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Chattanooga Women's Basketball's Season Ends at NDSU in WBIT First Round

The Southern Conference — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Furman's Hasselbach named SoCon Golfer of the Week

Unknown — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman’s Olivia Hasselbach has been named the Southern Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week for all competitions held March 11–17, the league office announced Wednesday.

The Paladins competed at the Valspar Augusta Invitational on March 14–15.

Hasselbach finished tied for third after posting rounds of 69, 72, and 72 for an individual score of 3‑under-par. The performance marked the freshman’s second top‑three finish of the spring.

The Paladins completed the event in second place as a team. Furman was the only non‑Power Four program among the top five teams.

The Tampa, Florida, native ranked first in par‑4 scoring (3.87, –4) and tied for fourth in total birdies (11).

According to Scoreboard by Clippd, Hasselbach ranks seventh among all SoCon golfers this season.

Furman will host the Coach Mo Classic on March 30–31 in St. Augustine, Florida, to close out the regular season ahead of the conference championship.

Also nominated: Kera Healey – Chattanooga

2025-26 SoCon Women’s Golfer of the Week

Sept. 10	Audrey Ryu, Furman
Sept. 17	Bella Kent, Wofford
Sept. 24	Audrey Ryu, Furman
Oct. 1	Katie Scheck, Mercer
Oct. 8	Katie Scheck, Mercer
Oct. 15	Sophia Gambini, ETSU
Oct. 22	Julia Baeumken, UNCG
Oct. 29	Riley Kim, Mercer
Nov. 5	Katie Scheck, Mercer
Jan. 28	Gabi Nicastro, Samford
Feb. 4	Audrey Ryu, Furman
Feb. 11	Anika Richards, Samford
Feb. 18	Gabi Nicastro, Samford
Feb. 25	Erin Wells, Chattanooga
March 4	Jenna Madden, Furman
March 11	Gabi Nicastro, Samford
March 18	Olivia Hasselbach, Furman

SoCon Announces Men’s Golfer of the Week

Unknown — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, SC – Western Carolina junior Jace Butcher was named Southern Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week for events played between March 11 and March 17.

Butcher (Kennesaw, GA / Mount Paran Christian School) won the 2026 Southern Intercollegiate in Athens, GA, finishing two shots under par for the event. He shot even par over the first 18 holes, then closed the tournament with a 70 to edge Georgia’s Matt Moloney by two strokes. Butcher’s individual effort lifted Western Carolina into second place behind host and 34^th ranked Georgia, just three strokes off the team lead.

Butcher also played well at the People’s Championship at Sea Palms, finishing in a tie for 7^th at five shots under par. He turned in rounds of 68, 69, and 71 to help the Catamounts to a second-place finish in that event as well. Over his five rounds of golf for the week, Butcher’s average score was 70 and he sank 24 birdie putts.

2025-26 SoCon Men’s Golfer of the Week

Sep. 10 – Tyler Jones, R-So., Western Carolina (Jacksonville, NC)

Sep. 17 – Harris Barth, Sr., Furman (Atlanta, GA)

Oct. 1 – Andrew Korytoski, Jr., Western Carolina (Cataula, GA)

Oct. 8 – Harris Barth, Sr., Furman (Atlanta, GA)

Oct. 15 – Gavin Isbell, So., Samford (Trussville, AL)

Oct. 22 – Ward Harris, So., Chattanooga (Birmingham, AL)

Nov. 5 – Yannick Malik, Sr., ETSU (Munich, Germany)

Feb. 4 – Tyler Jones, R-So., Western Carolina (Jacksonville, NC)

Feb. 11 – Kelvin Hernandez, Jr., UNC Greensboro (Caguas, Puerto Rico)

Feb. 18 – Tyler Jones, R-So., Western Carolina (Jacksonville, NC)

Feb. 25 – Kelvin Hernandez, Jr., UNC Greensboro (Caguas, Puerto Rico)

Mar. 4 – Camden Braidech, Jr., Chattanooga (Scottsdale, AZ)

Mar. 11 – Oli Blackadder, Fr., ETSU (Aberdeen, Scotland)

Mar. 18 – Jace Butcher, Jr., Western Carolina (Kennesaw, GA)

SoCon announces Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week

Unknown — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina’s Trevor Williams, Austin Cline, and Shaneil Lysight have been named the Southern Conference men’s track, men’s field, and women’s outdoor track athletes of the week, respectively. Additionally, Samford’s Ellison Chadwick has been selected as the women’s outdoor field athlete of the week, the conference office announced on Wednesday.

Williams ran a 1:55.68 in the 800m to win the event at the South Alabama Invitational on March 14. The Chesterfield, Virginia, native opened the season less than half a second off his personal best of 1:55.17, which he set during the 2025 season.

Cline recorded a personal‑best throw of 54.50m in the hammer throw at the South Alabama meet, moving him to fifth all‑time in Western Carolina history. The Catawba, North Carolina, native also won the shot put with a mark of 15.79m.

Lysight raced to a win in the 100m hurdles with a personal‑best time of 13.79. The Western Carolina senior now ranks second all‑time in Catamounts history.

Chadwick won the women’s long jump with a personal‑best leap of 6.09m at the Montevallo Falcon Classic last weekend. The Stone Mountain, Georgia, native now ranks second all‑time at Samford in the event.

Western Carolina will return to action at the Big South/SoCon Challenge on March 20–21, while Samford competes next at the UAB Open on March 27–28.

2025-26 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week

March 18

Men’s Track – Trevor Williams, WCU

Men’s Field – Austin Cline, WCU

Women’s Track – Shaneil Lysight, WCU

Women’s Field – Ellison Chadwick, Samford

Jerod Haase Named UNCG Head Men’s Basketball Coach

The Southern Conference — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Chattanooga’s Rufaro Magarira named SoCon player of the week

Unknown — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Chattanooga’s Rufaro Magarira has been named the Southern Conference women’s tennis player of the week for all matches played from March 10-16, the conference announced on Tuesday. The award is selected by the league office.

Magarira went a combined 4-0 over the singles and doubles matches last week, playing on court one each time out. On March 13, the sophomore posted a 6-1, 6-3, victory over Tennessee Wesleyan’s Ruslana Kovalenko, and combined with teammate Savannah Presson for a 6-2 win in doubles. In the team’s conference opener at UNCG on March 15, the product of Harare, Zimbabwe, joined Presson once again to win a point-clinching 7-6 decision in doubles, before winning her ninth straight singles match, 6-2, 7-5, over Sophia Cedeno.

Chattanooga plays at North Alabama on March 18, before welcoming Wofford for its SoCon dual of the season on March 21. The Mocs end the week at Alabama A&M on March 22.

Also nominated: Ksenija Rage (ETSU)

2026 SoCon Women’s Tennis Players of the Week
Jan. 20 Lillie Murphy, Fr., Furman

Jan. 27 Elle Warren, Fr., Furman

Feb. 3 Eleni Liakonis, So., Samford

Feb. 10 Addison Iacono, Fr., Chattanooga

Feb. 17 Mariya Dobreva, So., Western Carolina

Feb. 24 Savannah Presson, So., Chattanooga

March 3 Ksenija Rage, So., ETSU

March 10 Lillie Murphy, Fr., Furman

March 17 Rufaro Magarira, So., Chattanooga

UNCG’s Tymofiy Khrystyuk named SoCon player of the week

Unknown — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG’s Tymofiy Khrystyuk has been named the Southern Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Week for all competition from March 10-16. The selection is made by the league office.

Khrystyuk went 2-0 in singles at the No. 1 spot last week for UNCG. The native of Poltava, Ukraine, got his first win (4-6, 6-3, 6-2) over ETSU’s Oscar Matinez on March 11, giving Martinez, who has won SoCon Player of the Week three times, his first loss of the season. Two days later, the senior won, 6-4, 7-6, over Wofford’s Parker Mariencheck, helping the Spartans top the Terriers, 4-3.

UNCG plays its next match at Campbell on March 24.

Also nominated: Peter Kalocsai (ETSU)

2026 SoCon Men’s Tennis Players of the Week
Jan. 20 Oscar Martinez, Jr., ETSU

Jan. 27 Martin Vergara, R-So., ETSU

Feb. 3 Oscar Martinez, Jr., ETSU

Feb. 10 Oscar Martinez, Jr., ETSU

Feb. 17 Nico Snyder, So., Furman

Feb. 24 Jakub Jupa, Jr., Chattanooga

March 3 Kai Cowcher, Jr., ETSU

March 10 Santiago Arredondo, Sr., Samford

March 17 Tymofiy Khrystyuk, Sr., UNCG

SoCon Softball Player, Pitcher of the Week announced

Unknown — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Mercer shortstop Avery Barton and Western Carolina right-hander Amanda Fulton have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for their efforts from March 9-15. The awards are selected by the league office.

Barton hit .778 over the weekend for Mercer as the Bears won two of three games played against Bryant. In the series opener on March 13, the senior went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBIs as Mercer won, 8-6. The next day, the native of Monticello, Georgia, had two hits in the first game of the day’s doubleheader, which was a 6-2 setback for the Bears. In the series finale, Barton hit two solo home runs and drew a bases loaded walk as Mercer won, 8-0, in five innings.

