Western Carolina and East Tennessee State Face Off in SoCon Tournament

The No. 1 seed Buccaneers take on the No. 5 seed Catamounts in the Southern Conference Tournament

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The No. 1 seed East Tennessee State Buccaneers (22-10, 13-5 SoCon) will face off against the No. 5 seed Western Carolina Catamounts (15-15, 10-8 SoCon) in the Southern Conference Tournament on Sunday, March 8th at 4 p.m. ET at the Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville.

Why it matters

This matchup features two teams looking to advance in the SoCon Tournament, with the Buccaneers aiming to defend their regular season conference title and the Catamounts hoping to pull off an upset as the lower seed.

The details

East Tennessee State enters the tournament as the top seed after a strong 13-5 conference record in the regular season. Western Carolina finished the year 10-8 in SoCon play, earning the No. 5 seed. The winner of this game will move on to the next round of the tournament.

  • The game tips off on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 4 p.m. ET.

The players

East Tennessee State Buccaneers

The No. 1 seed in the Southern Conference Tournament, the Buccaneers had a 22-10 overall record and 13-5 conference record in the regular season.

Western Carolina Catamounts

The No. 5 seed in the Southern Conference Tournament, the Catamounts finished the regular season with a 15-15 overall record and 10-8 conference record.

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What’s next

The winner of this game will advance to the next round of the Southern Conference Tournament.

The takeaway

This matchup between the top-seeded Buccaneers and lower-seeded Catamounts promises an exciting start to the SoCon Tournament, with both teams looking to extend their seasons with a victory.