A blog about Southern Conference basketball, but primarily focused on Furman hoops, with recaps, previews and weekly league power rankings and around the SoCon recaps
Illinois
State Wins Imagination Bracket, Richmond defeats Charlotte in consolation game
KISSIMMEE,
FL-Illinois State captured the 2025 Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational
Imagination Bracket Title with a 72-65 win over Furman, while Richmond picked
up a 71-66 win over the Charlotte 49ers in the consolation bracket at State
Farm Fieldhouse, concluding a fantastic two days of basketball, which featured
four good basketball games contested between true mid-major programs, with the
largest margin of victory being 10 points.
The
Redbirds, which returned to four starters and entered the season as the
preseason favorite to claim the Missouri Valley Conference title, used their
experience and Midwest grit down the stretch in a close game to claim the win
over the battle-tested Paladins.
Illinois
State shot the ball well in the second half, using a 57% effort to outscore the
Paladins 39-29 in the second half, overcoming what was a 36-33 halftime deficit
to come away with the win, improving to 6-2 overall, while Furman saw its
three-game winning streak come to an end, falling to 4-4.
The
Redbirds were a team built to adapt, and coach Ryan Pedon's team showed it
could both play up-tempo and in the halfcourt, and offered a variety of scoring
options that, if the opposition shut one down, another one always seemingly
found a way to emerge.
While
Boden Skunberg led the Redbirds in their semifinal win over Charlotte, with 22
points and 10 rebounds, in the championship win it was Imagination Bracket MVP
Ty Pence that came up huge for the Redbirds, as he posted a career-high 20
points and 10 boards, and was the player that made key shots down the stretch
to help the Redbirds get baskets when they needed them in crucial moments.
The
Paladins, who got a career-high matching 26 points from true freshman point
guard Alex Wilkins in Thursday's one-point win over Richmond, saw the talented
true freshman point guard pour in 25 more points in Friday's title game to lead
all scorers, as Furman came up just short and fell to 0-2 this season against
Missouri Valley Conference teams. Furman also fell to another of the MVC's top
teams a couple of weeks ago, falling 70-54 in Cedar Falls at Northern Iowa.
With
the game tied, 52-52, just over midway through second half, the Redbirds made
the move that would ultimately put them over the top and come up with the
program's first in-season tournament title since the 2010-11 season, putting
together an 8-0 run, which started with a Cameron Barnes tip-in and ended with
a Ty Pence fade-a-way jumper at the 8:31 mark to give the Redbirds some cushion
with a 60-52 lead.
A
Cooper Bowser tip-in on the other end ended a 2:21 scoring drought for the
Paladins and made it a two-possession game once again, at 60-54.
Over
the next seven minutes, the Redbirds would maintain a 4-8-point advantage on
the scoreboard until a Wilkins running layup on the other end brought the
Paladins back to within three, at 68-65, with 39 seconds remaining.
A
Johny Kinzinger jumper from about 17-feet out with the shot-clock winding
down off a nice set play following a Redbirds timeout, restored a
two-possession lead, at 70-65, with 12 seconds remaining.
Following
Asa Thomas' missed three-pointer on the other end, the Redbirds' Skunberg got
the rebound and was immediately fouled with four seconds remaining, and he
knocked down both double-bonus foul shots to close out the win and create the
final seven-point margin.
Furman
fell behind 16-6 early in the contest, following a Johnny Kinzinger jumper at
the 14:06 mark. After a Bowser two-handed flush on the other end, Skunberg got
a nice feed from backcourt mate Ty'Reek Coleman to knock down a right elbow
three to give the Redbirds their largest lead of the game, at 19-8, with 13:20
remaining.
Furman
would whittle the lead away over the final 10 minutes of the half, and went to
the half with all the momentum, using a stretch of three made three-pointers by
freshman guard Collin O'Neal over roughly a six-minute stretch, igniting the
Paladin offense, and with a 10-0 run to close the half, the Paladins found
themselves up, 36-33, at the break.
O'Neal's
career-best 12 points came in 17 minutes of work, which included a perfect
4-for-4 shooting effort from three-point range in the game. O'Neal, who
suffered what looked to be a charley horse injury early in the second half and
didn't return to the game, gave Furman some important points off the bench on
an afternoon when two of its veterans--Tom House and Charles Johnston struggled
to make shots on a combined 2-for-8 from the field and 0-of-5 from three-point
land --also added four rebounds.
Pence
finished off his career-best effort by connecting on 8-of-12 shots from the
field and 2-for-3 from long-range, while adding 10 rebounds, two assists, one
block and a steal.
He
was one of four ISU players in double figures, as preseason All-MVC selection
and league player of the year candidate Chase Walker added 14 points and four
boards, while Skunberg followed up his season-high 22 points yesterday with 12
and Kinzinger finished with 11 points. Coleman just missed double
figures, finishing with nine points, four assists and a pair of steals, while
turning it over only once.
Wilkins,
who led all scorers in the tournament with 51 points in two games, finished
9-of-17 from the field and 2-for-6 from three-point land and connected on five
of his six charity stripe attempts to equal his game-high total of 25 times. In
addition to his fourth 20+point scoring effort and eighth double-figure effort,
The Mattapan, MA., product added five assists and a block, while turning over
three times.
Wilkins
was one of three Paladins in double figures, as the freshman was joined by
classmate O'Neal and junior Cooper Bowser, who both added 12 points apiece. All
told, freshmen combined to score 37 of Furman's 65 points.
The
Paladins shot the ball at a 45.5% clip for the game (23-of-55) and 36.0%
(6-of-11) from three-point range. Furman was once again not very good at
the free throw line, as the Paladins finished the game just 6-of-11 (54.5%)
from the free throw line and shot less than 50% (15-of-31) in the tournament
from the stripe.
The
Redbirds finished the game connected on 45.6% (26-of-57) from the field 33.3% (8-of-24)
from three-point range.
Furman,
which has now faced three projected conference winners, three 2025 NCAA
Tournament teams (including an exhibition against Alabama), two CBI participant, as well as the CBI champion, and two NIT teams, returns to action by facing its first CAA foe of the season,
heading to the Schaar Center to take on Elon (4-2) on Wednesday evening.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST.
The
Redbirds will be back at home in Normal, Ill., to face Eastern Kentucky (4-2)
Wednesday night for their next game, with tip-off set for 8 p.m. EST at CEFCU
Arena.
In
the first game of the day, Richmond kept threatening to blow the game open, yet
seemingly every time Charlotte would find its way back into the game. The
Spiders built leads of 12 points in the first half and led by as many as 18 in
the second before having to hold on for a 71-66 win.
With
the Spiders’ win in the consolation game, it improved to 6-1 overall, which
matches its best record through seven games in 21 seasons under head coach
Chris Mooney.
AJ
Lopez posted a team-leading with 17 points, while Jaden Daughtry found his way
into double figures for a second-straight game, finishing with 15 points.
The
game between Charlotte and Richmond was a rekindled, former Atlantic 10 rivalry,
as the Spiders claimed their 11th win in the last 13 meetings with
the 49ers.
Richmond
shot 45.8% (22-of-48) from the field, while the Spiders shot 33.3% (7-of-21) from
three-point range. The Spiders and 49ers shot a combined 58 free throws in what
was a foul-fest, as the two teams combined to commit 41. The Spiders connected
on 58.3% (20-for-34) in the game, while Charlotte finished 66.7% (16-of-24) from
the field.
The
49ers ended up being led by Ben Bradford’s 18 points, while fellow backcourt
mate DeWayne Mingo posted 10. Charlotte finished the game connecting a 43.1%
clip (22-of-51) and 23.1% (6-of-26) from long-range.
Richmond
will return to the floor Wednesday night, with a big road test at Belmont (7-0)
at the Curb Events Center in Nashville, with tip-off for that contest set for
7:30 p.m. EST. Charlotte returns the Queen City and to hardwood action on
Tuesday, Dec. 2 to face off against North Carolina A&T (3-2). Tip-off is
for 7 p.m. EST at Halton Arena.
Mid Major Madness:
G-Alex
Wilkins (Furman)
G-Ty
Pence (Illinois State)
G-Boden
Skunberg (Illinois State)
G-AJ
Lopez (Richmond)
F-Chase
Walker (Illinois State)
Most
Points:
Alex Wilkins (Furman/51 pts in two games)
TERRY'S CHOCOLATE ESPN EVENTS INVITATIONAL IMAGINATION BRACKET CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Friday, Nov. 28, 2025
State Farm Fieldhouse/Kissimmee, FL
Series: First Meeting
Furman (4-3) vs. Illinois State (5-2), 3 p.m. EST
Furman takes on Illinois State in what will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs in the championship game of the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational Imagination Bracket. The Paladins reached the title game matchup by getting a thrilling 73-72 win over Richmond. The Illinois State Redbirds ground out a win over Charlotte, 79-69, to set the championship matchup, which will be the second of four games on the final day of "Feast Week" basketball.
