Wildcats, Mocs capture
SoCon titles to move on to ‘Big Dance’

Battle for men’s SoCon Championship full of surprises

Chris Boyce - Sports Beat

From the start, this season’s Southern Conference Tournament kicked off with some of the best college basketball nobody’s heard about.

Set in Charleston, S.C., 12 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams vied for the most coveted of all awards in college basketball: a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

And while on the women’s side it was clear who the legitimate contenders would be, the men’s side was as wide-open as it gets.

With six tied for the regular season conference championships during the regular season, three from the North division and three from the South division, it looked to be anybody’s game.

Even the non-champions seemed poised for a potential run.

Freshman sensations Jason Conley of Virginia Military Institute and Kevin Martin of Western Carolina University entered the tournament as the top two scorers in the SoCon.

Both left one and done.

The favorites—if you could call them that considering the logjam atop the regular standings—top-seeds Davidson College and Georgia Southern University both appeared vulnerable to be knocked off.

The Furman University Paladins entered the tourney as underachievers, a tag that quickly disappeared once the action began.

And who could forget about the College of Charleston, whose home turf was being invaded by the 11 other hopefuls.

Charleston had the daunting task of having to win four games to grab the ticket to the “Big Dance,” an obstacle diminished by the droves of fans that piled into the North Charleston Coliseum for each of their three games.

Yes, this had the makings of a classic.

There were few shocks after Thursday with all the higher seeds advancing to play Friday, but the quarterfinals proved to be the tournament’s best day of basketball.

Both Davidson and defending champs UNC Greensboro advanced, but the talented Georgia Southern Eagles did not, falling to the upstart Paladins 73-70.

The SoCon teams of 2002 brought the international element to this year’s tournament with some of the event’s top performers coming from distant parts of the globe.

The Davidson Wildcats’ roster was filled with diversity, featuring players from Ireland, Finland, Nigeria and the Congo just to name a few.

Furman also added to the international mix with Brazilian point guard Guilherme Da Luz and a French small forward in Karim Souchu.

The conclusion of the 2002 Southern Conference Tournament also marked the end of the careers of several of the league’s brightest stars, mainly Jeff Bolton of Charleston and SoCon Player-of-the-Year Dimeco Childress of East Tennessee State.

The highlight of the tournament took place Friday night when the hottest team in the Southern Conference and second-seed East Tennessee State took on the fan-crazy College of Charleston Cougars, fresh off a pounding of Appalachian State.

The game was an emotionally-charged thriller spanning two halves and an overtime period.

Charleston’s Jeff Bolton played another amazing game, scoring 33 points including several clutch shots and one very big rim-bending dunk.

Charleston’s Mike Benton blocked a last second shot by ETSU’s Tiras Wade, preserving a 76-75 victory and giving coaches, players and fans a much-needed breather.

“This was one of the hardest battles I’ve ever been a part of,” said Cougar coach John Kresse. “ETSU was focused and aggressively geared to making stops. There’s only one NCAA spot, and this is what it’s all about.”

Kresse added that despite the emotionally draining experience, fatigue should not play a role in shaping the championships to be set the following day.

“The word ‘tired’ cannot exist for any of these four teams,” said Kresse, referring to the four semi-final squads in Charleston, Furman, Davidson and UNC Greensboro.

But “tired” they were in a tough 44-43 loss to the hands of Furman the following night, setting up a battle between the top-seeded Davidson Wildcats and the surprising Paladins.

Furman beat the Cougars for the first time in 10 tries and advanced to the championship game for the first time since 1980.

“We got the monkey off our back in finally beating the Cougars,” said Paladin head coach Larry Davis.

In the end it was Davidson who endured through the toughest SoCon field in years, beating a game-weary Furman team 62-57 and earning the coveted spot in the field of 64.

“It’s the most difficult challenge to pick the ten best players in this conference. Same with the teams. It’s an indication that this conference has gotten better,” said Davidson head coach Bob McKillop about the toughness of the league early last week.

“I think every kid that plays college basketball has a dream of getting to the NCAA Tournament. But every kid knows that it’s not easy,” he said.

