East Tennessee State defeats Furman 78-69

Milton Matthews scores 18 points to lead the Buccaneers over the Paladins.

Feb. 23, 2026 at 10:55pm

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East Tennessee State defeated Furman 78-69 in a Southern Conference matchup on Wednesday. Milton Matthews led the Buccaneers with 18 points, while Alex Wilkins scored 21 points for the Paladins.

Why it matters

This game was an important conference matchup between two teams looking to improve their standing in the Southern Conference standings as the season winds down.

The details

Milton Matthews scored 18 points for East Tennessee State, shooting 6-of-11 from the field, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range. Brian Taylor II added 17 points and 8 rebounds for the Buccaneers. For Furman, Alex Wilkins led the way with 21 points, while Charles Johnston and Asa Thomas each scored 13 points.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

The players

Milton Matthews

A player for East Tennessee State who scored 18 points in the game.

Brian Taylor II

A player for East Tennessee State who scored 17 points and had 8 rebounds.

Cam Morris III

A player for East Tennessee State who scored 12 points.

Alex Wilkins

A player for Furman who scored a team-high 21 points.

Charles Johnston

A player for Furman who scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds.

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The takeaway

This was an important conference win for East Tennessee State, who improved their record to 20-8 overall and 12-3 in the Southern Conference. Furman dropped to 17-11 overall and 8-7 in the conference with the loss.