Charlotte (3-4) will take on Richmond (5-1) in the Imagination Bracket consolation clash, which will tip-off at 12:30 on Black Friday. That will be followed by the clash between Furman and Illinois State at 3:00 p.m. EST in the tilt of the same bracket, and at 7 p.m., the consolation game of the Magic Bracket between Georgetown (5-2) and Miami (5-2) will be followed by the championship game of the same bracket between No. 9 BYU (5-1) and Dayton (6-1) at 9:30 p.m.
Furman and Illinois State will act as a great appetizer for the night cap title tilt between the Cougars and Flyers to cap off what has been a great week of basketball in the Magic Kingdom. Furman was able to reach the title game due to a fast start, incorporating a 1-3-1 defensive strategy, and it was Furman's man-to-man defense that saved the Paladins on Richmond's final two possessions, as it forced the Spiders into a pair of tough shots off baseline out-of-bounds to secure the win.
The neat thing about the Furman-Illinois State clash is that it is a game that features a pair of programs that have valued retention and continuity in a chaotic era in college athletics, dominated by transactional relationships due to NIL and the transfer portal. The Redbirds welcomed back four of five starters coming off a 22-win season a year ago, while the Paladins have eight of their top 11 back off a team that won 25 games a year ago.
About the Paladins:
Head coach Bob Richey (185-84/9th yr)has said in his early-season postgame press conferences after some Furman struggles that their would come a time when it started to click for his team, and recent results would seem to indicate a loud clicking noise has been audibly and if possible, visibly seen, especially in each of Furman's past couple of games.
The Paladins are led by true freshman point guard Alex Wilkins (17.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG), who has scored in double figures in all six games for the Paladins this season. He has three 20+point performances already in his first seven collegiate basketball games, which includes a career-high matching 26 points in Furman's win over the Spiders yesterday.
The 26 points, which Wilkins accomplished both against Richmond yesterday and earlier this season against Columbia International, is the most scored by a Paladin freshman in a decade (last was Devin Sibley with 29 pts vs ETSU on Feb. 14, 2015).
Wilkins has a different gear, and he has given the Paladins a different gear offensively when in rhythm. Wilkins has made 13 three-pointers this season, however, he is shooting just 31.7% (13-of-41) from long-range for the season.
Wilkins is supplemented in the backcourt by a solid and capable supporting cast, highlighted by Asa Thomas (12.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG), who joined forces with Wilkins to power Furman's offense in the win over Richmond, as the former Clemson Tiger added 20 points to the Furman cause.
The 6-7 wing guard from Lake Forest, Ill., is probably a player the Redbirds coaching staff is already aware of, considering the fact that he was one of the top players as a prep in his senior season back in 2023-24. He was a player that Furman recruited heavily out of high school, but Thomas ultimately chose Clemson.
Thomas is the lone player brought in from the transfer portal during the off-season by the Paladins. The all-out approach to bring in such a shooting talent has paid huge dividends early on this season, as Thomas has connected on a team-best 19 three-pointers and has strung together three-straight double-figure scoring performances--all of which have resulted in Furman wins. In two of those games, Thomas has gone for 20 or more, including yesterday's performance against Richmond.
The redshirt sophomore wing also posted a 22-point effort in Furman's win over Ohio Christian last week and has finished in double figures in five out of seven games this season for Furman. Thomas' recent production boom has coincided with him being added to the Paladin starting five two games ago. On a team that has surprisingly struggled shooting the three-ball early this season, Thomas has been the backbone of Furman's shooting efforts from beyond the arc, as he has been the most prolific (19 three-pointers) and most accurate three-point shooter (35.8%/19-of-53) this season.
Furman's other player from the state of Illinois also happens to be its ultimate "glue guy" in Ben Vander Wal (6.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG), who will be suiting up for his 107th career game for the Paladins in Black Friday's championship tilt against the Redbirds. The Elmhurst, Ill., product will be making his 54th start in the title tilt and is also the only active player on the roster that remains off that 2022-23 SoCon championship winning Furman team that defeated Virginia, 68-67, in that memorable upset in the Magic Kingdom four years ago. He ranks second in the SoCon in active career points (574 pts), first in rebounds (460) and fourth in assists (115).
The Paladins round out the starting projected starting five with their version of the twin towers, in 6-11 senior Charles Johnston (11.4 PPG, 10.4 RPG) and 6-11 junior Cooper Bowser (11.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG). Johnston is averaging double-digit rebounds per game, which includes five double-doubles and six double-digit rebound performances in seven games so far this season for the Paladins. Bowser is among the most efficient players around the basket in the country, shooting a blistering 78% (32-of-41) from the field this season, with most of those being dunks.
The Paladins have struggled shooting the ball most notably from the free throw line this season, connecting at a woeful 59.8% clip this season (), and a 9-of-21 effort in yesterday's semifinal game against Richmond nearly came back to haunt them in the end. They must be better to stay in the game against the Redbirds.
Furman hasn't used its bench extensively over the past couple of games, but Tom House (3.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG), Eddrin Bronson (6.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG) and Collin O'Neal (1.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG) are the first employed off the bench by coach Richey.
About the Redbirds:
Considered among the favorites to claim the Missouri Valley regular-season conference title, head coach Ryan Pedon (53-54/4th yr) has built both culture and sustainability in this his fourth season at the helm in Normal, and this season he has both continuity and a good base of veteran leadership leading the way.
Part of that leadership, continuity and momentum moving forward was established last season by winning the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) postseason tournament, finishing off the season with a 22-14 mark. Part of that culture that Pedon has built has made four starters want to return for more, which is rare in this current NIL/transfer portal era.
The Redbirds won't have the length in the paint that the Paladins do, but they do have every bit the physicality to matchup, especially in 6-9, 280-lb junior center Chase Walker (11.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG), who is a preseason first-team all-league pick and is a problem to deal with underneath for opponents. Walker is the team's third-leading scorer, posting 18 points and five boards in the Redbirds' Thanksgiving Day win over Charlotte.
Walker has totaled three double-figure scoring efforts this season, including a season-high 19 points in an 82-80 win over Long Beach State earlier this season. Despite his brute physical strength and ability underneath, Walker has struggled with being extremely efficient early on this season, connecting at just a 36.5% (19-of-52) from the field through the first six games this season.
Walker, who has started all six games he's seen action in this season, will team with four guards, in a four-out, one-in approach by ISU and coach Pedon. While Walker might have struggled with efficiency underneath this season, the Redbirds have been extremely efficient among their four guards this season, with true freshman Ty'Reek Coleman (14.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG) acting as the Redbirds' version of Alex Wilkins so far early in his career.
His efficiency has been through the roof this season, as even games into his collegiate career, he is connecting at a blistering 58% clip (33-of-57) from the field and is connecting on a strong 43.5% (10-of-23) from three-point range this season. He's scored in double figures in six out of seven games for the Redbirds, including six-straight. His season-high of 24 points against Cornell also coincided with his first-career start.
Johnny Kinziger (12.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG), Boden Skunberg (9.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG) and Ty Pence (8.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG) round out a veteran backcourt slated to start on Friday against the Paladins. Skunberg, a 6-5 guard, had a breakout performance for the Redbirds in the Thanksgiving Day win over Charlotte, as he posted a double-double, with 22 points and 10 boards.
Skunberg's 22 points accounted for a season-high points total and is one of three double-figure scoring performances for the North Dakota transfer this season. The 6-5 wing transferred in from a good Bison program during the off-season and has started all seven games so far this season for the Redbirds.
Kinzinger is the second-leading scorer for the Redbirds and is one of three Illinois State players averaging in double figures. The 5-11 junior point guard is now in his third successive year as part of that "glue" that has held continuity and helped build culture for Pedon's team in Normal. He finished off his sophomore season by garnering second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors last season and has started all seven games for the Redbirds this season.
Kinzinger is among the team's best perimeter threats, connecting 37.5% from three-point range this season (12-of-35) and in yesterday's win against Charlotte, it marked the first time this season that he had failed to reach double figures this season. Kinzinger connected on at least one three-pointer in 34 out of 36 games for Illinois State last season.
Rounding out the starting five is 6-6 wing guard Ty Pence, and like Kinzinger, excels as a perimeter threat for the Redbirds. Pence is a "glue guy" type for the Redbirds and has found his way into double figures twice this season, posting 14 points in a season-opening loss at Ohio, while finishing with a season-high 16 points in a lopsided win over Coastal Carolina. He has connected on 46.2% (6-of-13) from three-point land and is shooting a solid 57.1% (24-of-42) from the field so far this season.
KISSIMMEE, FL—For the second time in four years, Furman has come to the Magic Kingdom and a posted one-point win over a team from the Commonwealth of Virginia, but unlike its 68-67 win over Virginia in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at the Kia Center, which required a JP Pegues three off a steal by Garrett Hien with 2.7 seconds remaining to secure the upset, the Paladins were asked to prevent previously unbeaten Richmond from scoring twice inside the final 16 seconds to get a 73-72 win in 2025 at the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational Imagination Bracket at State Farm Fieldhouse.
