Chattanooga dooms Furman's NCAA tournament hopes with OT buzzer-beater in Southern Conference championship game

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Just when it appeared that Mike Bothwell had willed Furman back to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 42 years, Chattanooga’s David Jean-Baptiste snatched it away.

After Bothwell’s layup with four seconds left in overtime gave the Paladins a 63-61 lead, Jean-Baptiste’s long 3-pointer with two Furman defenders on him went through as the horn sounded and the Mocs won, 64-63, in the championship game of the Southern Conference men’s basketball tournament on Monday night.

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Bothwell finished with 24 points for Furman (22-12).

Jean-Baptiste, who was 5-for-17 from the field including 3-of-10 on 3-pointers, converted his last two. His 3 with 1:59 left tied the score at 56. Chattanooga’s A.J. Caldwell hit a tying 3-pointer with 24 seconds left before Bothwell answered with his layup.

Furman converted its last six shots, the first of which was a tying 3-pointer by Bothwell with four seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Chattanooga stuns Furman at OT buzzer to earn NCAA tournament berth