Fulton threw 9.1 innings over two appearances inside the circle, logging a win and a save for Western Carolina last week. On March 10, the product of Woodstock, Georgia, tossed a complete game, striking out eight batters and allowing zero earned runs in a 4-1 win over Presbyterian. The sophomore came on in relief the next day in a victory at Queens, throwing the final 2.1 innings to get a save after allowing zero runs and striking out one batter. Fulton is currently third in the SoCon in ERA (2.26).

Mercer (12-13) opens its conference slate of games with a series versus Samford on March 21-22. Western Carolina (16-8) hosts 15th-ranked Clemson on March 18, before welcoming Furman on March 21-22.

Other nominees for player of the week: Macy Michael (UNCG), Maya McPherson (Western Carolina) and Desirae Devine (Wofford)

Other nominees for pitcher of the week: Grace McKillop (Mercer), Brooklyn Shroyer (UNCG) and Abby Greenwood (Wofford)

2026 SoCon Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 9 Brianna Stanley, So., INF, Wofford

Feb. 16 Olivia Shaw, Jr., SS, Samford

Feb. 23 Brianna Stanley, So., INF, Wofford

March 2 Riley Croley, Fr., 3B, ETSU

March 9 Maya McPherson, Jr., 3B, Western Carolina

March 16 Avery Barton, Sr., SS, Mercer

2026 SoCon Softball Pitchers of the Week

Feb. 9 Madison Starr, Jr., Mercer

Feb. 16 Abby Greenwood, Jr., Wofford

Feb. 23 Brooklyn Shroyer, Jr., UNCG

March 2 Gabrielle Fowler, Jr., ETSU

March 9 Brooklyn Shroyer, Jr., UNCG

March 16 Amanda Fulton, So., Western Carolina

SoCon Announces Weekly Baseball Awards

Unknown — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, SC – VMI senior Grayson Fitzwater was named SoCon Player of the Week and Western Carolina sophomore Carter Burnette was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week following games played from March 10 through March 15.

Fitzwater (Suffolk, VA / Nansemond River HS) extended his active hit streak to nine games last week, batting .583 (7-for-12) with a pair of home runs, three doubles, six RBI and five runs scored. The Keydets’ first baseman also swiped three bags and forged a robust .700 on base percentage – earning seven more walks over four games. Fitzwater walked three times in a midweek win at Norfolk State and took advantage of the strikes he saw to finish 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. He followed with a 3-for-3 effort and a solo home run in the series opener vs. Cornell and closed out the series with a home run and three RBI in a 7-4 win. Fitzwater fielded a clean 1.000 over 32 chances at first base and powered his way to a 2.033 OPS for the week – his second week in a row in that stratosphere. He has hit safely in every game this month to date and has earned 14 walks over the past eight games.

Fitzwater is batting .409 so far this season with eight home runs, eight doubles, 28 RBI, and 23 runs scored in 20 games. He has struck out only 11 times and leads the SoCon with an .894 slugging percentage.

Burnette (Asheville, NC / Asheville HS) was terrific in a complete-game shutout of Morehead State. The righty fanned 10 batters, scattered three hits and did not issue a walk over a career-high 7.0 innings of work. He allowed only one extra base hit and needed only 78 pitches to complete the game.

Burnette is now 2-2 on the season with 33 strikeouts in 27.0 innings.

VMI (17-3) will play Radford in a three-game series this weekend, with the Saturday contest hosted in Lexington, VA. Radford will host the series’ Friday and Sunday games. Western Carolina (14-7) hosts Gardner-Webb on Wednesday afternoon before welcoming Samford to town on March 20-22 for both teams’ SoCon opening series.

Also nominated for Player of the Week: Jamie Palmese (ETSU), Aryan Patel (The Citadel), Brant Baughcum (Mercer), Tanner Berry (UNCG), Jake Souders (Samford), Wyatt Stanley (Western Carolina).

Also nominated for Pitcher of the Week: Cooper Jones (ETSU), Michael Gibson (The Citadel), Miguel Hugas (Mercer), Joseph Lee (Samford), Hunter Sipe (VMI).

2025-26 SoCon Player of the Week

Feb. 16 – Andrew Quarless, R-So., Western Carolina (C, Winston-Salem, NC)

Feb. 23 – Braydon Kersey, Jr., Mercer (DH/INF, Alpharetta, GA)

Mar 2 – Titan Kamaka, Sr., Mercer (SS, Orlando, FL)

Mar 9 – Grayson Fitzwater, Sr., VMI (1B, Suffolk, VA)

Mar 16 – Grayson Fitzwater, Sr., VMI (1B, Suffolk, VA)

2025-26 SoCon Pitcher of the Week

Feb. 16 – Andrew Marble, Jr., Samford (RHP, Hurley, MS)

Feb. 23 – Michael Harpster, Jr., ETSU (RHP, Lynchburg, VA)

Mar 2 – Bryce Coulter, Jr., The Citadel (RHP, Sumter, SC)

Mar 9 – Mason Snyder, Jr., Western Carolina (RHP, Ocilla, GA)

Mar 16 – Carter Burnette, So., Western Carolina (RHP, Asheville, NC)

Samford Selected To Play In One of The First Four Games of The 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship

The Southern Conference — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Chattanooga Selected to WBIT

The Southern Conference — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

No. 15 Seed Furman Draws No. 2 UConn In NCAA Tournament First Round

The Southern Conference — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Franklin Finishes Second Nationally In 60-Meter Hurdles

The Southern Conference — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Furman's Wilkins A Finalist For Lou Henson Mid-Major Player Of The Year Honors

The Southern Conference — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Samford's Nicastro named SoCon Golfer of the Week

Unknown — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford's Gabi Nicastro has been named the Southern Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week for all competitions held March 4–10, the league office announced on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs competed at the Chris Banister Golf Classic on March 8–10.

Nicastro led Samford to a top‑10 finish, posting three rounds of 73 to finish 3‑over par. Her performance included finishing first in the field in par‑4 scoring (-1) and tying for fifth in total birdies (9).

The Huntsville, Alabama, native has earned the league’s weekly honor for the third time this season.

Previously named SoCon Freshman of the Year (2024) and SoCon Golfer of the Year (2025), Nicastro is currently ranked third among SoCon golfers this season, according to Scoreboard by Clippd.

Samford will travel to Monroe, Louisiana, to compete in the ULM Invitational on March 30–31.

Also nominated: Lulu Leetham (UNCG), Bella Bugg (Chattanooga), Arisa Piyamanit (ETSU)

2025-26 SoCon Women’s Golfer of the Week

Sept. 10 - Audrey Ryu, Furman

Sept. 17 - Bella Kent, Wofford

Sept. 24 - Audrey Ryu, Furman

Oct. 1 - Katie Scheck, Mercer

Oct. 8 – Katie Scheck, Mercer

Oct. 15- Sophia Gambini, ETSU

Oct. 22 – Julia Baeumken, UNCG

Oct. 29 – Riley Kim, Mercer

Nov. 5- Katie Scheck, Mercer

Jan. 28 – Gabi Nicastro, Samford

Feb. 4 – Audrey Ryu, Furman

Feb. 11 – Anika Richards, Samford

Feb. 18 – Gabi Nicastro, Samford

Feb. 25 – Erin Wells, Chattanooga

March 4- Jenna Madden, Furman

March 11 – Gabi Nicastro, Samford

SoCon Names Men's Golfer of the Week for March 11

Unknown — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, SC – ETSU freshman Oli Blackadder was named Southern Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week for events played between March 4 through March 10.

Blackadder (Aberdeen, Scotland) finished tied for eighth overall at the 41^st Annual Louisiana Classic at Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette, LA. He fired consecutive rounds of 68 to begin the tournament and finished six under par over 54 holes. Blackadder recorded an eagle in each of the first two rounds and sank eight birdie putts for the tournament. His efforts helped lead ETSU to a fourth-place finish as a team, just three strokes behind second-place Arkansas Little Rock. Blackadder led the event with his two eagles and ranked second in total pars recorded (38).

ETSU will head to the west coast on March 16 for the Pauma Valley Invitational in Pauma Valley, CA.

Also Nominated: B.J. Boyce (UNCG), Josemaria Gutierrez (Mercer)

2025-26 SoCon Men’s Golfer of the Week

Sep. 10 – Tyler Jones, R-So., Western Carolina (Jacksonville, NC)

Sep. 17 – Harris Barth, Sr., Furman (Atlanta, GA)

Oct. 1 – Andrew Korytoski, Jr., Western Carolina (Cataula, GA)

Oct. 8 – Harris Barth, Sr., Furman (Atlanta, GA)

Oct. 15 – Gavin Isbell, So., Samford (Trussville, AL)

Oct. 22 – Ward Harris, So., Chattanooga (Birmingham, AL)

Nov. 5 – Yannick Malik, Sr., ETSU (Munich, Germany)

Feb. 4 – Tyler Jones, R-So., Western Carolina (Jacksonville, NC)

Feb. 11 – Kelvin Hernandez, Jr., UNC Greensboro (Caguas, Puerto Rico)

Feb. 18 – Tyler Jones, R-So., Western Carolina (Jacksonville, NC)

Feb. 25 – Kelvin Hernandez, Jr., UNC Greensboro (Caguas, Puerto Rico)

Mar. 4 – Camden Braidech, Jr., Chattanooga (Scottsdale, AZ)

Mar. 11 – Oli Blackadder, Fr., ETSU (Aberdeen, Scotland)

Furman’s Lillie Murphy named SoCon player of the week

Unknown — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman’s Lillie Murphy has been named the Southern Conference women’s tennis player of the week for all matches played from March 3-9, the conference announced on Tuesday. The award is selected by the league office.