It was the first meeting between Furman and Richmond since 1976 in a series in which the Paladins now hold a 35-21 edge, as the clash rekindled an old Southern Conference rivalry. The Paladins improved to 4-3 overall with its third-straight win, while Richmond suffered its first defeat of the season, falling to 5-1.
The Spiders were attempting to improve to 6-0 for the first time since 1985-86. With the win by the narrowest margins, the Paladins will face Illinois State (5-2) in Friday afternoon’s championship game slated for a 3 p.m. tip-off. The Redbirds finished off Charlotte, 79-69, in the second matchup of the afternoon.
It will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Charlotte (3-4) will now face Richmond (5-1) in the consolation game of the bracket, which will tip off at 12:30 p.m. EST on Friday afternoon. The Paladins have faced one other MVC team this season, taking on the Northern Iowa Panthers, as the Paladins dropped a 70-54 contest on the road in Cedar Falls. Illinois State has yet to face a Southern Conference foe this season.
It was Furman's defense that had to overcome its miscues down the stretch to get the win, as the Paladins turned it over on their final five possessions and connected on just 9-of-21 (33.3%) from the line, but Furman's defense was enough.
Furman got a career-high matching 26 points from Alex Wilkins, while Asa Thomas added 20, while Cooper Bowser finished with 10 to round out the Paladins in double figure scorers for the Paladins.
Wilkins finished the afternoon by connecting on 10-of-19 shots from the field, including 2-of-7 from three-point range and was 4-of-7 from the charity stripe. The true freshman guard from Mattapan, MA., added four rebounds, three assists and had one steal.
Thomas connected on 7-of-12 shots from the field and he finished 5-of-12 from long-range and was 1-for-3 from the charity stripe. Thomas hit a key three and came up with one of the defensive plays of the night, blocking Jaden Daughtry dunk attempt following a rare turnover on the other end. His corner three with 4:12 remaining gave the Paladins a nine-point, 71-62, lead off a beautiful cross-court feed from Thomas. The Paladins would get only one more field goal, which came from Wilkins, for the remainder of the game, but held on despite getting outscored 10-2 down the stretch.
"We threw the zone [1-3-1] out there a little bit and got them off rhythm a little bit but we knew that wasn't going to last forever because Chris [Mooney] is too good of a coach and they were going to figure out...We started in the 1-3-1, but he had to trust our man-to-man late and they had two cracks at it baseline out to essentially take the lead and to be honest with you it was too not good looks" head coach Bob Richey said of his defense after the one-point win over the Spiders.
The Spiders held just two leads in the game, at 3-0 after Collin Tanner connected on a three on Richmond's first shot of the game, and then at 3-2 following an Alex Wilkins runner in the lane. A Thomas three in transition on the next trip down following a Spiders turnover gave the Paladins a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the game.
Furman was able to employ a 1-3-1 zone early on to get the Spiders out of rhythm early in the game, for a team that averaged 90 points coming into the game, was held to season lows in both halves, as the Paladins held the Spiders below 40 points in both halves for the first time all season to post the one-point win. The Paladins led by as many as 15 points in the opening half (28-13) following a Wilkins three with 8:26 remaining in the half. The Spiders would whittle the lead to five, at 43-38, at the half.
In the second half, the Spiders were able to trim Furman's lead to one possession on six occasions, but could never take the lead, as the Paladins forced a shot-clock violation and Thomas blocked a shot at the rim, and then following a Richmond timeout and a review, forced a pair of tough shots from Aiden Argabright and Mike Walz on the final two shot attempts off baseline out of bounds attempts, and the Paladins held on for the one-point win.
"Coach kind of threw a curve ball there with the 1-3-1 and we thought it worked and they didn't know it was coming and we got a lot of stops at the beginning of the game and that allowed us to get out to that big lead and we kept it and that's all that matters," Furman redshirt sophomore guard Asa Thomas said.
Richmond would be led by three in double figures, as Jaden Daughtry led the Spiders with 12, while Mikkel Tyne and Will Johnston finished with 10 apiece.
The Paladins shot 51.9% (28-of-54) for the game, including a 32.0% (8-of-25) effort from three-point land. The Paladins were strong defensively all day, holding the Spiders to just 40.7% (24-of-59) from the field and just 33.3% (9-of-27) from long range, but were able to stay in the game with a 88.2% (15-of-17) effort at the charity stripe
In the second game, Illinois State was able to hold off a pesky Charlotte team to eventually come away with a 79-69 contest, leading the contest from wire-to-wire. Boden Skunberg's 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from long-range in the win. Skunberg also 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Skunberg also added 10 boards, as the 6-5 senior guard finished off a strong double-double performance.
Charlotte's Ben Bradford, who opened the season with a career-high 31 points in a win over Indiana State, led all scorers with 23 points in the 49ers setback. Bradford connected on 9-of-13 shots from the field and was 1-of-2 from long-range. He was one of two Charlotte players in double figures, as he would be joined by Major Freeman, who added 12 off the bench.
The Redbirds came out red-hot and connected on seven of their first eight shots from the field to take an early 15-5 lead. The Redbirds led by as many as 12 with a little over a minute left in the opening half, however, much like it had done for much of the afternoon, the 49ers did a nice job of keeping the talented Redbirds team from pulling away, as Major Freeman connected on a three with 42 seconds left to get Charlotte to within nine, at 43-34, at the half.
The second half would see the Redbirds grow their lead to 54-39 following a 7-0 run, and it was the Redbirds' largest lead of the afternoon. Charlotte could not get within seven points the rest of the way, and the Redbirds ended the contest with 10-straight foul shots to close out the seven-point win.
Skunberg, whose 22 points were a season-high, was joined in double figures by Chase Walker, who added 18 points and Ty'Reek Coleman added 13 points, as the Redbirds connected on 48.1% (25-of-52) from the field, including 34.8% (8-of-23) from three-point range.
The Redbirds were solid from the line, connecting at a 67.7% clip (21-of-31). Illinois State's tenacious defense for much of the game limited the 49ers to just 44.2% (23-of-52) from the field and the 49ers finished 47.4% (9-of-19) from beyond the arc.
GREENVILLE, S.C.--Head coach Bob Richey has been patiently waiting for things to begin to click for his young, but talented basketball team, and on Sunday afternoon, it was evident that things were beginning to gel accordingly, as Furman continues to gain experience against good opponents.
Sunday brought another of those opponents to Timmons Arena for a battle in the SoCon-Atlantic Sun challenge, as Queens University of Charlotte played in the refurbished arena for the first time fresh off a 101-94 win over Furman's SoCon rival UNC Greensboro just last week, but the Paladins put an end to that momentum with a 90-79 win before an announced crowd of 2,167 fans Sunday afternoon.
With the win, Furman improves 3-3 overall, while the Queens heads into Feast Week with a 3-4 mark.
Alex Wilkins led five in double figures in helping the Paladins to their first win over NCAA Division I competition this season, as he posted 23 points, seven assists, five rebounds and turned it over only twice in Furman's best and most-complete performance of the season.
Wilkins connected on 9-of-15 shots from the field and was 3-for-7 from three-point land and a perfect 2-for-2 from the line. It marked Wilkins' sixth game in double figures to start his career, posting his second 20+ scoring performance of the season. The Mattapan, MA., native posted a season-high 26 points in the Paladins' win over Columbia International earlier this season.
Charles Johnston added his fifth double-double in six games this season, as he posted 14 points and 13 rebounds, connecting on 5-of-6 shots, including going 2-of-3 from three-point range. The Sydney, Australia native was also a perfect 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. It was Johnston's sixth-consecutive double-digit rebound performance to begin the season. He also finished second on the team in total assists, dishing out four helpers without turning it over.
Cooper Bowser continued his strong play of late, adding 17 points, two rebounds, two blocks and an assist, while Eddirin Bronson added 15 points off the bench. Asa Thomas, who garnered his second-straight start, rounded out the Paladins in double figures with 12 points.
Not to be overlooked was the performance by senior wing Ben Vander Wal, who posted a +/- of +23 in Sunday's win, as he returned to the lineup after a minor injury kept him sidelined against Ohio Christian. Vander Wal delivered the ultimate "glue-guy" stat line, as he posted six points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 30 minutes of floor time.
Queens also posted five players in double figures in the game, as the preseason Atlantic Sun favorite was led by Maban Jabriel off the bench, as he posted 16 points and seven rebounds, connecting on 6-of-8 shots from the field and was 2-for-4 from three-point range. Jabriel also added two assists, a steal and a block to his well-rounded effort, logging 25 minutes off the Royals' bench.