Easy certainly won’t describe the road for the Wildcats once the brackets are set, but getting there was an accomplishment in and of itself.

Davidson, Chattanooga earn trips
to NCAA Tournament

James Nix - Sports Beat

The Davidson College Wildcats were crowned champions of the Southern Conference Tournament Sunday after a weekend of games that had everyone guessing who the victor would be.

The Wildcats outscored the underdog Furman University Paladins 62-57 to overcome a halftime deficit and clinch a place in the NCAA Tournament.

In the women’s tournament, top ranked University of Tennessee at Chattanooga met all expectations and defeated the University of North Carolina at Greensboro 77-69 to win its second consecutive SoCon Championship.

As the fifth seeded team in the south division, Furman surprised many on its way to the championship game.

The Paladin’s knocked off the North Division’s fourth seed Western Carolina University in the first round 65-61.

Other victories in the first round included The Citadel’s 80-70 win over Jason Conley and the Virginia Military Institute. Conley’s 29-point contribution proved to be not enough as the Bulldogs posted four players with double-digits.

Greensboro’s men also won in the first round, defeating Wofford College 70-41.

In the second round, things got interesting.

Davidson sent The Citadel home with a 71-58 loss and Greensboro defeated Chattanooga 67-57.

The Paladin’s Anthony Thomas scored 21 points in his team’s upset over the South Division’s top seed Georgia Southern University.

After the game, Thomas said the fact his team had played one game already help out in the win.

The next game matched two of the hottest teams in the conference. The College of Charleston, hot off its first round win over Appalachian State University, took on the North Division’s number one seed East Tennessee State University. The Bucs entered the game riding an eight game winning streak.

Cougar senior Jeff Bolton put up 33 points in to give his team an overtime victory of 76-75.

“This was the hardest, most physical battle I’ve been part of,” said Charleston head coach John Kresse after the game. “This is superb basketball.”

In the semifinals, Davidson proved too much for Greensboro and sent the Spartans home with a 68-58 loss. The win advanced the Wildcats to the championship game.

Once again Furman shocked the conference with its 44-43 win over the Cougars. The Paladins took an early lead and held the length of the game despite Charleston’s attempts to come back.

In the women’s tournament no. 7 seed College of Charleston defeated no. 10 seed East Tennessee State 85-65 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Quarterfinal action saw the exit of Appalachian, no. 4 seed Georgia Southern, Charleston, and sixth seed Western Carolina.

In the semifinals it was the top seeds all the way. Greensboro advanced past third-seeded Furman and Chattanooga won in over time to send SoCon player of the year Jenny Nett and Wofford home.

With the SoCon Tournament over, it is the opinion of many coaches that this year’s competitiveness will continue on into the future.

“This league is only going to get better,” said Kresse. “Anyone can win on a given night.”

James Nix - Sports Beat

The Barbie Breedlove era of Mountaineer women’s basketball ended Friday in the Southern Conference Tournament loss to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, leaving a young team to start fresh next season.

Appalachian State University’s head coach announced this season would be her last earlier this year with confidence that a change of coaches will boost the team back into the win column.

“I think it’s time for a change at the top,” said Breedlove after the SoCon Tournament loss. “These kids are going to win.”

Appalachian’s young guns showed their potential in the first round victory over Davidson College and the loss to Chattanooga.

In both contests, Appalachian started three freshmen: guard Michelle Conklin, guard Lindsey Smith and forward Joanie White.

The freshmen trio combined for 27 points against Chattanooga, but only White put up significant numbers against Davidson.

Sophomore Aisha Bryant played a minimal role against Davidson but pulled in 14 points against the Moccasins.

Bryant led the team in scoring during the regular season, but after a suspension kept her out the final two games, her tournament performance was less than stellar.

With all the young faces on the court for the Mountaineers, however, the upperclassmen find themselves on the bench more often than not.

Two out of the team’s four seniors saw less than two minutes of playing time in their last SoCon Tournament.

Breedlove put Lauren Romano and Teresa Richardson in the Chattanooga game with less than two minutes remaining, when the outcome was obvious.

Both seniors saw limited playing time throughout the season as well.

On the other hand, seniors Ashleigh Fuller and Tiffany White both saw some quality minutes.