Murphy, who also won the honor on Jan. 20, led Furman to a 3-0 record last week. The freshman played in the second flight in each match, winning each time in straight sets as the Paladins won, 4-0, at Toledo on March 4, 7-0, versus Belmont on March 7, and capping the weekend with a 4-2 victory over Virginia Tech on March 8. The native of Knoxville, Tennessee, combined with Elle Warren for wins in the No. 1 spot in doubles against Belmont and Virginia Tech.

Furman hosts Elon on March 14.

Also nominated: Mariangel Estrella (ETSU), Mariya Dobreva (Western Carolina), and Quinn Bernthal (Wofford)

2026 SoCon Women’s Tennis Players of the Week
Jan. 20 Lillie Murphy, Fr., Furman

Jan. 27 Elle Warren, Fr., Furman

Feb. 3 Eleni Liakonis, So., Samford

Feb. 10 Addison Iacono, Fr., Chattanooga

Feb. 17 Mariya Dobreva, So., Western Carolina

Feb. 24 Savannah Presson, So., Chattanooga

March 3 Ksenija Rage, So., ETSU

March 10 Lillie Murphy, Fr., Furman

Samford’s Santiago Arredondo named SoCon player of the week

Unknown — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford’s Santiago Arredondo has been named the Southern Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Week for all competition from March 3-9. The selection is made by the league office.

Arrendondo went 3-0 last week as Samford grabbed a pair of conference road wins. In a 5-2 victory over UNCG on March 7, the senior from Mexico, picked up a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win in singles. Two days later, Arrendondo won 6-3, 6-1, in singles and alongside teammate Parker Free won, 7-6, in doubles as the Bulldogs topped The Citadel 4-3.

Samford plays its next match against Lipscomb on March 18.

Also nominated: Oscar Martinez (ETSU), Nicolas Dispas (Furman), Hod'Abalo Isak Padio (Mercer), and Jakub Jupa (Chattanooga)

2026 SoCon Men’s Tennis Players of the Week
Jan. 20 Oscar Martinez, Jr., ETSU

Jan. 27 Martin Vergara, R-So., ETSU

Feb. 3 Oscar Martinez, Jr., ETSU

Feb. 10 Oscar Martinez, Jr., ETSU

Feb. 17 Nico Snyder, So., Furman

Feb. 24 Jakub Jupa, Jr., Chattanooga

March 3 Kai Cowcher, Jr., ETSU

March 10 Santiago Arredondo, Sr., Samford

No. 6 Furman wins the SoCon Tournament title

Unknown — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

No. 6 Furman 76, No. 1 ETSU 61

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The No. 6 seed Furman Paladins earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament on Monday night by beating regular-season champion ETSU, 76-61, in the title game of the Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championship at Harrah's Cherokee Center.

The Paladins, who lost both regular season games to the Mocs, controlled Monday's game for much of the night, shooting 50.9 percent from the field and outrebounding ETSU, 36-24.

Forward Cooper Bowser made 9-of-12 field-goal attempts and finished with a game-high of 21 points to lead the Paladins. He also led both teams in rebounds with 11.

Furman reserve guard Tom House added 13 points and guard Alex Wilkins, who was voted the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, contributed 12 points for Furman, which improved to 22-12 in winning the SoCon championship for the second time in the last four years under coach Bob Richey.

ETSU guard Brian Taylor II and forward Blake Barkley scored 16 and 14 points, respectively, for ETSU (23-11).

Furman shot 60 percent from the field in the opening half and held a 42-35 lead. Bowser dominated inside, making all six of his field-goal attempts as he scored 14 points before the break.

Furman eventually built a 64-48 lead before ETSU went on an 11-4 run to pull within 68-59 with 3:58 remaining. The Paladins stopped the bleeding and went on to cruise to the championship victory.

Things to know

- Going back to the semifinals, Bowser made 14 straight field goals before a miss in the second half on Monday. He finished the tournament making 21-of-30 attempts for 70 percent.

- Furman made 12-of-15 free throws for a three-game total of 51-of-61 for 83.6 percent.

- After making a total of 19 3-pointers in its first two games, the Bucs connected on just 3-of-16 attempts (18.8 percent) against Furman. The Paladins made 10-of-26 (38.5 percent) in Monday night's game.

All-Tournament Team
First team
Blake Barkley, ETSU

Brian Taylor II, ETSU

Cooper Bowser, Furman

Alex Wilkins, Furman (MOP)

Justin Neely, UNCG

Second team
Sola Adebisi, The Citadel

Jaylen Smith, ETSU

Tom House, Furman

KJ Younger, UNCG

Jadin Booth, Samford

Knight Commission Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Ben VanderWal, Furman

2026 Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Championship
Friday, March 6 (ESPN+/Nexstar)
Game 1 - (9) The Citadel 88, (8) Chattanooga 85
Game 2 - (7) UNCG 84, (10) VMI 70

Saturday, March 7 (ESPN+/SCETV)
Game 3 - (1) ETSU 83, (9) The Citadel 76
Game 4 - (7) UNCG 75, (2) Wofford 72

Game 5 - (6) Furman 86, (3) Samford 81

Game 6 - (5) Western Carolina 77, (4) Mercer 73

Sunday, March 8 (ESPNU)
Game 7 - (1) ETSU 69, (5) Western Carolina 67
Game 8 - (6) Furman 81, (7) UNCG 75

Monday, March 9 (ESPN)
(6) Furman 76, (1) ETSU 61

SoCon Softball Player, Pitcher of the Week announced

Unknown — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina third basemen Maya McPherson and UNCG right-hander Brooklyn Shroyer have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for their efforts from March 2-8. The awards are selected by the league office.

McPherson led Western Carolina to three wins over the weekend as the team hosted the Catamount Classic. In a 4-2 win over Penn on March 6, the junior had two hits, a stolen base, an RBI and a tun scored. Later that day, McPherson was 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple, three RBIs and two runs scored as the Catamounts suffered an 18-10 setback versus Robert Morris. On March 7, the native of Lancaster, California, was 3-for-4 with two RBIs in a 9-1 victory against Ohio. In the finale of the weekend, McPherson had two hits, including a fifth inning grand slam, as the Catamounts topped Penn, 8-2.

Shroyer tossed 13 innings over two games inside the circle, including a complete game shutout, for UNCG over the weekend. The junior, who also won the honor on Feb. 23, had five strikeouts and gave up just one earned run against UNC Wilmington on March 7. The next day, the product of San Dimas, California, had eight strikeouts and allowed just one hit in a 2-0 win over Army. Shroyer’s performance against Army was her fifth shutout of the season, which leads the SoCon.

Western Carolina (13-7) will play a doubleheader versus Presbyterian on March 10, and at Queens on March 11. UNCG (15-12) hosts Lehigh and Tarleton State over the weekend.

Other nominees for player of the week: Payton Moore (ETSU), Nya South (UNCG), and Chloe Lackey (Chattanooga)

Other nominees for pitcher of the week: Lily O'Bryan (Furman) and Amanda Fulton (Western Carolina)

2026 SoCon Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 9 Brianna Stanley, So., INF, Wofford

Feb. 16 Olivia Shaw, Jr., SS, Samford

Feb. 23 Brianna Stanley, So., INF, Wofford

March 2 Riley Croley, Fr., 3B, ETSU

March 9 Maya McPherson, Jr., 3B, Western Carolina

2026 SoCon Softball Pitchers of the Week

Feb. 9 Madison Starr, Jr., Mercer

Feb. 16 Abby Greenwood, Jr., Wofford

Feb. 23 Brooklyn Shroyer, Jr., UNCG

March 2 Gabrielle Fowler, Jr., ETSU

March 9 Brooklyn Shroyer, Jr., UNCG

SoCon Announces Weekly Baseball Awards For March 9

Unknown — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, SC – VMI senior slugger Grayson Fitzwater was named SoCon Player of the Week, and Western Carolina junior reliever Mason Snyder was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week following games played from March 2 to March 8.

Fitzwater (Suffolk, VA / Nansemond River HS) powered the Keydets to a four-game sweep of Western Illinois, sizzling at the plate with a .727 batting average, 2.000 slugging percentage, and a prodigious 2.789 OPS. He went 8-for-11 at the plate with six runs scored, four home runs, two doubles, and nine RBI in the series, and struck out only once. Fitzwater drew seven walks – including five intentional passes – and still managed at least one hit in all four games.

His performance in Friday’s opening doubleheader earned Fitzwater D1Baseball.com’s Mid Major LOUD! Performance of the Day on March 6. He went 2-for-3 in an 8-7 win, launching the tie-breaking homer in the eighth. In the nightcap, he went 4-for-4 with three home runs and five RBI, sparking a comeback from a 7-2 deficit and tying the game in the seventh before a walk-off home run by teammate Seth Buchanan. He finished the day with an .857 batting average (6-for-7), four home runs, seven RBI, and a galactic 4.168 OPS.

Fitzwater’s big day limited his opportunities the rest of the series, with Western Illinois choosing to pitch around his incandescent bat. All five of his intentional walks were issued over the final two games. He finished 1-for-2 in each of those contests with an RBI to complete the series sweep. Fitzwater now has 47 career home runs, the most in VMI history. Three more homers would put him in the SoCon Top 10. Matt Raleigh (Western Carolina) is the current SoCon home run king with 68 to his credit from 1989-1992.

