The SoCon Lowdown: Wofford and Samford bow out, leaving Chattanooga and Furman for the title
March 7, 2022
It's been a wild ride following this SoCon season, but it all comes to an end today. With Chattanooga blowing out Wofford and Furman pulling off a dramatic comeback against Samford, the Mocs and Paladins are the last teams standing in Asheville. One team is chasing their first title since 2016; the other is seeking to snap a drought that dates to 1982. With Chattanooga a one-point favourite, it's anyone's game in the SoCon tournament's blockbuster finale.
#1 Chattanooga 79, #4 Wofford 56
Playing in the semifinals of the conference tournament, facing a dark-horse threat to their championship contention, Chattanooga (26-7, 16-4) picked an excellent time to have their best game of 2022 (judging by Torvik game score). It's not hard to see why Malachi Smith was named Player of the Year on his worst days, and this was one of his best, as he scored 25 points and secured 11 rebounds in the dominant victory. Backing up that performance, as ever, was fifth-year senior David Jean-Baptiste, who played his 150th game for Chattanooga, extending his program record and scoring 14 points in the process. The Mocs should be well rested for the championship game, and as long as Smith and Jean-Baptiste continue to click, they should be a comfortable favourite.
It was a muted end to a strange season for Wofford (19-13, 11-9), which will end the year without ever winning more than three or losing more than two in a row. While Smith led all scorers and rebounders, BJ Mack was right there with him, putting up 20 and 11 in the losing effort. Morgan Safford and Max Klesmit adding 14 and 11 points, respectively, but the Terriers' lack of depth was keenly felt, as the rest of the roster totalled just 11 points. On the upside, Wofford only had one senior this season, so they've already got the pieces to go on a run in 2023.
#2 Furman 71, #3 Samford 68
Let's call this what it was: the game of the year. The Paladins and Bulldogs had split the season series, with Samford (21-11, 11-9) pulling away to win in their second meeting just a week and a half ago. At first, things picked up right where they'd left off in late February, and Samford jumped out to a 28-13 lead with six minutes to go in the first half. But the Paladins closed on a 14-7 run, then added five points out of halftime to make it a one-score game. With SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Jalen Slawson leading the charge, Furman matched Samford blow-for-blow and took the lead with 9:20 to play, their first advantage since the first three minutes of the game. The teams were neck-and-neck from that point on, with neither holding a multi-possession advantage at any point in the final ten minutes, but an incidental injury to Ques Glover in the final minute following a Slawson block put him out of the game, leaving the Bulldogs to attempt a comeback without one of the best players in the conference.
Samford did come remarkably close to making it happen—Jaden Campbell made a meaningless long-range shot a split second after a Furman foul up three, and a Paladins tip on a late missed free throw gave Samford the ball directly under their basket. But the Bulldogs couldn't capitalise, and Furman (22-11, 14-6) escaped with a thrilling win to reach the SoCon championship game. Their second win in this tournament is as many as in the previous five combined, and it marks their first title game appearance since 2015, when they went on a remarkable run as the 10 seed but lost to Wofford by three points in the championship; before that, they lost to Davidson by five in 2002. But their last time winning the SoCon and reaching the NCAA tournament is over four decades in the past, dating to 1980. That long drought just might be coming to an end.
So, can the Paladins pull off the championship upset? Or will Chattanooga prevail and put the capper on a brilliant season by delivering Lamont Paris's first conference title? It's easy to see this game going either way; the Mocs have had the best leading duo on paper this year, and Smith and Jean-Baptiste have played fantastically in the postseason. But Furman is coming off one of the most impressive wins of the season, and metrics actually pick them as a narrow favourite in this game. Their senior-heavy lineup is also the more experienced group, and they know this is their final shot to bring a title to Greenville.
It's hard to pick against either of these teams, frankly, but the way Chattanooga demolished Wofford—and the way they've played all season—has been remarkable to watch. If I had to pick, I'd agree with Vegas that the Mocs are a (very slight) favourite to win it all and go dancing. The only prediction I'll make with any confidence, though, is that it's going to be a good one.
SoCon Championship Prediction
ESPN, 7:00 PM EST
#1 Chattanooga 73
#2 Furman 70