriers within 59–57 with 2:32 remaining, but those proved to be the final points of the game. Wofford committed two turnovers and missed two shots on its last four possessions, including a potential game‑winning 3‑pointer by Molly Masingale that fell short in the closing seconds.

Samford improved to 14–18 and will face No. 2 ETSU in Friday’s 1:15 p.m. semifinal.

Sierra Godbolt scored 15 points and Brianna Riviera added 14 to lead the Bulldogs. Ikhiuwu posted game highs in points and rebounds with 16 and 14, respectively, while Masingale and Maddie Heiss contributed 15 and 14 points for Wofford.

Samford trailed for much of the first half before closing on a 15–3 run over the final five minutes to erase a 20–13 deficit and take a 28–23 lead into halftime.

The Bulldogs carried that momentum into the second half, opening with a 19–6 run to build a 47–28 advantage before Wofford called timeout with 4:25 left in the third quarter.

The Terriers responded with a 14–4 run to close the period, cutting the deficit to 51–43 entering the fourth and setting up their final push.

Notes

• Ikhiuwu’s double‑double was her sixth of the season.
• Samford, which dropped both regular‑season meetings to Wofford, earned its first SoCon Tournament win since reaching the semifinals in 2022.
• Wofford missed the semifinals for the first time since 2020.

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No. 4 Furman 66, No. 5 Mercer 45

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — No. 4 Furman used a dominant second half to pull away from No. 5 Mercer in a 66–45 victory in Thursday night’s quarterfinal of the Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament at Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville.

Furman and Mercer split their regular‑season meetings, each winning by double digits on the road. Their third matchup unfolded much differently early, featuring 17 lead changes — 12 of them in the second quarter — before the teams entered halftime tied at 29–29. The tone shifted dramatically after the break.

Mercer struck first in the third quarter on a 3‑pointer by Micah O’Dell, who finished with a team‑high 14 points, giving the Bears a 32–29 lead. From there, Furman seized control. Guard Alyssa Erwin scored eight points in the period, going 5‑for‑5 at the free‑throw line and adding a 3‑pointer to help the Paladins build an eight‑point advantage. Mercer’s Ariana Bennett closed the quarter with two free throws to make it 45–39.

Furman continued its surge in the fourth. After a Mercer free throw cut the margin to 52–40, the Paladins scored the next 12 points to put the game out of reach.

Erwin delivered a standout performance, scoring 27 points on 8‑of‑15 shooting, including 4‑of‑7 from beyond the arc. Clare Coyle added 10 points for the Paladins.

Furman advances to face top‑seeded Chattanooga on Friday at 11 a.m.

Things to know

• Furman scored 21 points off 21 Mercer turnovers.
• After shooting 48 percent (12‑of‑25) in the first half, Mercer made just 5‑of‑24 attempts (20.8 percent) after halftime.
• Furman dropped both regular‑season meetings with Chattanooga.