The SoCon’s Preseason Player of the Year, Fitzwater, is batting .370 with six home runs, five doubles, and 22 RBI through 16 games. He is among the league leaders in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and home runs so far this season, leading VMI to a 14-2 start.

Snyder (Ocilla, GA / Irwin County HS) continued his strong early-season effort on the mound for the Catamounts, with two scoreless relief appearances in wins over No. 8 Georgia and Radford. In the win over the hot-hitting Bulldogs, Mason came on with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning after Georgia smashed a pair of home runs and a double to erase an early WCU lead. He coaxed a groundout to end the fourth, came through with a strikeout, and two clutch ground balls to strand a leadoff triple in the fifth to keep the deficit at one run. Teammate Mason Holton smashed a ninth-inning grand slam that gave WCU the lead for good in a 10-9 win. Snyder was strong again in a 10-0 win over Radford, picking up the win after pitching 4.0 innings of scoreless relief with a season-high seven strikeouts and only one walk. He came on in the fourth and finished the 7.0 inning game against the Highlanders.

Snyder is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 22 strikeouts, and three walks in 18.0 innings over five appearances, holding batters to a .153 average.

VMI (14-2) will play its second road game of the season on Wednesday at Norfolk State. First pitch is set for 3:00. Western Carolina (10-6) plays at App State on Wednesday night at 6:00.

Also nominated for Player of the Week: Nathan Conner (ETSU), Phillips Daniels (The Citadel), Eli Stephens (Mercer), Jake Barbour (UNCG), Mason Holton (Western Carolina), Cade Collins (Wofford)

Also nominated for Pitcher of the Week: Cooper Jones (ETSU), Garrett Lambert (Mercer), Hunter Shuey (UNCG), Buddy Baker (VMI).

2025-26 SoCon Player of the Week

Feb. 16 – Andrew Quarless, R-So., Western Carolina (C, Winston-Salem, NC)

Feb. 23 – Braydon Kersey, Jr., Mercer (DH/INF, Alpharetta, GA)

Mar. 2 – Titan Kamaka, Sr., Mercer (SS, Orlando, FL)

Mar. 9 – Grayson Fitzwater, Sr., VMI (1B, Suffolk, VA)

2025-26 SoCon Pitcher of the Week

Feb. 16 – Andrew Marble, Jr., Samford (RHP, Hurley, MS)

Feb. 23 – Michael Harpster, Jr., ETSU (RHP, Lynchburg, VA)

Mar. 2 – Bryce Coulter, Jr., The Citadel (RHP, Sumter, SC)

Mar. 9 – Mason Snyder, Jr., Western Carolina (RHP, Ocilla, GA)

The Southern Conference and ESPN Announce Multi-Year Media Rights Extension

Unknown — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – [March 9, 2026] – The Southern Conference (SoCon) and ESPN announced today a multi-year extension of their media rights agreement, continuing a longstanding relationship that will provide unprecedented national linear and digital exposure for SoCon athletics across ESPN’s industry-leading networks through the 2031-32 academic year.

The extended agreement represents an expanded commitment by ESPN, anchored by a robust slate of regular-season and championship broadcasts across ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU, along with comprehensive digital distribution through ESPN’s direct-to-consumer services.

The 2026 Ingles SoCon Men’s Basketball Championship Game between ETSU and Furman airs Monday night at 7:00 pm on ESPN.

Full Breakdown

Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, the SoCon will feature a record number of national regular-season and conference championship events on ESPN’s linear networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU.

Men’s basketball coverage will see notable expansion under the agreement. The Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship game will be telecast on ESPN for multiple years of the deal, with the semifinal contests presented across ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. For the first time, the league is also guaranteed regular-season men’s basketball games on ESPN or ESPN2 and the Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship is assured to air on ESPNU annually.

Beyond linear coverage, the agreement ensures a minimum of 750 live SoCon events annually across ESPN digital platforms. In addition to all SoCon football and basketball home games, ESPN platforms will continue to stream hundreds of contests in major Olympic sports, including championship coverage for men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, indoor and outdoor track and field, wrestling, softball, and baseball, as well as early rounds of the men’s and women’s basketball championships.

“This six-year extension with ESPN enhances national exposure opportunities for our member institutions, reinforcing ESPN’s confidence in Southern Conference athletics and our commitment to excellence,” said SoCon Commissioner Michael Cross. “The enhanced agreement ensures our student-athletes are featured on ESPN’s industry leading digital and linear networks, offering SoCon athletics a national home where ‘It’s All Here.’ We are grateful to Mallory Kenny and Nick Dawson at ESPN for their continued support and vision, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration into the next decade.”

The extension reinforces ESPN+ as the primary digital home for SoCon regular-season and championship content, offering fans consistent, centralized access to live events throughout the academic year. The agreement aligns with ESPN’s recently launched direct-to-consumer service and enhanced ESPN App, which brings ESPN’s full suite of networks and services together in one destination.

Through the ESPN App, fans can access SoCon events alongside features such as personalized content feeds, multiview viewing options, real-time statistics, and on-demand replays, further modernizing the college sports viewing experience.

“ESPN is pleased to extend our long‑standing relationship with the Southern Conference,” said Mallory Kenny, ESPN Director of Programming & Acquisitions. “This updated agreement reaffirms ESPN’s commitment to highlighting the achievements of SoCon student‑athletes and its member institutions, and to ensuring their stories continue to reach a broad audience across our networks. For more than two decades, we have worked closely with the conference and we look forward to building on that history in the years ahead.”

A Comprehensive Digital Home for Fans

For SoCon fans, the extension ensures a familiar and reliable home for conference athletics events while expanding how, where, and when games can be consumed as ESPN continues to invest in fan-focused innovation. This structure ensures conference content can be found in one familiar place, with flexible options for any choice of how to watch.

Additional details regarding schedules, network designations, and production will be announced closer to the start of each season. The SoCon retained TrailRunner Sports to assist with negotiating its deal with ESPN.

ABOUT THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

The Southern Conference, headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C., includes ten member institutions across six states: The Citadel, East Tennessee State University, Furman University, Mercer University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Samford University, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Virginia Military Institute, Western Carolina University, and Wofford College. Tennessee Tech University will join the SoCon as a full member July 1, 2027.

All of ESPN. All in One Place.

ESPN offers its full suite of networks and services directly to fans on the ESPN App, providing more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, including more than 47,000 live events per year, on-demand replays, industry-leading studio shows and original programming, and more. The ESPN App gives fans a unique viewing experience that includes multiview and synchronized two-screen viewing options, swipe-able vertical video and a personalized SportsCenter For You, as well as integrated game stats, ESPN Fantasy sports, betting odds and information from DraftKings, sports merchandise, and more. These features are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a pay TV package. Bundling options available for fans include a limited time offer for the ESPN DTC Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. For more visit stream.espn.com

No. 1 ETSU and No. 5 Furman set to meet in the SoCon finals

Unknown — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

No. 1 ETSU 69, No. 5 Western Carolina 67

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – No. 1 seed ETSU avenged its two regular season losses to No. 5 Western Carolina, rallying from a 17-point second-half deficit for a 69-67 win in a semifinal game of the Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championship at Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville on Sunday.

Mocs forward Blake Barkley capped a 19-point performance with a three-point play with 38.8 seconds remaining, giving ETSU a 68-67 lead.

After a missed shot by Western Carolina, Brian Taylor II was fouled and made one of two free throws for a 69-67 lead. He led the Mocs in scoring with 22 points. Western Carolina missed two 3-point attempts in the final seconds of the game.

The Catamounts, which had an seven-game winning streak snapped, finished with a 15-16 record.

ETSU (23-10) is back in the championship game for the second time in three seasons. The team fell to Samford in the 2024 title game. The Bucs last won the SoCon title in 2020 with a win over Wofford.

Marcus Kell scored 18 points for the Catamounts, who were trying to advance to the title game for the first time since 2014.

Western Carolina dominated the first half, leading 38-24 at halftime. The Catamounts increased their lead to 41-24 before the Mocs began their comeback.

Things to know

- After shooting 33 percent in the first half, the Bucs made 15-of-24 attempts in the second half for a blistering 62.5 percent.

- Led by Barkley, the Mocs held a 28-22 advantage with points in the paint.

- Western Carolina won the two earlier games against ETSU by a total of six points.

******

No. 6 Furman 81, No. UNCG 75

ASHEVILLE, N.C.-- Freshman guard Alex Wilkins was unstoppable in the second half, scoring 28 of his career-high 34 points to rally No. 6 Furman to an 81-75 win over No. 7 UNCG in a semifinal game of the Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championship on Sunday night.

Furman, who won the tournament in 2023, advanced to the title game for the fourth time in the last five years. The Paladins will play No. 1 seed ETSU on Monday night at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.

The crowd at Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville saw Wilkins go from making 2-of-8 field-goal attempts in the first half to 8-of-9 in the second, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Wilkins was perfect on 10 free throws including two for the Paladins' final points.

Wilkins' previous high had been a 33-point performance against Chattanooga on Feb. 1.

Furman began the second half trailing, 38-27. There were five ties and five lead changes when Furman took the lead for good, 61-58, on a 3-pointer by Eddrin Bronson with 6:40 remaining. From there, Wilkins scored 12 of the team's final 18 points.

Furman forward Cooper Bowser made all six of his field-goal attempts, finishing with 14 points. Bronson added 12.