True freshman point guard Jordan Watford and junior wing Nasir Mann added 14 points apiece, while Chris Ashby and Avantae Parker added 12 and 10 points, respectively, to round out the double figures scorers for the Royals.
The Paladins finished the game with their top shooting performance of the season, as the Paladins posted a 53.3% (32-of-60) performance from the field, including a solid 36.4% (12-of-33) effort from three-point land. About the only thing the Paladins didn't do exceptionally well was shooting from the charity stripe, as the Paladins finished the game just 66.7% (14-of-21) from the charity stripe. The 90 points scored by the Paladins were also a season high. Furman's four turnovers were also a season low.
Queens, which finished the two prior games shooting over 49% or better from the field and had hit 17 and 15 three-pointers in its previous two outings against UNC Greensboro and Sacred Heart in back-to-back wins, was held to 47.5% (28-of-59) and connected on just nine three-pointers, finishing the game connecting at a 34.6% (9-of-26) from three-point range. The Royals continued to shoot the ball well from the charity stripe this season, connecting on 82.4% (14-of-17).
The Paladins held the edge in total rebounds (36-27) and total assists (20-18), while Queens held slight edges in bench scoring (23-18), second-chance points (15-7), points from turnovers (7-5) and fast-break scoring (9-8).
How It Happened:
Furman took the early initiative, and it was Alex Wilkins that scored the first seven points of the game, as the Paladins got off to a strong start for the first time this season, and the Paladins went to the first media timeout with a 12-5 lead, including making two of their first three long-range shots.
A Collin O’Neal three-pointer gave the Paladins their largest lead of the afternoon, at 22-12. However, threes by Maban Jabriel and Chris Ashby and a free three throw by Jordan Watford got Queens back to within three, 22-19, and that is how the score would hold up as the two teams headed to their third media timeout of the opening half with 7:55 left.
The Paladins responded with a 7-0 of their own out of the media timeout, led by Alex Wilkins, who posted five of those points on a three and a driving layup, while Cooper Bowser added a strong dunk in traffic off a feed from Wilkins to stretch the lead back to 10, at 29-19 with 6:03 remaining in the opening half.
Queens cut the deficit inside of eight four times over the next three minutes, however, the Paladins would hit another strong stretch offensively in the final three minutes of the half to take a 13-point lead to the break. Back-to-back threes from Eddrin Bronson and Asa Thomas saw Furman extend its lead to 14, at 41-27, with 2:10 to play in the half, and the Paladins would eventually settle for a 45-32 halftime edge.
In the second half, Furman would push its lead to 20, at 58-38, following a strong Bowser dunk in traffic with 16:26 remaining. The Paladins remained with a comfortable advantage for most of the half, however, Queens would mount a late charge.
Leading by 19 with 6:39 remaining (79-60), the Royals made one last move to try and get back into the game, using a 10-1 run to get to within 10, highlighted by an Avantae Parker strong dunk and three-point play the old fashioned way and a conventional three in transition by Nasir Mann, which cut Furman's lead to 10, at 80-70, with 4:25 left. An Ashby three following a pair of Bowser free throws with just under four minutes remaining got the Royals to within single digits for the first time in the second half, at 82-73, with 3:55 left.
Furman followed with Tom House feeding Bowser for another strong two-handed stuff before Parker answered with a layup for Queens to cut Furman's lead to nine, at 84-75, with 3:07 remaining. However, four-straight made free throws by Bronson and Charles Johnston, which was sandwiched by a missed Asby three, took Furman's lead back to 13 and the Royals never threatened again the remainder of the game, as Furman closed out its strongest performance of the season with an 11-point win.
Furman returns to action on Thursday when it takes part in the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, FL, as the Paladins will take on the Richmond Spiders at 11 am at the State Farm Field House as a part of the "Imagination Bracket". The other two teams--Illinois State and Charlotte will play in the following matchup at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Depending on the result of its opening matchup, Furman will take the floor at either 12:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. the following day in either the consolation game or championship game of the bracket.
Furman (2-3) returns to the floor Sunday evening to take on Queens in its only game of the 2025-26 portion of the SoCon-ASun Challenge, welcoming in the Queens Royals into Timmons Arena. The Royals' most-recent win on Thursday night against UNC Greensboro gave the Atlantic Sun a narrow 6-5 lead in the series, with Saturday's three games in the challenge still pending results.
The Paladins come in off their second win of their second win of the season over an NAIA foe, knocking off Ohio Christian, 79-44, on Wednesday night at the refurbished Timmons Arena.
Furman and Queens will be meeting for the first time in series history. The Paladins defeated both of their Atlantic Sun foes they faced last season, knocking off both Jacksonville (W, 78-69) and Florida Gulf-Coast (W, 76-73) on the road last season.
Furman, which will be hosting its second NCAA Division I opponent in the newly renovated Timmons Arena, sports a 60-9 record on home hardwood since the start of the 2019-20 season, including having won 39 of its last 43 games against non-conference opposition in the friendly confines. Furman dropped a 64-61 heartbreaker to Troy in the home opener but have since claimed a pair of wins over NAIA foes on home hardwood. Furman holds a 259-109 all-time record at Timmons Arena.
QUEENS ROYALS:
Head Coach: Grant Leonard (55-52/4th season)
Record: 3-3 (0-0 Atlantic Sun)
Series with Furman: First Meeting
Queens Royals Preview: Queens is a relative newcomer to the NCAA Division I scene, however, if the 2024-25 season taught us anything about one NCAA Division I basketball's newest members, it told us that it certainly did not take long for head coach Grant Leonard's team to acclimate itself to its newest surroundings, and being an NCAA Division I basketball member.
Entering the 2025-26 season, Grant Leonard's club is one that has been picked to win the Atlantic Sun title this season. With a ranking of 134 in the latest KenPom rankings, Queens enters Sunday's contest with its highest KenPom ranking ever, entering the contest at 180.
This season, the Royals have gotten off to a 3-3 start in the early going, and that includes a 101-94 win in the most recent outing against Southern Conference, as the Royals knocked off UNC Greensboro in their first SoCon-Atlantic Sun challenge game in a game that saw five Royals end up in double figures scoring-wise.
So far in 2025-26, all three of Queens' wins have come in the friendly confines of Curry Arena, and in addition to knocking off the Spartans this past Thursday night, the Royals also have wins over the University of Lynchburg (W, 87-76), Sacred Heart University (W, 81-64) and UNC Greensboro (W, 101-94). Losses for the Royals have come on the road at Villanova (L, 74-94), at Duquesne (L, 81-87 OT) and in a neutral court opener in Rock Hill against Winthrop (L, 74-81) as a part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon.
The 2025-26 season will mark the Royals' fourth campaign as a Division I College Basketball member, and the Royals have already made their first postseason appearance in their short NCAA Division I membership, as the Royals took part in the College Basketball Invitational last March, competing in the College Basketball Invitational.
The Royals reached the 20-win plateau for the first time in program history, as the Royals knocked off Big Sky member Northern Arizona, 85-78, in Daytona Beach to move on to the quarterfinals in the 16-team tournament. Ultimately, that's where Queens' season would come to an end, however, dropping what was an 88-73 contest to Cleveland State to bow out of the tournament.
As of last season, Queens is done with the transitioning to official NCAA Division I status, so winning the league's tournament this season would see the program chart its first-ever path to an NCAA Tournament berth as a NCAA Division I member.
The 2024-25 season would see the Royals go 3-1 against Southern Conference competition, winning at VMI (W, 81-78), vs. Western Carolina (W, 67-54) and vs. Mercer (W, 73-66), while losing on the road at East Tennessee State (L, 67-82). If you add the win over UNC Greensboro to the mix, the Royals have now knocked off four of their last five SoCon opponents.
Queens is a team that plays fast and likes to get up and down, averaging 83.0 PPG through the first six games this season.
The Royals have two starters back and have done pretty well in the transfer portal plugging in replacements for the others lost to transfer or to eligibility. It all starts with one of the best players in program history, with Chris Ashby (14.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG) leading the charge for the Royals. The 6-2 guard is the Royals' lone returning all-conference player and is on the verge of setting Queens' career three-point record.
Ashby is the preseason Atlantic Sun Player of the Year, and he comes off a 2024-25 campaign which saw him set a new single-season record for three-pointers made in a single-season, as he knocked down 115 triples alone just last season.
He is on pace to set a new program standard this season, needing just 38 triples to break former standout Chris Benson's school record. His 14.8 PPG this season ranks second on the team, and he's also picked up right where he left off in terms of shooting the three, connecting on 43.1% (25-of-58) from three-point range this season.
In fact, 25 of Ashby's 28 made field goals through the first six games this season. It's nothing new for Ashby in terms of shot disparity, as he shot only 65 shots inside the arc last season, while he connected, he shot a whopping 327 shots outside the arc last season.
Ashby has scored in double figures in all six games for the Royals so far this season, and he is coming off a 18-point performance in the win over UNC Greensboro on 5-of-14 shooting from the field, which included a 5-for-12 shooting effort from three-point range.
