SPARTANBURG, SC—The Ferrum College Men’s Basketball season came to a close Friday afternoon as the Panthers fell 73–67 to Emmanuel (Ga.) in the Conference Carolinas Tournament quarterfinals at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on the campus of Wofford College.

Ferrum, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, battled throughout the contest but was unable to overcome an early deficit created by Emmanuel’s strong first half. The Lions carried a 40–32 lead into halftime and held off a late Panthers push in the second period to secure the victory.

Rodrigo Farias paced Ferrum offensively with 23 points, while Alfredo Abel-Rivera added 21 points in the loss. Despite the Panthers outscoring Emmanuel in the second half, the early gap proved difficult to erase as Emmanuel controlled the tempo down the stretch.

The loss ended Ferrum’s season with a 15–11 overall record and a 14–6 mark in Conference Carolinas play, an impressive campaign in the program’s first season competing in NCAA Division II and the conference.

Despite the tournament exit, the Panthers received significant recognition across the conference. Head Coach Patrick Corrigan was named Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year, leading Ferrum to a third-place finish in the league after the team was predicted to finish last in the preseason poll.

Ferrum also earned individual honors as Gerren Jones and Rodrigo Farias were both selected to the All-Conference Carolinas team, highlighting the Panthers’ strong debut season in the league.

The Panthers’ success this season established a foundation for the program at the Division II level, finishing among the conference’s top teams and earning postseason recognition for both players and coaches.