Justin Neely had another big game for UNCG, making 9-of-12 field-goal attempts and finishing with 27 points. Teammates Lilian Marville and KJ Younger finished with 20 and 15, respectively.

Things to know

- Furman lost both regular-season games to ETSU, 75-71, in overtime on Feb. 4, and, 78-69, on Feb. 18.

- The Paladins have made 39-of-46 free throws in their two tournament games.

- Furman is 9-0 when they score 80 or more points.

Game 5 - (6) Furman 86, (3) Samford 81

Game 6 - (5) Western Carolina 77, (4) Mercer 73

Sunday, March 8 (ESPNU)
Game 7 - (1) ETSU 69, (5) Western Carolina 67
Game 8 - (6) Furman 81, (7) UNCG 75

Monday, March 9 (ESPN)
(1) ETSU vs. (6) Furman, 7 p.m.

Samford's Morris and Yarbrough combine for 47 to lead Bulldogs to SoCon crown

Unknown — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- No. 6 Samford completed its three-day sweep of the SoCon co-champions, winning the Ingles Southern Conference Women's Basketball Championship on Sunday at Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville.

Following wins over Wofford and ETSU, the Bulldogs rallied from an early 11-point deficit for a 72-67 victory over top-seeded Chattanooga.

The championship was the fourth for the Bulldogs and their first since 2020. The Mocs, who have a league best 20 titles, lost in the championship game for the second straight year.

Reserve guard Kaylee Yarbrough scored 25 points in 23 minutes to lead the Bulldogs in scoring. Teammate Francie Morris added 22 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Guard Caia Elisaldez, the SoCon's regular season Player of the Year, led the Mocs with 20 points, while teammate Izzy McPherson contributed 17.

Chattanooga made its first five shots to take a 14-3 lead. Unshaken, Samford bounced back and took control, leading 23-20 after the first quarter.

The pace slowed in the second period as Samford's defense took control, limiting the Mocs to just seven points in assuming a 35-27 halftime lead.

Yarbrough scored seven straight points near the end of the third period to give the Bulldogs a 13-point, 54-41 lead, their biggest of the game. The Mocs, though, rallied in the final 10 minutes behind the scoring of Elizaldez and McPherson and pulled within three at 70-67 with 29.8 seconds left.

The Mocs had a chance to tie in the final 10 seconds but a 3-point attempt by Gianna Corbitt was off the mark. Samford’s Brianna Rivera then made two free throws to secure the win for the Bulldogs.

Things to know:

-- After missing four of its first five field-goal attempts, Samford went on to finish 25-of-47 for 53.2 percent. The Bulldogs were 10-of-17 on 3-point attempts for 58.8 percent.

-- Yarbrough, who averaged 11.9 points during the season, led Samford during the tournament with 45 points total points. Morris scored 44 points (14.7 per game) after averaging 7.9 during the season.

-- Chattanooga established a tournament record for most 3-pointers made with 34 and most attempts with 84. The Mocs' Corbitt tied the tournament record for most 3-pointers made with 12, joining three other players.

First Team All-Tournament

Alyssa Ervin, Furman

Gianna Corbitt, Chattanooga

Caia Elisaldez, Chattanooga

Francie Morris, Samford

Kaylee Yarbrough, Samford

Second Team All-Tournament

Clare Coyle, Furman

Meghan Downing, ETSU

Daniela Lopez, ETSU

Carmen Richardson, ETSU

Sierra Godbolt, Samford

Most Outstanding Player

Francie Morris, Samford

Knight Commission Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Alyssa Tarpley, Samford

No. 6 Furman, No. 5 Western Carolina advance to the SoCon semifinals

Unknown — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

No. 6 Furman 86, No. 3 Samford 81

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – No. 6 Furman beat No. 3 Samford for third time this season, advancing to the semifinals of the Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament for the fifth straight year with an 86-81 win at Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville on Saturday night.

The Paladins (20-12) will play No. 7 UNCG in the first semifinal game on Sunday at 4 p.m.

Furman senior guard Tom House came off the bench for the sixth time in the last seven games and led the Paladins with 20 points. He made seven free throws in the last 49.2 seconds to keep Samford from making a late run.

Paladins starting guard Alex Wilkins, a second-team all-conference selection, scored 19 points and Cooper Bowser added 14 for Furman.

Jadin Booth, the SoCon Player of the Year, scored 34 points for Samford (18-14). He made 10-of-17 field goal attempts including 8-of-15 on 3-point attempts.

The first half ended in a 46-46 tie. Samford led early in the second half before the Paladins took control. A 3-pointer by House gave Furman a 75-65 lead with 3:14 remaining before the late flurry by the Bulldogs.

Things to know

- Furman split with UNCG during the season, winning on the road 89-66, and losing at home, 67-64.

- House scored 15 of his points in the second half.

- With 11 made 3-pointers, the Paladins have 13 games this season with 10 or more from behind the arc.

******

No. 5 Western Carolina 77, No. 4 Mercer 73

ASHEVILLE, N.C.-- The Western Carolina Catamounts came back from a 17-point deficit in the first half to defeat Mercer, 77-73, in the quarterfinals of the Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championships at Harrah's Cherokee Center Saturday night.

The No. 5 Catamounts (15-15), will play top-seeded ETSU in the semifinals on Sunday at 4 p.m.

Against No. 4 Mercer, Western Carolina fell behind, 28-11, less than halfway through the opening half. Led by Tidjiane Dioumassi, who scored 15 of his team-leading 21 points in the first half, the Catamounts took a 36-35 lead just before intermission on a 3-pointer by Tahlan Pettway.

Mercer started quickly again and went out to a 58-49 lead midway through the second half. The Catamounts came back again and eventually took the lead for good on a pair of free throws by Marcus Kell for a 73-72 lead with 31 seconds left.

Cord Stansberry scored Western Carolina's final four points on free throws, including two that gave them a 76-73 lead with four seconds remaining.

In addition to Dioumassi, Pettway (18), Kell (15) and Stansberry (13) scored in double figures for Western Carolina, which now has a seven-game winning streak.

Baraka Okojie scored 26 points to lead Mercer (15-15.).

Things to know

- WCU was the only SoCon team to beat ETSU twice during the regular season.

- The Catamounts had 27 second-chance points, compared to eight for Mercer.

- Western Carolina made 15-of-20 free throws. The Bears were just 11-of-19 from the line

Game 5 - (6) Furman 86, (3) Samford 81

Game 6 - (5) Western Carolina 77, (4) Mercer 73

Sunday, March 8 (ESPNU)
Game 7 - (1) ETSU vs. (5) Western Carolina, 4 p.m.
Game 8 - (7) UNCG vs. (6) Furman, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, March 9 (ESPN or ESPN2)
Championship game, 7 p.m.

APP STATE SECURES FOURTH SOCON WRESTLING TITLE IN A ROW

Unknown — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Final Brackets (PDF)

ASHEVILLE, NC – For the second year in a row the Explore Asheville SoCon Wrestling Championship came down to the final bout. For the second year in a row, App State heavyweight Stephan Monchery came through in the clutch to deliver a team title.

Monchery left no doubt on Saturday, rolling to an 11-1 major decision over Chattanooga’s Ethan Vergara to give the Mountaineers their fourth SoCon tournament title in a row – by a narrow 1.5 points over the Mocs (94.5-93.0).

After Chattanooga freshman Kade Rule used three-straight takedowns to power a 13-3 major decision at 197 pounds, the Mocs held the lead going into the final weight class. Monchery stepped up, recording a takedown just 13 seconds into his match, and putting the match out of reach with an escape and takedown just seconds into the third period. He pushed the lead to 10-1 with 51 seconds left before adding a point with riding time for the final score.

The finals were highlighted by tremendous parity early on, as six different schools won titles over the first six weight classes – a streak punctuated by VMI senior Ryan Vigil’s 7-2 win at 165 pounds. Vigil entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed but knocked off defending champion Thomas Snipes in a 5-2 sudden victory on Friday morning and followed with a 5-4 win over No. 4 seed Bryce Griffin that afternoon. His efforts earned Vigil the 2026 SoCon Most Outstanding Wrestler Award.

Bellarmine made an impression in the team race, picking up a pair of individual titles, two second-place medals, and three third-place medals to finish a close third with 88.5 points. Knights head coach Ned Shuck was named SoCon Coach of the Year as a result.

The Citadel (53.5 points) finished in fourth after placing three wrestlers in the finals, followed by Davidson (42.5 points), Gardner-Webb (39.5 points), and VMI (36.0 points). Campbell (19 points) and Presbyterian (18.5 points) rounded out the field, with Blue Hose 184-pounder Reed Douglas earning a silver medal in a strong effort.

Davidson’s Anderson Heap earned an 8-5 sudden victory over Carson DesRosiers in an exciting 149-pound final, becoming the first Wildcat to earn a bid to the NCAA Championships since 2015. Gardner-Webb’s T.K. Davis, the SoCon Wrestler of the Year after a 21-1 regular season, picked up a 12-4 major decision for his second 133-pound title in as many years.

In addition to Vigil’s upset at 165 pounds, App State’s Aldo Hernandez was victorious at 141 pounds as the No. 5 seed, and Bellarmine’s Jeb Prechtel won as the No. 6 seed at 157 pounds.

The tight team race and parity on Saturday shouldn’t be surprising following a regular season that saw a three-way tie for first and a three-way tie for fourth in final standings.