Ashby's best performance of the season came against the University of Lynchburg, as he connected on 7-of-10 shots from the field, which included knocking down 6-of-9 from three-point range to finish the contest with a season-high 22 points. Ashby is averaging over four made three-point field goals per game this season, which ranks him in the Top 10 nationally. Coach Leonard hopes that Ashby will develop more as a well-rounded scorer this season.
The Royals most efficient ball-handler has been point guard and leader is 6-5 Jordan Watford (8.0 PPG, 3.3 APG), and unlike Furman in the early portion of the season, Watford has led a team that has taken decent care of the basketball this season.
Watford garnered his first start for the Royals last time out, and as a result, he posted his second double-figure scoring performance of the season, contributing a 13-point effort on 6-of-9 shooting from the field in a season-high 28 minutes of floor action Thursday night in the 101-94 win over the Spartans.
Watford, like Furman's Alex Wilkins, is a true freshman point guard and he is now being asked to lead a very talented offensively well-oiled machine that the Royals showcase each time they take the floor, which is why they are so highly thought of, both among the coaches that picked them to win the Atlantic Sun, as well as many of the media that cover the Atlantic Sun on a nightly basis.
The native of Lancaster, S.C., posted his only other double-digit scoring performance of the season against the University of Lynchburg, posting 16 points on a 5-for-8 shooting effort from the field, as well as knocking down the only three-point shot he took. He was also 5-of-6 from the charity stripe as a part of that 16-point performance earlier this season. Watford came out of Lancaster High School as a four-star recruit and a top 100 guard in the 2025 class, according to rivals.com.
The other returning starter for the Royals in the backcourt is 6-6 wing Yoav Berman, who is a highly skilled, do-everything type of player for the Royals. Berman joins Ashby as the two returning starters for the Royals this season, and during the off-season, Berman had some big programs sniffing around for his services, including the likes of 2024-25 national champion Florida and Big Ten member Iowa during the off-season.
Through six games this season, Leonard's efforts to if it all possible to make sure Berman stayed in Charlotte rather than matriculate to a bigger program has paid off, as he is leading the team in both scoring average (15.2 PPG) and assists (3.2 APG), while also helping shoulder even some of the load left behind with Jaxson Pollard transferring out to Samford.
Berman will remind Furman fans some of a Matt Rafferty type transformation, with he being the centerpiece of what Queens likes to do offensively. The native of Tel Aviv, Israel scored a season-high 22 points in Queens' loss at Duquesne earlier this season, but unlike Rafferty, Berman isn't exactly great when it comes to efficiency, as he has connected on just 37.7% (26-of-69) from the field and only 25.6% (10-of-39) from three-point range. Berman was a 40.4% shooter from long-range last season.
He is the team's best free throw shooter, having connected on 83% (29-of-35) from the charity stripe this season. He leads a team that shoots a solid 73.5% from the free throw line this season. He's seen his scoring improve by 7.0 PPG this season.
Another good talent set to start in the backcourt in what will be a four-guard lineup for the Royals is 6-senior wing Nasir Mann (14.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.5 APG) and like Berman, has seen his scoring production take off through the first six games of the 2025-26 season, as he went from averaging 6.6 PPG last season to averaging 14.0 PPG this season.
Prior to coming to Queens, Mann was a member of that McNeese State team that won the Southland Conference championship, and he is an explosive athlete. He is the brother of Charlotte Hornets player Tre Mann.
Mann enters Sunday's contest leading the team in rebounding. He was one of the best JUCOs in the country coming out before making his way to Lake Charles, LA., and has enjoyed several strong outings already in the 2025-26 season, which includes posting double figures in five out of six of the Royals' games this season, including a season-high 21 points in the 94-74 loss at Villanova. Mann has scored in double figures in each of his past four outings and shoots 49.2% (31-of-63) from the field and is an excellent free throw shooter (95.7%/22-of-23).
Rounding out the projected starters for the Royals entering Sunday's showdown at Timmons Arena will be Avantae Parker (10.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5 BLKs), who is coming off a game against UNCG in which he helped re-arrange the shot clock at Curry Arena after a ferocious dunk putback against the Spartans.
The 6-9 junior forward played his prep basketball in the Palmetto State at Gray Academy in Columbia and originally signed to play at Georgia Southern before transferring to Queens. During his time with the Eagles, Parker made 25 starts and 50 appearances over the course of two seasons in Statesboro.
Parker has started all six games this season, and like Furman's own Cooper Bowser, is extremely efficient under the basket, connecting on 66.7% (24-of-36) of his shots this season, with a vast majority of those being slam dunks. With five blocks on the young season, he can also act as a rim-protector on the defensive end of the floor.
As far as the rotation utilized off the bench for the Royals, look for wing Kam Clark (2.5 PPG, 1.3 RPG), 6-9 Carson Schweiger (7.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG), 6-10 Gus Larson (4.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG), and 6-9 Maban Jabriel (5.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG) to all see quality action off the bench Sunday evening for the Royals. The Royals are one of the biggest teams the Paladins will see as a part of their non-conference schedule, with both Clark and Jabriel sporting starting experience this season. Larson transferred into Queens program from the University of California, while Schweiger came from Valpo.
GREENVILLE, S.C.--Furman got a career-high 22 points from redshirt sophomore Asa Thomas, as the Paladins used offensive efficiency in the second half to join the defensive intensity the team had from the outset, in garnering a 79-44 win over NAIA Ohio Christian Wednesday night at Timmons Arena.
The win sees the Paladins improve to 2-3 on the young season, while the game counts as just an exhibition for the Trailblazers, as they remain 5-1. Wednesday night's game against a non-Division I foe marks the second of three that Furman will play this season, with the final one coming up on Dec. 9 against Bob Jones. Furman already defeated Columbia International (89-59) for its first victory of the 2025-26 season just last week.
Thomas finished the night connecting on 9-of-16 shots from the field, including going 4-for-11 from beyond the arc, while adding seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in just over 29 minutes of playing time for the evening.
Thomas was joined in double figures by Charles Johnston, who notched his fourth double-double of the season, with 15 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals and added two blocks, while Alex Wilkins finished his evening finishing in double figures for a fifth-consecutive game as a true freshman, as he posted 10 points in the Paladin win. For Johnston, his 11 rebounds marked his fifth double-digit rebounding performance of the season and also his fifth time out of five opportunities leading the Paladins on the glass.
Not to be overlooked was another extremely efficient offensive performance turned in by Cooper Bowser, who finished with eight points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting effort, which all game on dunks, as the 6-11 junior forward also added eight boards, four assists and a steal to the cause.
Furman was without senior forward and main "glue guy" Ben Vander Wal, who missed the game with a minor injury and is expected to return Sunday when the Paladins face Queens as a part of the SoCon-A-SUN Challenge.
The Trailblazers, which hung in the game throughout much of the opening half of play, were led by 5-10 guard Parker Penrod, who finished with 13 points and four assists. Penrod connected on 5-of-12 shots from the field and was 3-for-6 from long-range.
Furman finished the night with its best shooting effort of the season, connecting on 52.5% (32-of-61) from the field, which included a 29.0% (9-of-31) clip from three-point range. After starting the game 2-for-16 from three-point range, the Paladins would knock down 7-of-15 shots from long-range in the second half for what was a much-improved performance from long range. Furman did not shoot the ball well from the charity stripe, finishing the game with just 40% (6-of-15).
The Paladins played good defense throughout the game, making open looks for the visiting Trailblazers hard to come by, as Furman held its lower division opposition to just 29.6% (16-of-54) for the game, including just 29.2% (7-of-24) from three-point range. The Trailblazers also finished the contest connecting on 45.5% (5-of-11) from the charity stripe.
The Paladins finished the night holding substantial advantages in points in the paint (46-12), total rebounds (53-23), total assists (24-10), and second-chance points (19-2). Furman also finished the game with advantages in points off turnovers (14-8), fast-break points (6-5), bench scoring (20-13), and outscored the Trailblazers from the line (6-5) on four more attempts (15-11).
How It Happened:
The Paladins struggled to take care of the basketball early on in the contest, and Furman got only four shots on its first eight possessions of the night, as both the Paladins and Trailblazers went to the first media timeout of the night tied, 2-2, on baskets by Alex Wilkins for Furman and Parker Penrod for Ohio Christian. The Paladins had five turnovers before the first media timeout.
A scary moment occurred just after the first, as Trailblazers forward Landon Elmore stopped, pump faked and as he planted to go up for a shot against a defending Alex Wilkins on a breakaway layup attempt, suffered what appeared to be a non-contact, knee injury as he planted to go up for his shot attempt, and the 6-7 senior aspiring preacher from Elizabethtown, KY., suffered what appeared to be an unfortunate career-ending knee injury.
