ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Cooper Bowser tallied 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the No. 6 seed Furman Paladins past the top-seeded East Tennessee State Buccaneers 76-61 on Monday night. The victory clinches the Southern Conference tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for Furman.
Furman finishes the season at 22-12, capturing its eighth SoCon championship and first since topping Chattanooga in 2023. Tom House contributed 13 points off the bench, while Alex Wilkins, fresh off a career-high 34 points in the semifinals, added 12. Bowser shot an efficient 9-of-12 from the field as the Paladins connected on 51% of their attempts overall.
Second-Half Surge Seals the Win
Furman held a 42-35 halftime advantage after House drained the team’s sixth 3-pointer of the opening period, pushing the lead to 37-27 with four minutes remaining before the break.
In the second half, Wilkins sparked a decisive run with a steal and fast-break dunk, extending the margin to 72-61 with 2:11 to play. Bowser followed with a hook shot in the paint, securing a 13-point cushion. ETSU managed just 2-of-7 shooting from the field in the final five minutes, stalling any rally.
Buccaneers Fall Short
Brian Taylor II scored 14 of his 16 points after halftime for ETSU, which ends at 23-11. Blake Barkley chipped in 14 points, and Jaylen Smith added 10. The Buccaneers struggled from beyond the arc at 3-of-16 and converted only 10 of 18 free throws. This marked ETSU’s second title game appearance in three years as they sought their first NCAA bid since 2020.
