Georgia Southern gave top-seeded Davidson a game through the first six minutes of action in Saturday’s SoCon Tournament second round match-up, but an 11-0 run by the Wildcats’ with 14 minutes left in the first half led to an 86-59 rout. Davidson’s outside shooting and disruptive defense were the catalysts for a dominating performance that exhibited why they are the favorites to win the SoCon title.
Five Davidson players turned in double-digit scoring efforts, with Nik Cochran leading them all contributing 18 points and connecting on 5 of 7 from three point range. The Wildcats’ held Georgia Southern to 38% shooting and 1-8 from beyond the arc. Davidson will face No. 4 seed Appalachian State in tomorrow’s semifinals.
Elon University, the No. 2 seed, also advanced in a close game that wasn’t put away by the Phoenix until a pair of free throws by Sebastian Koch with 22 seconds left, leading to a 68-61 victory. Elon is the favorite to be Davidson’s opponent in the conference title showdown.
Koch, Elon’s best outside shooter at 44%, led all scorers with 15 points and went 2 for 3 from the outside. Lucas Troutman added a double-double effort, with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Elon will face the winner of College of Charleston/Western Carolina in the semifinals as the Phoenix continues the quest for their first Division 1 NCAA Tournament appearance.