He was writhing in pain in agony and went down immediately, falling with the ball out-of-bounds to turn the ball over to Furman in the process, with 14:39 remaining in the opening half. In case you were wondering, as I was sitting there not far from the Ohio Christian bench, I heard him tell one of the Furman game operations staff, who was helping him, that he loved basketball, but his real future was in his chosen profession of being a preacher.
Thoughts and prayers certainly extended by me, as well as the entire Furman team, including head coach Bob Richey and staff, which made a nice gesture of coming over to check on the young man after the conclusion of the game.
Furman's slow start was compounded by the fact that the Paladins were without veteran Ben Vander Wal, who missed the game with a minor injury, and as a result, the Paladins looked a little out-of-sync early on. The Paladins got four points from Owen Ritger and a dunk from Cooper Bowser, but an acrobatic layup by DJ Bogay sent the two teams to the second media timeout tied, 9-9, at the second media timeout with 10:49 remaining in the half.
The Paladins would create a little distance on the scoreboard, utilizing their size, despite their shooting woes from deep, but back-to-back dunks by Bowser, as well as layups by Charles Johnston and Asa Thomas saw the Paladins create a little breathing room with a 19-15 lead at the third media timeout of the half with 6:28 to play in the first.
The Paladins would miss their first 13 shots from long range and 14 overall dating back to the UNI game before eventually making one, with Wilkins knocking down the first three at the 3:12 mark of the opening half to give the Paladins a 25-18 lead.
Furman's next three came from Tom House as time expired in the opening half to give the Paladins a 32-23 lead at the break, which was the most substantial lead of the night up to that point.
Furman would finally open up the game in the second half and its size, athleticism and talent would begin to take its toll on its undersized opposition early in the second half.
Furman, which made its final three of the opening half, to end a streak of 14-straight misses dating back to the UNI game, and a 4-of-44 effort from three over the course of 1.5 games and 17-of-91 over 2.5 games, finally seemed looked like the good shooting Furman teams that Bob Richey has normally fashioned throughout his previous eight seasons in-charge, as the Paladins knocked down their first five of six shot attempts from long-range in the second half.
That allowed the Paladins to take complete control of the game, and after Ohio Christian's Landon Brewer knocked down a three to cut Furman's lead to six, at 32-26, the Paladins commenced to go on a 22-3 run from that point, beginning with a Eddrin Bronson three from the top the key at the 18:39 mark and ending with an Abijah Franklin charity shot at the 9:41 mark, as Furman upped its lead to 25, at 54-29. Furman held the Trailblazers without a point for over seven minutes while pulling away in the process.
Furman returns to action on Sunday as part of a men's and women's basketball double-header, with the lady Paladins taking on Clemson in a game slated for a 2 p.m. tip-off at Timmons Arena, which will be followed by the men taking on Queens University as a part of the SoCon-A-Sun challenge, with tip-off set for approximately 5 p.m. EST.
CEDAR FALLS, IA--Furman connected on just 4-of-30 shots from three-point range and managed just 54 points, as the Paladins fell for the third time against NCAA Division I competition this season, as Northern Iowa evened the all-time series between the two in what was the first meeting between the two teams in 22 years, as the Panthers captured a 70-54 win over the Paladins Friday night at the McCleod Center.
With the win, Northern Iowa improved to 3-0 on the young season, while the Paladins fell to 1-3 on the young season. It’s Furman’s second double-digit setback in three games to start the season, and over last two games, the Paladins are just 15-of-75 from three-point range.
The Panthers would be led in scoring in the contest by Trey Campbell, who finished with 18 points to lead five UNI players in double figures, as the Panthers featured a well-balanced offensive output. Campbell knocked down 6-of-11 shots from the field and was 3-for-6 from three-point range and a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. Additionally, Campbell added three assists and two steals in the win.
Campbell would be joined in double figures by Ben Schwieger, who gave off the bench to add 14 points for the Panthers, while starters Leon Bond III and Tristan Smith added 13 points apiece, and Will Hornseth added 11 points and eight boards to round out the balanced offensive effort from the Panthers.
Furman was led by junior center Cooper Bowser, who posted 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, while adding four rebounds, two blocks and an assist to his overall totals for the night. Charles Johnston added a double-double of 11 points, 10 rebounds and an assist, while shooting 3-of-7 from three-point range. The rest of the team shot just 1-of-23 from long-range in the game.
True freshman point guard Alex Wilkins also finished in double figures, finishing with 10 points and four assists, as he connected on 4-of-14 shots from the field, but was 0-of-9 from three-point land.
For the game, the Panthers ended the night connecting on 46.3% (25-of-54) from the field but were just 30.0% (6-of-20) from long-range themselves. UNI did knock down 14-of-17 attempts from the charity stripe, which converted to an 82.4% clip from the charity stripe.
The Paladins finished the night connecting on just 39.3% (22-of-56) from the field and just 13.3% (4-of-30) from three-point range and were 6-of-11 from the free throw line. Furman owned advantages in points in the paint (34-30) and second-chance points (6-5), while UNI held advantages in points from turnovers (13-11), fast-break points (5-2), bench points (15-9), total rebounds (35-33), and total assists (11-10).
How It Happened:
Furman and Northern Iowa played it close to the vest early in the game, with each team struggling shooting-wise early on, and Furman jumped out to an early 8-5 lead following a pair of Cooper Bowser buckets, however, the Panthers responded with a 15-4 run to take a 20-12 lead following a nice mid-range jumper from Leon Bond III to force a Furman timeout at the 9:09 mark of the opening half.
Furman would battle back and after missing its first 10 threes of the game, finally broke the ice from long range when Charles Johnston knocked down a three in transition following a Ben Vander Wal steal, cutting the UNI lead back to five. However, back-to-back jumpers and a free throw gave the Panther a brief double-digit lead before a pair of Furman buckets by Bowser and Alex Wilkins to get the deficit back to six. However, the Panthers would take a 27-19 lead to final media timeout of the half following short jumper All-Missouri Valley Conference guard Trey Campbell.
Off the timeout, a Ben Schweiger three with the shot clock winding down was followed by a Tristan Smith hook shot in the paint extending the Panthers to their largest lead of the night, at 32-19 with just under three minutes remaining in the half. A little over a minute later, Smith’s layup extended the lead to 15 before a Charles Johnston three cut it back to 12 and that’s where the score would remain at the half, as the Panthers took a 36-24 lead into the half. Furman finished the opening half of play connecting on just 2-of-17 from three-point range in the opening half of play.
The second half would begin with a technical foul, as Furman was issued a technical foul as a result of Eddrin Bronson not being written in the official stats manual before the start of the game. That would lead to a free throw for the Panthers without any time elapsing off the clock, and increasing the Panthers lead to 13, at 37-24.
Trailing by 15 in the early portions of the second half, the Paladins would trim the Panthers lead to 10, at 45-35, following a layup by Bronson at the 11:16 mark of the second stanza. However, UNI produced its most decisive run of the night following Bronson's layup, utilizing a 10-0 run, which began with a Ben Schwieger three-pointer with the shot clock winding down and ended with an alley-oop slam from Tristan Smith off a feed from RJ Taylor, as the UNI lead ballooned to 20, at 55-35, with 8:36 remaining.
Furman could get no closer than 15 points for the remainder of the night, watching as UNI's lead would increase to as much as 23 points, at 63-40, with 4:01 left after Campbell knocked down a baby jumper in the lane.
The Paladins return to action next Wednesday night, Nov. 19, hosting Ohio Christian with tip-off for that contest slated for 7 p.m. EST at Timmons Arena.
Series: Furman leads 1-0/First meeting since Dec. of 2003
How To Watch: ESPN+
Historical Background and Overview
For the first time this season, Furman will head out for a true road test and specifically, the McCleod Center, to take on the Northern Iowa Panthers, as the Paladins start their season off in the same conference destination that they started the 2024-25 campaign, which is inside a Missouri Valley Conference venue.
Last season, the Paladins opened with their first true road test at the Curb Events Center against Belmont, where Furman would end up coming away with a 76-74 win, which was the first of a school-record tying 12 wins away from Timmons Arena last season.
The Paladins have racked up 74 true road wins over the past nine seasons, and head into a tough environment Friday night against UNI.
As far as the series is concerned, it will mark the second all-time meeting between Furman and Northern Iowa on the basketball hardwood, with the only other meeting coming in the 2003-04 campaign, which is one that would see the Panthers post an impressive 21-10 season, including a 12-6 finish in the Missouri Valley, which was good enough for second in the MVC. The Paladins were able to post what was a 64-55 win over the Panthers on that occasion.
Much like Furman's current crop of talented freshmen, the 2003-04 team had a freshman class assembled by then top assistant Niko Medved, that could at least rival the current rookie class of talent brought in by Bob Richey and staff.
