CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Tim Smith scored 37 points to lead East Tennessee State to an 87-84 upset win over Furman on Wednesday night in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament.
No. 5 North seed East Tennessee State (10-18) will face No. 1 North seed and tournament host Chattanooga in a quarterfinal game Thursday.
Robby Bostain led five players in double figures for No. 4 South seed Furman (16-13) with 16 points. Moussa Diagne had 15 points, Tony Carter 14, Ben Earle 12 and Quan Prowell 11.
Ben Rhoda added 17 points for ETSU, while Andrew Reed had 10.
Bostain had a clean look from the left wing at a would-be tying basket as time expired, but the shot was long and the Buccaneers' chances for a third-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance stayed alive.
ETSU led by as much as 68-56 in the second half, but an Earle 3-pointer with 3:53 left capped a 21-8 Furman run and gave the Paladins their first lead at 77-76.
Smith, a two-time tournament MVP, answered with a 3-pointer from the left corner, and buckets from Rhoda, Reed and Dillion Sneed gave the Buccaneers an 84-79 lead they would not relinquish.
ETSU led the entire fast-paced first half, thanks to Smith's 21 points, and took a 45-40 halftime lead.