Chattanooga, with seven freshmen and sophomores in its starting lineup, won a pair of SoCon titles Saturday and had five more podium finishes. In addition to Rule’s gold at 197, veteran Cooper Flynn earned a bid to the 2026 NCAA Championships in Ohio with a win at 125.

Full results are available here .

Team Scores

1. App State (94.5)

2. Chattanooga (93.0)

3. Bellarmine (88.5)

4. The Citadel (53.5)

5. Davidson (42.5)

6. Gardner-Webb (39.5)

7. VMI (36.0)

8. Campbell (19.0)

9. Presbyterian (18.5)

Most Outstanding Wrestler

165: Ryan Vigil, Sr., VMI (Westminster, CO / Broomfield HS)

Coach of the Year

Ned Shuck, Bellarmine

Individual Champions

125: #1 Cooper Flynn, Chattanooga

133: #1 T.K. Davis, Gardner-Webb

141: #5 Aldo Hernandez, App State

149: #1 Anderson Heap, Davidson

157: #6 Jeb Prechtel, Bellarmine

165: #8 Ryan Vigil, VMI

174: #4 Grant O’Dell, Bellarmine

184: #1 Tomas Brooker, App State

197: #1 Kade Rule, Chattanooga

285: #1 Stephan Monchery, App State

No. 1 ETSU, No. 7 UNCG advance to the SoCon semifinals

Unknown — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

No. 1 ETSU, No. 7 UNCG advance to the SoCon semifinals

Bucs have strong second half in quarterfinal win; Spartans upset second-seeded Wofford Terriers

No. 1 ETSU 83, No. 9 The Citadel 76

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Top-seeded ETSU relied on hot shooting in the second half to break away from No. 9 seed The Citadel for an 83-76 victory in the opening quarterfinal game of the Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament at Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville on Saturday afternoon.

The Buccaneers, who held just a 36-32 lead after the opening half, shot 66.7 percent in the final 20 minutes on 16-of-24 shooting. ETSU finished at 56.4 percent for the game.

ETSU had a 77-61 lead with 1:19 remaining before The Citadel ended the game on a 15-6 run to bring the score back to within single digits.

Leading the way for the Bucs was redshirt sophomore forward Blake Barkley, who made 10-of-11 field-goal attempts on his way to a 24-point performance. Barkley dominated the paint throughout the game but also was perfect on three 3-point attempts for the Buccaneers.

The other ETSU players that finished in double figures were Jordan McCullum (13 points), Brian Taylor II (11) and Jaylen Smith (11).

Less than 24 hours after hitting a 3-point basket in the closing seconds to beat Chattanooga, Bulldogs forward Sola Adebisi made 10-of-15 field-goal attempts to lead The Citadel with 23 points. Braxton Williams added 19 points alongside Adebisi.

Taylor II scored six of his points late in the first half to spark a 9-2 run that enabled the Bucs to rally from a 30-27 deficit for a 36-32 lead by halftime.

Things to know:

- Adebisi finished the tournament with 49 points on 19-of-30 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-8 on 3-point attempts.

- In addition to scoring 11 points, ETSU's Taylor II led all players with seven assists.

- ETSU made 10-of-25 3-point attempts for 40 percent and shot a blistering 70 percent (21-of-30) from inside the arc.

******

No. 7 UNCG 75, No. 2 Wofford 72

ASHEVILLE, N.C.-- No. 7 UNCG advanced to the semifinals of the Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championship with a hard-fought, down to the wire 75-72 win over defending champion and No. 2 seed Wofford on Saturday at Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville.

UNCG forward Valentino Pinedo broke a 70-70 tie when he scored on a tip-in for a 72-70 lead with 37.2 seconds left after teammate Donald Whitehead Jr. missed a layup.

Two possessions later, Whitehead made a free throw, moving UNCG ahead, 73-70, but missed the second as the ball was nearly tipped out of bounds. Wofford's Nils Machowski stole a pass and drove for a layup, cutting the Spartans' lead to one at 73-72 as the Terriers then called timeout with 12.4 seconds left.

Wofford tried to steal the inbounds and fouled Spartans forward Justin Neely with 8.3 seconds remaining. Neely, who grabbed a game-high 24 rebounds, then made two free throws for the last of his team-high 22 points.

Following a timeout, Machowski drove up the floor and before he reached halfcourt he launched a long shot, but it fell short as UNCG grabbed the miss as the buzzer sounded.

Wofford’s Kahmare Holmes had a game-high 24 points. Other players who scored in double figures were KJ Younger (19) and Noah Norgaard (17) of UNCG and Machowski (22) and Chace Watley (12) of Wofford.

Things to know

-- Wofford finished with just two turnovers after not committing one in the first half. UNCG had nine turnovers, of which the Terriers turned into 10 points.

- Thanks to Neely's 24 boards, the Spartans held a 47-34 advantage in rebounds. Both teams grabbed 10 on the offensive end.

- The Spartans advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2021, when they beat Mercer in the title game.

Game 5 - (3) Samford vs. (6) Furman, 6 p.m.

Game 6 - (4) Mercer vs. (5) Western Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 8 (ESPNU)
Game 7 - (1) ETSU vs. Game 6 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 8 - (7) UNCG vs. Game 5 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, March 9 (ESPN or ESPN2)
Championship game, 7 p.m.

Celebrating National Women Coaches Day

The Southern Conference — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The Citadel, UNCG advance to SoCon quarterfinals

Unknown — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

No. 9 The Citadel 88, No. 8 Chattanooga 85

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Senior forward Sola Adebisi capped a memorable game with a fantastic shot, hitting a 26-foot 3-pointer that broke a tie with under 10 seconds left and gave No. 9 seed The Citadel an 88-85 win over No. 8 Chattanooga in the opening game of the Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Friday night at Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville.

The win was the first in the SoCon Tournament for The Citadel since 2022. The Bulldogs advanced to the quarterfinals where they will play No. 1 seed ETSU on Saturday at noon.

During a game that had 21 lead changes, Adebisi finished a 26-point night with the final 3-pointer coming just left of the top of the key.

Following two timeouts, Chattanooga's Collin Mullholland missed a 3-point attempt from the top of the key that would have tied the game.

Adebisi, who came into the game averaging 9.0 points per game, made 9-of-15 field-goal attempts, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, and five free throws. He also led The Citadel with seven rebounds.

The two teams both put on an impressive offensive show as each shot better than 50 percent overall. The Bulldogs were 32-of-59 (54.2 percent) and 15-of-31 (48.4 percent) on 3-point tries. Chattanooga made 33-of-59 attempts (55.9 percent) and was 11-of-25 (44 percent) on 3-pointers.

The Citadel had four players in double figures, including reserve guard Keynan Davis, who made 6-of-8 3-point attempts and finished with 20 points.

Chattanooga had five players in double figures led by Tate Darner and Jordan Frison with 16 points each.

The score was tied 49-49 at halftime. The Citadel began the second half hot, building a 66-56 lead before the Mocs rallied. The Mocs led 81-77 with 3:35 left, but the Bulldogs battled back. There were four lead changes and one tie before Adebisi's winning shot in the final seconds.

Things to know

- The teams were even in most facets of the game. Chattanooga had a 34-32 advantage in points in the paint; The Citadel's bench outscored the Mocs' reserves 22-21; Chattanooga won the rebounding battle 30-29.

- The Citadel lost both games to No. 1 ETSU in the regular season

- The Bulldogs' Davis scored 17 of his 20 points in nine minutes of play during the first half.

******

No. 7 UNCG 84, No. 10 VMI 70

ASHEVILLE, N.C.-- Since winning the conference tournament title in 2021, UNCG had gone four years without winning a game in the Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championship. That changed Friday night as the seventh-seeded Spartans eventually pulled away from No. 10 VMI for an 84-70 win in the second first round game at Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville.

The win moved UNCG into a quarterfinal matchup against No. 2 Wofford on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

UNCG freshman guard KJ Younger scored 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the floor. He made three 3-point baskets and all six of his free throws in the game. Forward Justin Neely, who earlier this week was named to the All-SoCon first team by the coaches, scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds for his 19th double-double of the season.

VMI was led by sophomore guard Linus Holmstrom, who made six 3-pointers and finished with 24 points.

The Spartans never trailed against VMI, taking a 39-27 halftime lead and leading by as many as 18 points in the second half.

Things to know

- Spartans guard Donald Whitehead Jr., who started earlier in the season, came off the bench for the ninth straight time. He contributed 13 points and five assists in 29 minutes of playing time.

- The Spartans outscored VMI in the paint 46-26 and outrebounded the Keydets 40-29.

- Both teams shot over 50 percent in the second of the game.

2026 Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Championship
Friday, March 6 (ESPN+/Nexstar)
Game 1 - (9) The Citadel 88, (8) Chattanooga 85
Game 2 - (7) UNCG 84, (10) VMI 70

Saturday, March 7 (ESPN+/SCETV)
Game 3 - (1) ETSU vs. (9) The Citadel, Noon
Game 4 - (2) Wofford vs. (7) UNCG, 2:30 p.m.

Game 5 - (3) Samford vs. (6) Furman, 6 p.m.

Game 6 - (4) Mercer vs. (5) Western Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 8 (ESPNU)
Game 7 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 8 - Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, March 9 (ESPN or ESPN2)
Championship game, 7 p.m.