Two of those freshmen--Robby Bostain (Duluth, GA), Quan Prowell (Columbus, GA) and Eric Webb (St. Paul, Minn), were instrumental in helping the Paladins pull out the impressive nine-point road win at West Gymnasium. Bostain led the way with a then career-high 18 points, while Prowell, who would go on to SoCon Freshman of the Year honors, finishes with 13 and Eric Webb added 11. All told, the aforementioned freshman trio combined to score 44 of the Paladins' 62 points in leading them to a huge road win.
To Furman fans, UNI is probably more known for its football successes, with much of those coming under the direction of former head coach Mark Farley, who retired as the head coach of the Panthers last season. He took the Panthers to the FCS National title game in 2005, losing to Appalachian State, 21-16, in the national title game in Chattanooga.
It would be the first of three titles for the Mountaineers. UNI was also the alma mater of NFL Hall-of-Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, who played for both the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl, which included winning one with the Rams in 2000. He was also the quarterback of the Cardinals when they made their lone appearance in the Super Bowl in 2009, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
UNI is widely regarded as one of the top programs to have never won the national title at the FCS level, and despite both Furman and UNI's success on the gridiron, somehow the two have not crossed paths with one another in the FCS Playoffs.
But aside from its success as a football program, Northern Iowa has also established itself as a pretty strong basketball program in the Missouri Valley Conference over the years, especially under the direction of Ben Jacobsen, who is in his 20th season as the head coach.
The Panthers are in their 125th season as a program, and in its 124th season a year ago, the Panthers were winners of 20 games (20-13) and ended up with an impressive 14-6 record in MVC play, which was good enough for a third-place finish in what is perennially one of the toughest mid-major basketball conferences in college hoops.
Despite the strong season a year ago, the Panthers would get upset in the quarterfinals of the MVC Tournament against No. 11 seed Valparaiso, 64-63, as UNI saw its tournament run come to an end much earlier than anticipated with the setback.
Like Furman, the Panthers were good enough to garner an invite to the NIT, where also like Furman, the Panthers would fall in the opening round of the tournament in the Lone Star State, as the Panthers were in Dallas where they would drop a 73-63 contest to the Mustangs.
Furman was, of course, in Denton for its NIT opening round clash, where it fell by an almost identical score, dropping a 75-64 contest to the Mean Green. High expectations have been a part of both programs DNA in the recent past.
Since its inception as a basketball program back the early 1900s, the UNI Panthers have registered over 1,400 wins in now what is its 125th season of basketball, and have made one more NCAA Tournament berth than Furman has in its 118-year history of basketball, as the Paladins have won just shy of 1,400 times (1,388) in its rich basketball history.
Overall, the Panthers have made a total of 19 postseason appearances in various tournaments, won four MVC regular-season titles, five MVC Tournament crowns and have totaled exactly 1,427 wins in the program's history.
Former Northern Iowa guard and current Colorado State Head Coach Ali Farokmanesh
One of the more memorable moments from UNI lore is the 2009-10 Panthers team, which was led by Ali Farokmanesh, who hit a late three to seal one of more memorable "March Moments" in tournament history, leading the Panthers to a 69-67 win over the No. 1 seeded Kansas Jayhawks as the No. 8 seeded Panthers made a run to the Sweet Sixteen before eventually seeing the magic carpet ride come to an end with a 59-52 loss to Michigan State, in what was a great tournament for fans of mid-major basketball.
Farokmanesh's heroics were part of one of the greatest teams in program history, and the 30 wins are only the second-best win total for the program in its decorated basketball history, as UNI would post a 31-4 record, which included a 16-2 mark in the MVC some five years after Farokmanesh's history-making shooting effort vs. Kansas.
However, that 2014-15 Panthers team won just one postseason game, knocking off No. 12 Wyoming in the opening round as the No. 5 seed, with a 71-54 opening round win. The Panthers would eventually get bounced from the tournament with a 66-53 loss to defending national champion Louisville in the Round of 32.
Farokmanesh is now the new head coach of Colorado State after former Furman head coach and assistant coach in two different stints--Niko Medved--assumed the head coaching position at Minnesota during the off-season. Instead of taking Farokmanesh with him to Minneapolis, he left him in Colorado Springs to assume the head coaching post for the Rams.
As for UNI's Ben Jacobsen (376-245), he has been the head coach on the two best teams in program history and is to no one's surprise also the most successful head coach in program history.
Previewing the Panthers:
Entering Friday night's contest against the Paladins, UNI has gotten off to a 2-0 start to the season, having posted wins over Cal State Northridge (W, 86-57) and South Dakota State (W, 65-58), as the Paladins will mark UNI's third home game to start out the 2025-26 season.
The Panthers came into the season with three returning starters to the fold, with senior guard Trey Campbell (10.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 5.0 APG), senior guard Max Weisbrod (7.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG) and 6-8 forward Ben Schwieger (10.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG) highlighting the list of veterans returning for the 2025-26 season. If you include junior guard RJ Taylor (2.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG) and redshirt junior wing Leon Bond III (17.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG), there are a full five Panthers returning to the fold that have starting experience, and like Troy, the Panthers are a team that enters Friday night's clash against the Paladins with a wealth of overall experience returning to the fold.
That meant that, like with Furman, who returned seven regulars from the rotation from a team that won 25 games a year ago, there would also be some lofty expectations for a UNI team that had so much continuity and leadership returning off a team that won 20 games and made an NIT appearance last season. So, it was of little surprise when the Panthers were selected to finish second overall in the preseason Missouri Valley Basketball poll.
It all starts with Campbell for the Panthers. The senior point guard will be the third really good point guard the Paladins will have faced this season, with each NCAA Division I point guard having been a challenge thus far. High Point brought in Rob Martin from SEMO, and his quickness gave the Paladins fits in the opener, while Troy's Cooper Campbell was a difference maker and a shot-maker in the Trojans win at Timmons Arena last Friday night.
Martin scored 22 points in the opener to lead the Panthers to a 97-71 win in the season opener in the Field of 68's Opening Day Marathon, while Campbell's 21 points and timely perimeter shooting was enough to power the Trojans to a 64-61 win over the Paladins last Friday at Timmons Arena.
It all starts with Campbell, of course, who is UNI's Rob Martin and Cooper Campbell all rolled into one. In fact, as good as HPU's Martin or Troy's Campbell were, UNI's Trey Campbell might be even better than those two.
Through the first two games this season, Campbell is averaging 10.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 5.0 APG, with five turnovers in the first couple of outings for the Panthers in 2025-26. Campbell comes off a 2024-25 season in which he was a third-team All-Missouri Valley selection at guard for the Panthers and appeared and started all 33 games for UNI, averaging 11.3 PPG in 29.5 minutes-per-game.
As a perimeter threat, there were none better than Campbell last season shooting the basketball for UNI, as he finished the season connecting on 72 threes and shot 42.9% from downtown last season (72-of-168). Campbell did struggle a little last time out in the win over South Dakota State, as he went just 2-of-12 from the field and finished with just seven points against the Jackrabbits.
It was a rare off shooting night for the senior point guard and included in that 2-of-12 effort against the Jackrabbits was just 1-for-5 from three-point range in the win. It was the 100th game in a UNI uniform for the senior point guard, and it also marked his 65th-consecutive start.
In the 29-point win in the opener against Cal State-Northridge, Campbell finished with 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the field, including a 3-for-9 effort from long-range.
Helping share the double-figure scoring load with Campbell so far this season are wing Leon Bond III and forward Tristan Smith (13.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG). Bond and Smith have been the Panthers leading scorers through the first couple of outings this season. Smith is a 6-5, 230-lb graduate transfer from Concordia (Neb.), which is an NAIA program that he helped lead Concordia to the second round of the national tournament last season, and it was a 2024-25 season that would see Smith set a school record for points in a season at Concordia, posting 677 total points for the season. Smith averaged 20.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 4.2 APG during his final season at Concordia.
Through his first two games as a Panthers player, he has posted 10 and 16 points, respectively, and is a combined 9-of-15 shooting (60%) from the field in his first two games at UNI. He was impressive the last time out in UNI's win over South Dakota State, posting 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and was 8-for-11 shooting from the charity stripe in the game.
During his final season at Concordia, Smith racked up 12 double-doubles and blocked multiple shots in 18 games. He has one block in two games so far this season but is an excellent on the defensive end of the floor.
Bond III is one of the returning veterans for the Panthers and through two games, he's been the most reliable scoring option, at 17.0 PPG. Bond opened the season with 23 points against Cal State Northridge, which came on a 9-of-14 shooting effort, including a 5-for-8 shooting performance from three-point range. In UNI's most recent outing against South Dakota State, Bond added 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, including a 2-for-4 effort from three-point range.
Bond has proven to be the Panthers most prolific three-point threat through the first two outings this season, as he connected on 7-of-12 shots from long-range, which converts to a blistering 58.3% shooting clip in two games.
