GAME NOTES: Quarterfinal action of the Southern Conference continues on Saturday at the U.S. Cellular Center as fourth-seed Western Carolina takes on fifth-seed East Tennessee State.

The winner of this game will move into the semifinals on Sunday and take on either UNC Greensboro or Wofford.

ETSU finished the regular season with a winning overall record at 16-13, but league play finds the Buccaneers two games under .500 at 8-10, thanks to a three-game losing streak to end the season. ETSU has had plenty of success in this event with six tournament titles all-time, although the last one came in 2004.

Western Carolina has just one SoCon Tournament title to its credit and that came in 1996. Still, the Catamounts have navigated the tournament field in two of the last three events, losing in the title game each time. This year's team finished with a 14-16 overall mark, but was .500 in league play at 9-9. WCU was able to end a three-game losing streak in the season finale with a 67-54 win over the Citadel.

ETSU holds a 44-23 edge in the all-time series and has won each of the last 17 meetings with Western Carolina, including another regular-season sweep this year.

ETSU lost its second game in a row in the waning moments, as Mercer hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to send the Buccaneers into the postseason on a down note. Jalen Riley led the way once again for ETSU, hitting 5 3-pointers en route to a game-high 24 points. Lester Wilson poured in 18 points and A.J. Merriweather tacked on 12, but the rest of the team contributed a mere 10 points in the setback.

Riley has been the driving force for ETSU all season long. He led the conference in scoring at 20.7 ppg and was named an All-SoCon First-Team member. The scoring depth continues for ETSU, as Rashawn Rembert (14.4 ppg), Wilson (12.4 ppg) and Merriweather (10.3 ppg) have all made sizable contributions for a team that averages 73.8 ppg.

Western Carolina will counter Riley's explosive scoring potential with its own. Senior James Sinclair was also tabbed All-SoCon First-Team, finishing second in the league in scoring at 19.1 ppg. Like ETSU, WCU has solid scoring depth with multiple offensive outlets besides their star player. Mike Brown (13.9 ppg), Rhett Harrelson (12.1 ppg) and Torrion Brummitt (11.4 ppg) complement Sinclair's game.

The Catamounts had their most efficient outing of the season in the finale against the Citadel, as they shot a season-best .587 from the floor, while limiting the Bulldogs to a mere .356 effort. Sinclair once again led the way with his 17 points in the win. Justin Browning and Brown both put up 13 points, while Brummitt chipped in with 10.

ETSU has Western Carolina's number and despite ending the season with a string of losses, familiarity should push the Buccaneers into the next round.