SOCON WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS WRAP EXCITING DAY ONE

Unknown — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ASHEVILLE, NC – Defending champion App State posted three consecutive wins to close Friday’s semifinals and surged ahead of Chattanooga and Bellarmine to lead a tight team race at the 2026 Explore Asheville SoCon Wrestling Championships.

Stephan Monchery’s major decision gave the Mountaineers the lead heading into Saturday’s final day, following Logan Eller’s win at 197 and Tomas Brooker’s win at 184. Saturday’s action begins at 10:00 am inside Kimmel Arena, beginning with the Consolation Semifinals. The Consolation Finals are set for 1:00 pm, followed by the Finals at 3:00 pm. All sessions will stream live on ESPN+.

Tickets are available to purchase here .

The Mountaineers, winners of three SoCon tournament titles in a row, finished with 69.5 points Friday, followed closely by Chattanooga (63) and Bellarmine (62.5), with the Knights posting their most impressive effort since joining the SoCon ranks.

Eight of the conference’s nine teams had a wrestler advance to the Finals. App State led the way with five, followed by Bellarmine (4), Chattanooga (4), and The Citadel (3). Davidson, Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, and VMI each had one wrestler advance.

Seven top seeds will wrestle for an automatic berth to the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, and Saturday will feature three matchups between the top two seeds – T.K. Davis (Gardner-Webb) vs. Ethan Uhorchuk (Chattanooga) at 133 pounds, Brooker (App State) vs. Reid Douglas (Presbyterian) at 184 pounds, and Kade Rule (Chattanooga) vs. Logan Eller (App State) at 197 pounds.

Full results are available here .

Team Scores

1. App State (69.5)

2. Chattanooga (63.0)

3. Bellarmine (62.5)

4. The Citadel (47.5)

5. Gardner-Webb (30.5)

6. Davidson (28)

7. VMI (27)

8. Presbyterian (18.5)

9. Campbell (12)

Finals | Saturday, March 7 | 3:00 PM

125: #1 Cooper Flynn (Chattanooga) vs. #6 Joe Calvin (Bellarmine)

133: #1 T.K. Davis (Gardner-Webb) vs. #2 Ethan Uhorchuk (Chattanooga)

141: #3 AJ Rallo (Bellarmine) vs. #5 Aldo Hernandez (App State)

149: #1 Anderson Heap (Davidson) vs. #3 Carson DesRosier (The Citadel)

157: #1 Kyrel Leavell (The Citadel) vs. #6 Jeb Prechtel (Bellarmine)

165: #2 Anthony Conetta (App State) vs. #8 Ryan Vigil (VMI)

174: #2 Jacob Silka (The Citadel) vs. #4 Grant O’Dell (Bellarmine)

184: #1 Tomas Brooker (App State) vs. #2 Reed Douglass (Presbyterian)

197: #1 Kade Rule (Chattanooga) vs. #2 Logan Eller (App State)

285: #1 Stephan Monchery (App State) vs. #3 Ethan Vergara (Chattanooga)

WBK: No.1 Chattanooga and No. 6 Samford advance to conference championship

Unknown — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Game 5 – No. 1 Chattanooga 76, No. 4 Furman 65

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Gianna Corbitt and Caia Elisaldez were dominant on Friday, powering No. 1 seed Chattanooga to a spot in the Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game.

Corbitt, a sophomore forward, and Elisaldez, a junior point guard and the SoCon Player of the Year, scored 29 and 28 points, respectively, in a 76–65 semifinal win over No. 4 Furman at Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville. Elisaldez’s 28 points marked a career high.

Corbitt, who scored 20 points in Thursday’s win over Western Carolina, shot 10‑of‑16 from the field and 5‑of‑10 from three‑point range. Her 11 made threes over the last two days leave her just one shy of the tournament record. She also led all players with 13 rebounds and four steals. Corbitt’s most productive stretch came in the third quarter, when she scored 13 points as the Mocs outscored the Paladins 29–23 to build a 62–46 lead.

Elisaldez, who entered the game averaging a team‑best 16 points per contest, scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, including the final three of the game after Furman cut a 20‑point deficit (73–53) down to eight. She also added four assists.

For Furman, Clare Coyle scored 17 points and Alyssa Erwin added 15.

Chattanooga improved to 20–9 and will face the winner of ETSU vs. Samford in Sunday’s championship game at noon. The Mocs will be seeking their 21st SoCon title.

Notes

Corbitt is 11‑of‑19 from three‑point range in the tournament. She is one make shy of tying the record for most threes in a single tournament and needs eight more attempts to tie the attempts record (27).
Chattanooga has made 21‑of‑46 three‑point attempts as a team. The tournament record for most made threes is 31, set by the Mocs in 2010.
Chattanooga scored 24 points off 16 Furman turnovers.

*********

Game 6 – No. 6 Samford 57, No. 2 ETSU 48

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Strong shooting both inside and beyond the arc lifted No. 6 Samford to a 57–48 win over No. 2 ETSU in Friday afternoon’s semifinal of the Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament at Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville.

Samford improved to 15–18 and advanced to Sunday’s championship game against top‑seeded Chattanooga, which shared the regular‑season title with ETSU and Wofford. The Buccaneers concluded the season at 18–13.

The Bulldogs were efficient offensively, shooting 46.3 percent (19‑of‑41) from the field and 38.1 percent (8‑of‑21) from three‑point range. ETSU struggled throughout, finishing at 28.3 percent (17‑of‑60), marking the eighth time this season the Bucs shot under 30 percent.

ETSU swept the regular‑season series but fell behind early on Friday, trailing 27–21 at halftime. Samford opened the third quarter with a 14–5 run to build a 41–26 lead and maintained control the rest of the way to secure the nine‑point victory.

Four Bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Francie Morris with 15 points and a game‑high 11 rebounds. Kaylee Yarbrough added 13 points off the bench, while Sierra Godbolt scored 12 and Briana Rivera contributed 10.

Daniela López led ETSU with 13 points, and Carmen Richardson added 11.

Notes

Samford last reached the SoCon title game in 2020, when it defeated UNCG 59–54. The Bulldogs are 3–1 all‑time in championship games.
Samford and Chattanooga split their regular‑season meetings, with each team winning at home.
After a five‑game losing streak in January, Samford has won seven of its last nine games.

WBK: Samford, Furman advance to semifinals

Unknown — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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.

********

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.

WBK: Chattanooga, ETSU advance to semifinals

Unknown — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

No. 1 Chattanooga 66, No. 8 Western Carolina 47

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Top‑seeded Chattanooga returned to form with a 66–47 win over No. 8 Western Carolina in the opening game of the Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday at Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville.

The Mocs (19–9) had dropped their final two regular‑season games to fall into a three‑way tie with Wofford and ETSU for the league title, but they responded with a strong performance against the Catamounts.

Forward Gianna Corbitt led Chattanooga’s perimeter attack, as the Mocs connected on 13 of 30 attempts from beyond the arc. Corbitt, named to the SoCon All‑Defensive Team earlier in the week, hit four 3‑pointers in the first quarter and scored 14 points in the opening frame to help Chattanooga build a 19–11 lead.

Western Carolina tightened its defense early in the second quarter, outscoring the Mocs 6–2 to pull within 21–15. Chattanooga answered with 3‑pointers from Corbitt, Kalifa Ford, and Sarah Owona to take a 30–19 lead into halftime.

The Mocs erupted for 25 points in the third quarter. While Corbitt was held scoreless in the period, Ford knocked down two of the team’s four 3‑pointers as Chattanooga extended its lead to 55–33.

Corbitt finished 6‑of‑9 from long range and scored a game‑high 20 points, coming within one make of tying the tournament record of seven 3‑pointers, shared by four players.

Things to know

Caia Elisaldez, the SoCon Player of the Year, scored five points on 2‑of‑5 shooting and added three assists.

Chattanooga recorded 18 assists against 11 turnovers; Western Carolina had 19 turnovers and eight assists.

Western Carolina’s last SoCon Tournament win came in 2014, when the Catamounts advanced to the semifinals.

Ford and Ava Card scored 11 points each for Chattanooga. Ally Hollifield and Grace Park led WCU with 16 and 13 points, respectively.

No. 2 ETSU 62, No. 7 UNCG 50

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — No. 2 seed ETSU used its best 3‑point shooting performance of the season to defeat No. 7 seed and defending champion UNCG, 62–50, in Thursday afternoon’s quarterfinal at Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville.

The Buccaneers (18–12) made a season‑high 11 3‑pointers and shot a season‑best 50 percent (11‑of‑22) from beyond the arc. Their perimeter accuracy outpaced their two‑point shooting, as ETSU went 10‑of‑37 (27 percent) inside the arc. The Bucs finished 21‑of‑59 overall (36 percent), while UNCG (14–16) shot 21‑of‑60 (35 percent).

Freshman guard Emmah McAmis came off the bench to score a career‑high 12 points on 4‑of‑6 shooting, including a perfect 3‑for‑3 from long range. Sophomore guard Carmen Richardson led ETSU with 14 points, and Daniela López added 11 points with three 3‑pointers. Makiah Asidanya led UNCG with 15 points.

ETSU overcame a difficult start to take a 32–26 halftime lead. The Bucs missed their first 11 field‑goal attempts as UNCG opened with a 12–0 run, but McAmis entered and immediately sparked the offense with three baskets, including two 3‑pointers, to cut the deficit to 14–8.