The 6-5 redshirt junior wing is coming off a 2024-25 campaign, which saw him start 21 contests for the Panthers, averaging 9.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG, shooting an impressive 55.6% from the field. He would suffer a season-ending injury to cut his season short, scoring in double figures six times before an injury would ultimately cut his season short. Last season was Bond's first for the Panthers after spending his freshman season (2023-24) at Virginia. Bond appeared in 24 games for the Cavaliers as a redshirt freshman, averaging 4.3 PPG and 2.8 RPG. He redshirted the 2022-23 in Charlottesville, which also happened to be the Furman team that UVA lost to in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, 68-67.
Bond showed he could be a prolific scorer last season in a 104-76 non-conference win over Montana, as he posted 37-point effort on 12-of-15 shooting from the field, including going 4-for-5 from three-point range and a perfect 9-of-9 at the charity stripe. He also added three rebounds, two steals and a block in 35 minutes of work in the 28-point win over the Grizzlies in the mid-December win last season.
Sophomore forward Will Hornseth (8.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG) and 6-4 senior guard Max Weisbrod round out what appear to be the projected starters for the Panthers heading into Friday night's contest. Hornseth is in his second season in Cedar Falls, and the 6-8, 230-lb native of De Pere, Wisconsin, saw action in every game last season for the Panthers, and was a highly efficient post presence, but wasn't a big-time scorer, averaging just 5.0 PPG last season. However, he managed to post an impressive 68.3% shooting clip from the field last season for the Panthers.
All told, Hornseth logged action in 33 games, with one start last season, averaging 14.7 MPG. His 68% shooting clip last season for UNI was remarkable, and a single-season record, as he finished the campaign with 165 total points, and scored a season and career-high 12 points in what was a 79-68 win over Missouri State last season.
So far this season, Hornseth has started both outings against Cal State Northridge and South Dakota State and matched his career-high of 12 points last time out against the Jackrabbits, as he finished with 12 points in 32 minutes of floor time. Hornseth connected on 6-of-9 shots from the field, adding four rebounds and a pair of blocks. It was arguably the best all-around performance of Hornseth's UNI career. About the only thing Hornseth struggled to do was shoot free throws, as was 0-of-3 from the line against South Dakota State. In two games this season, Hornseth has picked up where he left off a year ago, connecting on 72.7% (8-of-11) of his shots from the field.
Weisbrod is kind of like UNI's version of Ben Vander Wal, or the Panthers version of the ultimate "glue guy." Weisbrod does all the dirty work for the Panthers, whether it be diving after a loose ball on the floor, or taking a charge. Weisbrod moved into the starting lineup late in the 2024-25 season after Leon Bond III suffered what would prove to be a season-ending injury.
The 6-4 senior guard transferred into UNI prior to last season after spending two seasons at Northern Michigan after helping his former program to its first regular-season conference title since 1992-93 season, which included an appearance in the Division II NCAA Tournament, starting all 30 games during the 2023-24 season.
In his first season with the Panthers, Weisbrod appeared in all 33 games, including making starts in the final 12, averaging 5.9 PPG (195 points), 1.9 RPG (63 rebounds) and 1.5 APG (52 assists), while posting 0.5 SPG (17 steals).
Along with being a glue guy and excellent defensive presence for the Panthers, Weisbrod also excels as a perimeter shooter, and he's connected on a blistering 41.0% (48-of-117) from three-point land in his two seasons with the Panthers.
Much like Campbell, Weisbrod is a player that the Paladins must be aware of at all times from the perimeter, as Furman has to find a way to limit the open looks Weisbrod gets from long-range to have a shot to pull off a huge true road win Friday night.
Weisbrod connected on 46 triples last season and finished out the campaign scoring in double figures six times, including a season-high 18 points in one of the most impressive wins of the 2024-25 season for the Panthers--an 83-69 triumph over a Bradley team that was receiving votes in the AP Top 25 poll--and in that game Weisbrod posted a 6-for-9 effort from the field, including a 5-for-7 effort from three-point land.
In the first two games this season, Weisbrod has posted six and nine points, respectively, in contests against Cal State Northridge and South Dakota State, nearly doubling his minutes from the opener against the Jackrabbits, as he logged 30 minutes of floor time against South Dakota State. Weisbrod finished 3-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range in the seven-point win. He also added four rebounds, two assists and a steal in the win for the Panthers.
The Panthers have featured roughly an eight-man rotation in the first couple of games this season, with 6-8 forward Ben Schwieger, 5–11-point guard RJ Taylor, and 6-5 junior forward Kyle Pock () all seeing key minutes off the bench through the first two games this season for the Panthers.
Schwieger was a reliable option as a "sixth man" off the bench for the Panthers in both games this season. He's been an impact player ever since arriving as a transfer from Loyola Chicago prior to the 2024-25 season. He entered the 2025-26 season on the MVC Preseason Watch List and is coming off a season in which he saw action in all 33 games for the Panthers, including having made 25 starts.
Schwieger averaged 9.9 PPG last season, scoring a career-high 328 points in a single-season. Like Weisbrod and Campbell, Schwieger is an effective threat from three-point range, connecting on 30-of-82 shots from long-range a year ago, while connecting on 49.2% (118-of-240) a year ago.
Schwieger opened the season with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists in the opener against Cal State Northridge, while following that up with seven points, five rebounds and one block in 23 minutes of work against South Dakota State last time out. Through the first two games, Schwieger is shooting 58.3% (7-of-12) from the field and 33.3% (1-of-3) from long range.
The one real interesting player for the Panthers is RJ Taylor, who is a player that saw his 2024-25 campaign cut short due to an Achilles Tendon tear just eight games into the campaign. He provides added support as a backup behind Campbell at the point. Like Schwieger, Taylor was also a member of the preseason MVC Preseason Watch List and started all eight games before that unfortunate injury brought his season to a premature end.
Taylor is one of UNI's better on-ball defenders as well, and posted five points, two rebounds, and one assist in 13 minutes off the bench against Cal State Northridge, while posting a steal and a rebound in eight minutes of work against South Dakota State.
Through two games this season, the Panthers are averaging 75.5 PPG while surrendering 57.5 PPG, shooting a combined 50% (56-of-112) from the field and 39.2% (20-of-51) from three-point range, while limiting foes to just 37.9% (39-of-103) from the field and just 25.6% (11-of-43) from three-point range. The Panthers currently rank 101 in KenPom's latest rankings (as of Nov. 13, 2025) and are projected to defeat the Paladins, 76-67, on their home court with a 79% chance of winning the game.
While I am not surprised the Panthers are projected as heavy favorites, it is a little surprising that the Panthers are nine-point favorites, which is the largest projected victory of any foe Furman is projected to lose of its 10 KenPom predicted losses remaining on the 2025-26 schedule.
Noting the Paladins:
--Furman has not shot the ball well from three-point range, connecting on just 28.4% (27-of-95) from long-range through the first three games of the season, including an 11-of-45 effort from long-range last time out vs. Columbia International in what was a 30-point win (89-59) over the NAIA foe. The Paladins have also shot the ball at just a 42.6% (78-of-183) through the first three games.
--The Paladins have turned it over 48 times in comparison to 45 assists through the first three outings. By comparison, the Paladins had just 40 turnovers and 52 assists through the first three games last season. However, there was a substantial improvement last time out, with just nine turnovers after having posted 39 of their 48 turnovers in the first two games of the season in losses to High Point (L, 71-97) and Troy (L, 61-64).
--Furman has 74 true road wins over the last nine seasons, including tying a school record with 12 true road wins last season. The 74 true road wins over the past nine seasons ranks fifth in the country behind only Vermont (87), Belmont (85), UC Irvine (79) and UNCG (76).
--After committing 39 turnovers and allowing opponents to shoot a combined 50.4% in the first two games of the season, Furman rebounded nicely in the win over Columbia International, holding its NAIA foe to 38.5% shooting for the game, turning it over just nine times in the 89-59 win over the Rams.
--Furman's dynamic freshman guard Alex Wilkins has posted 11, 16 and 26 points in his first three games as a Paladin, with his 26-point effort against Columbia International marking the most point scored by a true freshman Devin Sibley dropped 26 points on Feb. 14, 2015, in a 66-59 road loss at ETSU. The true freshman and four-star recruit out of Mattapan, Mass., is averaging 17.7 PPG, 4.0 APG, shooting 40% (6-of-15) from three-point range, and is a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe through the first three games of the season.
--Through three games this season, Furman has shot 12 more free throws (54-42) as compared to the first three games last season, and that has included seeing the Paladins score six more points (38-32) from the charity stripe this season, shooting 70.7% (38-of-54) through the first three games this season.
--Furman has won 224 games since the start of the 2015-16 season, which is more than any team in the SoCon over that same span.
--Furman enters ranked 162 (as of Nov. 13, 2025) in the latest KenPom rankings
Furman's Probable Starting Five
G Alex Wilkins (17.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 4.0 APG)
G Tom House (5.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG)
F Ben Vander Wal (6.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG)
F Cooper Bowser (9.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 SPG)
