MOUNT BERRY, Ga. (February 27, 2025) – The 2025 Southern Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament will come to its conclusion this weekend with top-seed Berry hosting the semifinals and final for the fifth-straight season.
 
The SAA regular season champion Vikings will meet four-seed Oglethorpe in the first semifinal at 5pm ET on Friday, February 28. Two-seed Sewanee and three-seed Centre will battle in the second game. Winners then advance to play the championship game on Saturday, March 1 at 5pm ET.
 
Semifinal 1 – No. 1 Berry (17-8) vs. No. 4 Oglethorpe (16-9)
The Vikings and Stormy Petrels split games during the regular season with both games close throughout. In January at the Cage Center, Berry had to come back from a halftime deficit to post an 82-79 victory. SAA Athlete of the Year Braxton Benham led the Vikings with 28 points and five steals while Isaac Martin had 17 points. Malachi Dooley was the top scorer for Oglethorpe with 20 points. Perry Robinson added 18 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Nearly a month later, the Petrels ended Berry’s nine-game winning streak, posting a 98-90 home victory. Dooley led six players in double-figures with 24 points. Robinson added 19 and Jackson Kemp had 14 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Drew Winegarden netted 23 for the Vikings.
 
Berry had a bye into the semifinals and was idle last week. Oglethorpe hosted five-seed Rhodes in the quarterfinals and came out with a 73-70 win. They led by 10 with less than a minute left and had to hold on at the end. Dooley netted 22 while Robinson got 17 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Berry has played in five SAA Championship games, winning four including last season. Oglethorpe is looking for its fourth SAA title game berth and first title. They last played on the final day in 2022 as the two-seed, falling to top-seed Berry 63-62.
 
Semifinal 2 – No. 2 Sewanee (18-8) vs. No. 3 Centre (16-9)
The second semifinal features the Tigers and Colonels in a season rubber match after splitting in the regular season. Centre held home court in the first match-up, 78-72. SAA Rookie of the Year Nolan Wahl tallied 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Colonels. Landen Hamilton had 18 points and nine assists. Luka Avaliani was the top scorer for the Tigers with 24 points to go along with nine rebounds and seven assists.
 
Sewanee won the second match-up, 83-81 on the Domain. Avaliani was huge with 31 points and eight rebounds. Fletcher Bigham added 15 points. Hamilton answered with 30 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds for Centre.
 
Sewanee got past seven-seed Hendrix in its quarterfinal, 95-83. Four Tigers scored double figures, led by Avaliani’s 20 points. Bigham tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds. Centre posted a 72-59 win over Millsaps to open its tournament run. Hamilton had 14 points and five assists with Wahl getting 12 points and 11 boards.
 
Centre has won three SAA titles and is looking to get back into the championship game for the first time since 2020 where they beat Berry 72-69. Sewanee has played in three conference title games, winning twice. Their last trip was in 2023 when they upset top-seed Berry 86-82 to cut down the nets.
 
Semifinal winners will meet at 5pm CT on Saturday, March 1 to decide the SAA men’s basketball champion.