Furman Upsets ETSU in SoCon Title Game

Furman's victory marks their eighth Southern Conference tournament title in program history. Their last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2023, ending a 43-year drought. The Paladins are led by head coach Bob Richey, who has guided the team to a resurgence in recent years. The team overcame a 1-3 start to the season and a series of injuries. They entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed, facing a tough road to the championship. A turning point was a loss to ETSU earlier in the season, which Richey believes motivated the team. Cooper Bowser led Furman with a double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Alex Wilkins contributed 12 points, following a career-high 34-point performance in the semifinal. Tom House added 13 points off the bench, including key three-pointers. East Tennessee State, the top seed, struggled from three-point range, shooting just 3-of-16. Brian Taylor II led the Buccaneers with 16 points, 14 of which came in the second half. ETSU was seeking its first NCAA bid since 2020. The Southern Conference basketball tournament is the oldest conference tournament in the nation, with the first edition being held in 1921. North Carolina won the first tournament in 1922. Furman has appeared in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament eight times and have a combined record of 2-8. ETSU's men's basketball program has a Division I-era record of 1,065 wins and 896 losses since 1957-58. They have made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 1968. Furman's men's basketball team has a record of 1394-1321 since 1919-20. The SoCon was also the first conference to use the three-point field goal in basketball. Ronnie Carr of Western Carolina made the first three-pointer in a game against Middle Tennessee State on November 29, 1980. Furman is the current champion in men's soccer for the Southern Conference.