Baddest Bucs on the block

We’ve reached the two-week mark of Southern Conference play, and one team remains alone atop the standings, as East Tennessee State remains unbeaten after Saturday’s 86-60 rout of UNC Greensboro.

The Bucs have looked like the team to beat all season, and it’s a no-brainer to have them at the top of the power rankings for week two. As for the rest of the league to this point, it’s been a little bit of a hodge-podge when you get past a pretty much definitive top four team, which are beginning to establish themselves as clear title contenders moving forward.

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It was Blake Barkley’s 24 points that helped the Bucs break the game wide open in the second half after posting a narrow, 38-34, halftime lead.

I can’t go too far without acknowledging the accomplishments of The Citadel from this past weekend, as the Bulldogs knocked off Western Carolina, 79-77, in overtime at McAlister Field House to end what had been a 37-game losing streak to Division-I competition. The win also snapped a streak of 26-straight SoCon losses in both regular-season and tournament play, dating back to a Feb. 24, 2024 — a 71-62 win over Chattanooga inside the friendly confines of the McAlister Field House.

Speaking of the Mocs, UTC ended a four-game skid by topping Samford, 88-79, at McKenzie Arena Saturday afternoon. The defending SoCon regular-season champs looked at times like their former selves, especially in the first half, as Chattanooga raced out to a 21-point, 49-28, halftime advantage.

Then in the second half, they held off a furious rally by Jadin Booth and the Bulldogs, who put a real scare into the Mocs, as the Bulldogs got as close as four points (81-77) on a pair of Booth free throws inside the final two minutes. The Mocs found a way to a win down the stretch, finishing off an impressive afternoon at the foul stripe, as the Mocs blistered the nets at a scorching 91.7% clip, making 22-of-24 foul shots in the game.

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The game of the day took place…

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Publish date : 2026-01-15 13:16:00

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