Furman Basketball Dances Again, Earns NCAA Bid

0:00On March 10th, Ferman Mann's basketball is dancing again. For the second time in four years, the Paladins punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament by winning the Southern Conference Championship, 76-61 over East Tennessee State on Monday in Asheville, North Carolina. Cooper Bowser topped the scoring with 21 points, while Tom House added 13 from the bench and Alex Wilkins chipped in 12. The team showed grit throughout the tournament run. Coach Bob Ritchie praised his group's unwavering belief, especially after dropping four or five games earlier in the season. It's the Florence native's second straight March Mann is birth with Ferman. Coming off a six-place regular season finish, they upset number three, Sanford 86-81, rallied from 11 down to beat UNC. Greensboro 81-75 in the semis, then took down the top-seated bucks for the title. This marks Ferman's eighth NCAA appearance overall, and their fourth SoCon final in five years.

1:00Fans are buzzing as the Paladins await their first round spot, when brackets drop on Sunday. Their last tournament run saw them knock off Virginia before falling to San Diego State, and they're ready for more magic.