It is the inexperienced freshmen and sophomores who saw the most playing time.

When it comes to the SoCon Tournament, experience is often an ally.
Appalachian’s experience sat on the bench.

The lack of experience seen in Appalachian during the tournament does have potential for the future.

Next season, unless a whole new group of freshmen like this year’s class come in, Joanie White, Conklin and Smith will hit the court older and more mature.

Breedlove gives credit for the success of the freshmen to the older players, however.

“Our older players have done a great job all year long helping our younger players,” said Breedlove. “Those younger players would not be stepping up and playing the level they’re playing if it weren’t for the older players.”

Now with one season behind them, Appalachian’s freshmen have the opportunity to improve on the court. By tournament time next season, the young team will be older and more mature, possibly resulting in a longer stay.

Paul Sherar - Chief Photographer

Senior forward Donald Payne attempts to put up a shot against two Cougar opponents during Thursday evening’s loss to against SoCon Tournament host College of Charleston. The Mountaineers fell to the Cougars, 85-61, ending their hopes of advancing in the tournament.

Cougars’ second half run ends Mountaineers
conference title hopes

James Nix - Sports Beat

In eight minutes and one unbelievable second-half run, Appalachian State University’s men’s basketball team watched all hope of a victory against hometown favorite College of Charleston in the Southern Conference Tournament disappear.

The Cougars used an eight-minute, 21-0 run to come from behind and defeat the Mountaineers 85-61 Thursday night in the first round of the SoCon Tournament in Charleston, S.C.

“They just made a big run on us in the second half and we failed to respond,” said head coach Houston Fancher.

Appalachian saw huge contributions from juniors Shawn Hall and Graham Bunn who hit three three-pointers each and combined for 23 points.

The Mountaineers took an early lead in the opening minutes with a three-pointer from Hall. The Cougars then charged back and established a slight lead up until the 10-minute mark.

Hall then hit a three-pointer to give Appalachian the momentum it needed to grab an 11-point lead with two minutes left.

Charleston trimmed the lead to eight before a Tony Mitchell three-pointer sent the Cougars into halftime trailing by only five.

“I think a key stretch in the game was a minute and a half to go in the first half. We were up by 11 and went into halftime up by five,” said Fancher. “That’s where the momentum swung.”

As the second half got under way, Appalachian seemed to play with the same intensity as in the first half.

A Jonathan Butler three-pointer put the Mountaineers back up by eight to open the half. Charleston slowly chipped it away again, however.

At the 14:15 mark, Hall hit his last three pointer of the game, which put Appalachian up by five.

That’s when it happened. Sparked by a three-pointer by Troy Wheless and a fast break layup by Jeff Bolton, the Cougars tied the game up and then went on to score 16 additional unanswered points to put the Mountaineers away.

Appalachian would only score six more points after that 14:45 mark and saw its 51.7 first half shooting percentage fall to a 21.9 percent in the second half.

“Shawn and Graham both shot the ball very well in the first half and we sort of relied on that a little too much in the second half,” said Fancher.

Appalachian missed nine three-point attempts and 10 field goal attempts once the Cougars took the lead.

“They made a big run, and we responded in the wrong way by thinking we could get back in with a bunch of three pointers,” said Bunn.

Charleston, on the other hand, shot 66.7 percent from the field in the second half.

“We saved the best half of the season for the most important game of the year,” said Charleston head coach John Kresse. “I’ve very proud to get by an outstanding App State team.”

In the first half, Appalachian held the Cougars to a 48.1 shooting percentage and out rebounded them 19-11. This defense disappeared during Charleston’s run, however.

“When we shoot the ball well, it tends to give us some defensive pressure,” said Fancher. “In the second half our shots weren’t falling; thus, our defense slacked off some.”

With the loss, Appalachian finished its season with a 10-18 record.
Charleston, the No. 3 seed in the south division, went on to defeat the No. 2 seed in the North, East Tennessee State University, in the quarterfinals before losing to the Southern fifth seed Furman University in the semifinals.

Kresse complimented Appalachian’s performance as a testimony to the competitiveness of the Southern Conference.

