A streaking LaGrange team is set to take on Averett in the USA South Tournament semifinals on Friday. The Panthers (16-10) have won six straight, including a 65-62 win at No. 22 Maryville on Tuesday, to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2017.
The Panthers, the #3 seed from the West Division, and the Cougars (15-11), the #1 seed from the East Division, tip off at 5 p.m. in the Barnes P.E. Center on the campus of Covenant College. N.C. Wesleyan (19-7), the #2 seed from the East, takes on Covenant (17-6), the #1 seed from the West Division, in the other semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday's winners meet Saturday at 6 p.m. in the championship game.
The Panthers are 5-5 against Averett and have won the last two meetings. This is the second time facing the Cougars in the tournament. LC won 94-81 in the semifinals in 2017 in route to the tournament championship. The Cougars' junior first team All-Conference guard Corey Baldwin is averaging 15.1 points per game.
N.C. Wesleyan graduate Damon McDowell is the USA South Men's Basketball Player of the Year. McDowell leads the conference in scoring, averaging 23.7 points per game. The Bishops lead the series with the Panthers 8-7. The Bishops won 95-88 earlier this season on Dec. 15 in Mariotti Gym. The Panthers defeated the Bishops 88-76 in the first round of the 2014 tournament.
The Panthers split their two regular season games with Covenant. LC won 62-60 at Covenant on Bershard Edwards' jumper with 4.7 seconds left on Jan. 21. The Scots won 80-70 in Mariotti Gym on Feb. 5. Covenant leads the series 18-15. The Scots won the only tournament meeting, 101-92 in overtime in the 2016 championship game. First team All-Conference senior Will Crumley, who is averaging 17.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, leads the Scots.
