Huff scored eight straight points for the Mocs as part of his 17-point first half outburst to spark UTC to a four-point lead just before intermission, but Smith – who had 14 points of his own in the opening stanza – connected on a 3-pointer in the waning moments to give Chattanooga a 35-34 edge at intermission.

With its 25th victory of the season, Furman (25-8) secured its third trip to the SoCon championship game in the last four years.

Pjay Smith Jr. scored 25 points and Nick Anderson added five points in the overtime as the Furman Paladins defeated the top-seeded Chattanooga Mocs 80-77 in the Southern Conference Tournament

The Southern Conference announced the league’s top players and other postseason awards Wednesday. ETSU senior Quimari Peterson was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year. Chattanooga head coach Dan Earl was named the Anton Foy Coach of the Year for leading the Mocs to a 23-8 record (15-3 SoCon) and the regular season title.