“For a team like App State that’s a sixth seed, to play us so well and have us on the ropes there for a long time, it’s a tribute to how great this league is,” said Kresse.

Paul Sherar - Chief Photographer

Sophomore forward Joanie White goes towards the goal in Friday’s match up against the UTC Mocs. The Mocs defeated the Mountaineers 84-61 in the second round of the 2002 SoCon Tournament.

Second round loss marks end of an era for Mountaineers
Tournament loss last for Breedlove on Appalachian sideline; Warfield’s 24 points off bench too much for Mountaineers

Chris Boyce - Sports Beat

The Appalachian State University Mountaineers learned something Friday afternoon against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
They are not the only team whose best player comes off the bench.

The Mocs leading scorer and most dangerous bench warmer Miranda Warfield torched the Mountaineers for 24 points off of eight for 12 shooting en route to a Chattanooga 84-1 win over Appalachian State in the second round of the 2002 Southern Conference Championships in Charleston, S.C.

Appalachian State’s best player Aisha Bryant and fellow bench star scored 14 points in the loss hitting three of six from behind the three-point line.

But it was Warfield and a furious second half run by the Mocs that made the difference in the end, sending Chattanooga to the semi-finals for a battle with Wofford. The loss marked the conclusion of a 10-19 season for the Mountaineers and the end of head coach Barbie Breedlove’s tenure at Appalachian State.

Holding a narrow 39-32 lead over Appalachian State at halftime, the Mocs exploded, scoring the first 13 points of the second half to take a 20-point lead, 52 32 with 16:43 left in the contest.

The Mocs extended their lead to 25 after a layup by center Tiffany Patton with 15:08 left in the game, 59-34.

But then the miraculous happened. Appalachian State went on a 21-6 run largely in result of deadly three point shooting, putting the Mountaineers down only 10, 65-55 with 10 minutes to play.

Last season’s freshman-of-the-year Aisha Bryant hit a three-pointer, and guard Michelle Conklin followed with another three ball on the Mountaineer’s next possession.

Then after a Mocs miss, Bryant connected from behind the arc again and added another three-pointer a minute later, putting Appalachian State down 61-48 with 12:29.

Thirteen of Bryant’s 14 points came from the stretch, but the Mountaineers were never able to cut the deficit to single digits and Chattanooga’s Mandy Rollins’ three-pointer with 6:01 left to play put Appalachian State down 72-55. The first half belonged to Warfield, who accumulated 16 of her 24 total points in the period, none bigger than her three-point bucket with 54 seconds to play in the half. The basket put Appalachian State down 39-30. After trailing only by four, 33-29 with 3:13 left in the first half, the Mountaineers took a seven-point deficit into the locker room at the half.

Breedlove spoke after the game about her last game at the helm of Appalachian State women’s basketball. “It’s very emotional. It was just time for a change.

I love these kids and I love this program but for me personally its time for a change,” said Breedlove. “These kids are gonna win. These last two classes we’ve brought in are good kids and good athletes and they’re gonna be successful. It’s just going to take somebody else at the top.”

Breedlove said Chattanooga’s attention on Appalachian State’s post players opened up the outside for the Mountaineers’ run in the second half.

“They were really focusing in on Joanie and the fact that she was drawing so much attention on the inside that it really opened it up to our guards on the outside. Our guards can flat out shoot the ball. They were fearless out there,” said Breedlove.

“In the first half I wasn’t playing well, but we got in the huddle in the second half and we decided it was time to make a run. We weren’t gonna go home and we weren’t gonna go down without a fight,” said Bryant.

After the game, Chattanooga head coach Wes Moore talked about the impact Warfield had for the Mocs. “She’s definitely one of our best five players and she gives us a big lift off the bench, scoring in bunches,” said Moore.” Coming off the bench all these games, I like being a spark off the bench. It makes me feel needed,” said Warfield.

The Mountaineers advanced to play the Mocs after a 64-63 victory over Davidson College in the first round of the tournament Thursday evening.

A floater by guard Tiffany Johnson with 20.2 seconds to play propelled the ninth-seeded Mountaineers to a victory over the eighth-seeded Wildcats. Johnson led all scorers with 16 points.