SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Ferrum Panthers saw their season come to a close Friday afternoon, falling to Emmanuel (Ga.) 73–67 in the 2026 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinals at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on the campus of Wofford College.
Rodrigo Farias led Ferrum with 23 points, while
Alfredo Abel-Rivera added 21 in the contest.
RECORDS
Emmanuel (Ga.) 18-12 (13-7)
Ferrum 15-11 (14-6)
THE BASICS
Emmanuel built an early advantage and carried a 40–32 lead into halftime after shooting over 50 percent from the field and knocking down seven three-pointers in the opening period.
Ferrum battled throughout the second half and slowly chipped away at the deficit. A three-pointer from Eden Davis with 7:29 remaining cut the Emmanuel lead to just one point at 54–53 and ignited a late push from the Panthers. Despite the momentum swing, the Lions responded with timely scoring and strong free-throw shooting down the stretch. Emmanuel converted 14 free throws in the second half to maintain control of the game in the closing minutes. Ferrum continued to fight in the final moments and pulled within four before a late three-pointer by Gerren Jones with two seconds remaining accounted for the final margin of 73–67.
The Panthers struggled from the field offensively, shooting 36.4 percent overall and 25 percent from three-point range. Ferrum did find success on the offensive glass, grabbing 13 offensive rebounds and scoring 17 second-chance points while tying Emmanuel with 32 total rebounds.
Prior to the game, three Panthers were honored with all-conference accolades. Jones was named to the First Team. Farias was named to the Third Team. Head Coach Pat Corrigan was honored with the 2026 Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year award after leading the Panthers to a #3 seed in the tournament.
KEY STATS
Emmanuel (Ga.): Devin Story 22 pts; Ezra McKee 14 pts; Isaac Jones 12 pts
Ferrum: Farias 23 pts; Abel-Rivera 21 pts, 9 reb; Jones 11 pts;
Abdulh Diaby 11 reb
UP NEXT
Ferrum concludes the 2025-26 season with a 15-11 overall record and a 14-6 mark in Conference Carolinas play. Ferrum graduates six seniors in May.
