Livescore
Two more teams secured spots in the NCAA Tournament on Monday night as conference tournament action continued to heat up around college basketball. The power conferences are set to begin their tournaments this week, but this time on the calendar is about teams from all levels of Division I earning their way into the Big Dance.
A year after squandering a 12-point second half lead and losing on a buzzer-beater against Chattanooga in the SoCon title game, Furman secured revenge Monday night by beating the Mocs 88-79 to win the SoCon Tournament and clinch the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 1980. The No. 1 seed Paladins jumped out to an early 30-11 lead before the No. 7 seed Mocs rallied and closed the deficit to 39-38 early in the second half. But Furman pulled itself together from there as Jalen Slawson led the way with 20 points.
Louisiana is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 after beating South Alabama 71-66 in the Sun Belt Tournament final. The No. 2 seed Ragin’ Cajuns got 23 points from Themus Folks to overcome a 33-point outburst from Isaiah Moore for the No. 8 seed Jaguars. Owen White got an open look that would have tied the game for USA in the final seconds, but it rimmed out, allowing the Cajuns to begin their celebration.
With teams fighting to extend their seasons and Big Dance bids on the line, it is officially the best time of year in college basketball. Though the power conference tournaments have not started, many of the tournaments for one-bid leagues have been decided or are in progress. They are sure to produce plenty of joyful and chaotic scenes to highlight the days leading up to Selection Sunday.
Monday’s conference tournament championship games
- SoCon: No. 1 Furman 88, No. 7 Chattanooga 79
- Sun Belt: No. 2 Louisiana 71, No. 8 South Alabama 66
Monday conference tournament schedule, scores
2023 conference tournament schedules, champions
| Conference | Tournament site | Dates (Final TV) | 2023 Champion |
| AAC | Fort Worth, Texas | March 9-12 (ESPN) | |
| ACC | Greensboro, N.C. | March 7-11 (ESPN) | |
| America East | Campus sites | March 4, 7 & 11 (ESPN2) | |
| Atlantic 10 | Brooklyn, NY | March 7-9, 11-12 (CBSSN) | |
| ASUN | Campus sites | Feb. 27-28, March 2, 5 (ESPN2) | Kennesaw State |
| Big East | New York | March 8-11 (Fox) | |
| Big Sky | Boise, Idaho | March 4-8 (ESPN2) | |
| Big South | Charlotte, N.C. | March 1, 3-5 (ESPN2) | UNC-Asheville |
| Big Ten | Chicago | March 8-12 (CBS) | |
| Big 12 | Kansas City | March 8-11 (ESPN) | |
| Big West | Henderson, Nev. | March 7, 9-11 (ESPN2) | |
| Colonial | Washington D.C. | March 3-7 (CBSSN) | |
| Conference USA | Frisco, Texas | March 8-11 (CBSSN) | |
| Horizon League | Indianapolis | Feb. 28, March 2, 6-7 (ESPN) | |
| Ivy League | Princeton, N.J. | March 11-12 (ESPN2) | |
| MAAC | Atlantic City, N.J. | March 7-11 (ESPNU) | |
| MAC | Cleveland | March 9-11 (ESPN2) | |
| MEAC | Norfolk, Va. | March 8-11 (ESPN2) | |
| Missouri Valley | St. Louis | March 2-5 (CBSSN) | Drake |
| Mountain West | Las Vegas | March 8-11 (CBS) | |
| Northeast | Campus sites | March 1, 4 & 7 (ESPN2) | Fairleigh Dickinson |
| Ohio Valley | Evansville, Ind. | March 1-4 (ESPN2) | Southeast Missouri |
| Pac-12 | Las Vegas | March 8-11 (ESPN) | |
| Patriot | Campus sites | Feb. 28, March 2,5 & 8 (CBSSN) | |
| SEC | Nashville | March 8-12 (ESPN) | |
| Southern | Asheville, N.C | March 3-6 (ESPN) | Furman |
| Southland | Lake Charles, La. | March 5-8 (ESPN2) | |
| Summit | Sioux Falls, S.D. | March 3-7 (ESPN2) | |
| Sun Belt | Pensacola, Fla. | Feb. 28, March 2, 4 & 6 (ESPN2) | Louisiana |
| SWAC | Birmingham, Ala. | March 8-11 (ESPNU) | |
| WAC | Las Vegas | March 7, 9-11 (ESPN2) | |
| West Coast | Las Vegas | March 2-4 & 6-7 (ESPN) |
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