Richardson and López each hit a 3‑pointer as ETSU tied the game at 14–14 to end the first quarter. UNCG briefly regained the lead early in the second, but the Bucs responded with a 29–21 advantage after back‑to‑back 3‑pointers from reserve guard Lucy Hood, prompting a Spartans timeout with 1:39 left in the half.

After halftime, McAmis hit another 3‑pointer to ignite a 13–5 run, giving ETSU a 49–38 lead entering the fourth quarter. UNCG pulled within 53–48 midway through the final period, but the Bucs answered with a 9–0 run, capped by five straight points from López, to push the lead to 62–48 with under two minutes remaining.

Things to know

Senior guard Anala Nelson scored four points for ETSU, reaching 1,000 career points.

Head coach Brenda Mock Brown advanced to the SoCon semifinals for the second time in her four seasons at ETSU. She previously led UNC Asheville to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2016 and 2017.

UNCG will miss the semifinals for the first time since 2022. The Spartans finished second in 2024 before winning last year’s championship in overtime against Chattanooga.

SoCon Announces All-Conference Wrestling Team

Unknown — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, SC – Gardner-Webb’s T.K. Davis was named SoCon Wrestler of the Year and Chattanooga’s Kade Rule was named SoCon Freshman of the Year Thursday as the conference announced its 2026 postseason awards.

The Coach of the Year and Most Outstanding Wrestler will be announced at the conclusion of the 2026 Explore Asheville SoCon Wrestling Championships, which begin Friday (March 6) and conclude Saturday (March 7) at Kimmell Arena in Asheville, NC. Tickets are available here .

The head coaches from each of the nine teams in the SoCon voted on the awards and were not allowed to vote for members of their own team. A 10-man All-Conference team and All-Freshman team were also selected.

Davis (Rockmart, Ga. / Rockmart HS) is the first SoCon Wrestler of the Year in Gardner-Webb history. The redshirt sophomore earned the top seed at 133 pounds in this week’s Explore Asheville SoCon Wrestling Championships, going 8-0 in conference duals and 21-1 overall to build on last season’s SoCon Freshman of the Year accolade. He is ranked No. 18 in the most recent NCAA Coaches Ranking and is among the national leaders with 10 tech falls.

Rule (Mineral Point, WI / Mineral Point HS) was sharp this season for the Co-Champion Mocs, posting an 8-0 mark in SoCon duals and a 15-5 overall record. He recorded seven major decision and pinned five opponents.

Chattanooga led the way with four All-SoCon selections, followed by Co-Champions App State (2) and The Citadel (2). Davidson and Gardner-Webb each had one. Chattanooga also had a conference-best four selections to the All-Freshman team.

Championship action begins at Kimmel Arena on Friday at 10:00 am.

2025-2026 SoCon Wrestler of the Year

T.K. Davis, 133, R-So., Gardner-Webb (Rockmart, GA / Rockmart HS)

2025-2026 SoCon Freshman of the Year

Kade Rule, 133, Fr., Chattanooga (Mineral Point, WI / Mineral Point HS)

2025-2026 All-SoCon Team

125: Cooper Flynn, R-Sr., Chattanooga

133: T.K. Davis, R-So., Gardner-Webb

141: Hunter Mason, R-So., Chattanooga

149: Anderson Heap, So., Davidson

157: Kyrel Leavell, R-Fr., The Citadel

165: Thomas Snipes, R-Jr., The Citadel

174: Kamdyn Munro, R-Jr., Chattanooga

184: Tomas Brooker, R-So., App State

197: Kade Rule, Fr., Chattanooga

285: Stephan Monchery, So., App State

2025-2026 SoCon All-Freshman Team

Kade Rule, 197, Chattanooga

Kyrel Leavell, 157, The Citadel

Cavarius “CJ” Liddie, 157, Chattanooga

Ethan Uhorchuk, 133, Chattanooga

Jarvis Little, 133, App State

Landon Jones, 184, Chattanooga

Colt Campbell, 174, App State

Noah Hall, 165, Bellarmine

Cooper Foster, 125, App State

Tucker Cell, 165, Gardner-Webb

All-Southern Conference men’s basketball teams announced

Unknown — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford guard Jadin Booth was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year as the league announced its 2025-26 men’s basketball postseason awards on Wednesday. Selections were made by the league’s head coaches of the 10 member institutions.

ETSU head coach Brooks Savage was named the Anton Foy Coach of the Year. Booth was also named SoCon Newcomer of the Year and Buccaneers guard Jaylen Smith was named SoCon Sixth Man of the Year. ETSU’s Cam Morris III and Mercer’s Armani Mighty were voted co-SoCon Defensive Player of the Year.

The 2026 Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Championship begins Friday at 5 p.m. at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina, and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Friday’s first round games will appear on ESPN+ as well as select Nexstar affiliates. Saturday’s contests will be broadcast on South Carolina ETV in conjunction with ESPN+. Sunday’s semifinals will air live on ESPNU, and the championship game is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.

All-Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Teams

Malcolm U. Pitt Player of the Year
Jadin Booth, Gr., G, Samford

Newcomer of the Year
Jadin Booth, Gr., G, Samford

Sixth Man of the Year
Jaylen Smith, Jr., G, ETSU

Defensive Player of the Year
Cam Morris III, Gr., F, ETSU
Armani Mighty, R-Jr., F, Mercer

Anton Foy Coach of the Year
Brooks Savage, ETSU

First team
Baraka Okojie, Mercer

Justin Neely, UNCG

Jadin Booth, Samford

Dylan Faulkner, Samford

Kahmare Holmes, Wofford

Second team
Cam Morris III, ETSU

Brian Taylor II, ETSU

Alex Wilkins, Furman

Armani Mighty, Mercer

Nils Machowski, Wofford

Third team
Blake Barkley, ETSU
Jordan Frison, Chattanooga
TJ Johnson, VMI

Cord Stansberry, Western Carolina

Cayden Vasko, Wofford

All-Defensive team
Cam Morris III, ETSU
Allen Strothers, ETSU

Ben VanderWal, Furman

Armani Mighty, Mercer

Dylan Faulkner, Samford

Notes

- Jadin Booth is Samford’s first SoCon Player of the Year. Booth led the conference in scoring (21.2 ppg). He was the only player in the SoCon to average over 20 points per game during the regular season and was the only player to score 40 points in a contest this season.

- Booth leads the NCAA in 3-pointers made (119) and 3-pointers made per game (4.10). He also leads the league in 3-point percentage (.431) and free throw percentage (.870).

- Booth is the league’s third recipient of Newcomer of the Year, joining Samford’s Rylan Jones and Chattanooga’s Frank Champion who won the honor in the previous two seasons.

- Cam Morris III is ETSU’s second straight recipient of SoCon Defensive Player of the Year. Morris III is one of just two players in the conference that averages over one block and steal per game. Armani Mighty is Mercer’s first defensive player of the award recipient. Mighty led the league in blocks (54) and offensive rebounds per game (4.10). Both Morris III and Mighty were also voted to the all-defensive team and the second-team all-conference squad.

- ETSU’s Jaylen Smith is the conference’s third recipient of Sixth Man of the Year. Smith is in the top 10 in the SoCon in assists (91) and steals (41).

- Brooks Savage was the first ETSU coach to be named the Anton Foy Coach of the Year since Steve Forbes received the honor in the 2019-20 season. Savage guided the Bucs to their first regular season crown in six seasons as the squad went 21-10 overall and 13-5 in SoCon play. The Buccaneers enter the Ingles SoCon Basketball Championship as the No. 1 seed.

- Between the all-conference teams and the all-defensive team, five of the 10 squads had at least two representatives.

Furman’s Madden named SoCon Golfer of the Week

Unknown — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman’s Jenna Madden has been named the Southern Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week for all competitions held Feb. 25–March 3, the league office announced Wednesday.

The Paladins competed at the College of Charleston’s Daniel Island Invitational on March 2–3.

Madden led Furman to a top‑five finish, posting rounds of 74, 69, and 73 to finish even par. She opened with a 74 that included a team‑high three birdies, then followed with a 69 featuring five birdies to pace the Paladins in round two. After teeing off on No. 7 in the second round, she birdied her opening hole and added another on No. 13. She turned at 2‑under and closed the day by birdieing three of her final four holes. Madden added consecutive birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 during her final‑round 73. Her performance included a 3‑under total on par 4s and 10 birdies overall, tying her fifth among all players.

A native of McKinney, Texas, Madden is ranked 11th in the SoCon, according to Scoreboard by Clippd.

Furman will travel to Forest Hills on March 14–15 to compete in the Valspar Augusta Invitational in Augusta, Georgia.

2025-26 SoCon Women’s Golfer of the Week
Sept. 10 - Audrey Ryu, Furman

Sept. 17 - Bella Kent, Wofford

Sept. 24 - Audrey Ryu, Furman

Oct. 1 - Katie Scheck, Mercer

Oct. 8 – Katie Scheck, Mercer

Oct. 15- Sophia Gambini, ETSU

Oct. 22 – Julia Baeumken, UNCG

Oct. 29 – Riley Kim, Mercer

Nov. 5- Katie Scheck, Mercer

Jan. 28 – Gabi Nicastro, Samford

Feb. 4 – Audrey Ryu, Furman

Feb. 11 – Anika Richards, Samford

Feb. 18 – Gabi Nicastro, Samford

Feb. 25 – Erin Wells, Chattanooga

March 4- Jenna Madden, Furman

-www.SoConSports.com-