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| Furman redshirt sophomore Clay Mounce ties career-high |
GREENVILLE, S.C.--Redshirt sophomore forward Clay Mounce matched a career-high with 26 points to lead four in double figures, as 23rd-ranked Furman downed UNC Wilmington, 93-50, in non-conference basketball action Saturday afternoon in front of a raucous crowd of 2,457 on hand at Timmons Arena.
With the win, the Paladins improve to 12-0 overall, and become the the first team in the nation to reach 12 victories. The Paladins improved to 7-0 at Timmons Arena this season and closed out the year strong in the friendly confines, and now have won 10-straight in the facility. UNC Wilmington, which was playing its first game in 10 days, dropped to 4-7 on the 2018-19 season.
Mounce finished with 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field, including 6-for-11 from three-point range in the win. Additionally, the native of Elkin, N.C., finished with five assists, two blocks and two steals in addition to his game-high point total. Mounce had a 26-point performance in the Paladins' overtime win over Gardner-Webb earlier this season.
Senior forward Matt Rafferty kept his streak alive of double-figure scoring performances, notching his 12th-straight game in double figures to open the season, and his sixth double-double in the opening 12 ball games. He finished the night with 13 points, 11 rebounds, dished out seven assists, recorded four steals and blocked two shots. He played 28 minutes and took only seven shots, finishing the game going 5-of-7 from the field, including 1-for-1 from three-point land. Rafferty missed a triple-double by just three assists.
After going scoreless against Charleston Southern, Jordan Lyons found his shot midway through the second half, posting 16 points, four assists and a steal. Rounding out the Paladins in double figures in the contest was Alex Hunter, who posted 14 points, three assists and three steals. It was the third-straight game for Hunter in double figures.
Furman would get 19 of its 40 first-half points from Mounce, taking a 40-23 lead into the halftime locker room. The second half would see the Seahawks get interested, cutting the Paladin lead to as lottle as 10 on three occasions early in the second half, however, the Paladins would respond in a big way. With the Paladins holding a 45-35 following a Davontae Cacok dunk off an alley-oop with 15:33 remaining in the game, Furman would proceed to take over the basketball game.
Following the Cacok slam, Furman would get a Lyons three pointer with 14:45 left. That would be the start of a 42-9 run that would see Furman provide its largest margin of victory over a Division I opponent this season., as the Paladins won going away by 43 points. It was Furman's largest home court win since an 85-37 win over Western Carolina on Jan. 25, 2017.
It was a defensive effort worthy of praise for the Paladins, especially against one of the nation's top post players, in Cacok, who came into the game averaging 14.9 PPG and 11.7 RPG. While he was the Seahawks lone player in double figures, he was held well under both averages, with 11 points and only five boards. The Paladins had a game plan vs one of mid-major's top players coming into the matchup.
"We tried fronting him from the post and eliminating his catches was one of our main goals and we went to double him if he caught it down low also. You know the kid's a beast and he's tough to play against but that was our main goal to limit his catches and keep him off the glass and get back in transition as well and those are the three things he does best," senior forward Matt Rafferty said.
It was a physical Furman team that met the Seahawks in Timmons Arena Saturday afternoon and one that head coach Bob Richey noted after the game.
"That was fun - one of our most complete performances of the year. I thought the most impressive thing was the fact that we were great teammates today," Furman coach Bob Richey said. "It permeated through the whole game. I thought our bench brought a ton of energy. I thought we were determined to be connected defensively and that's where it started."
Furman held major advantages in points in points off turnovers (25-2), fast break points (34-7), assists (24-11), field goal percentage (47.4%-35.0%), blocks (7-1) and total rebounds (47-36). Furman also held advantages in points in the paint (38-26), bench points (20-16) and second chance points (17-9).
Cacok was the only Seahawks player in double figures with 11 points and five boards. Cacok finished the night connecting on 5-of-9 shots from the field.
For me, Furman's performance Saturday solidified its Top 25 ranking, which is something that, as an attempting to be objective journalist, I tried to do. I held out until Saturday. I can no longer question this Furman basketball team and its worthiness of being mentioned among the nation's 25 elite teams. Saturday was a game-changer for me. I questioned that ability, but now I don't.
Furman returns to action Friday when it faces LSU in Baton Rouge. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. EST.
Notes:
-- Furman improved to 7-0 at Timmons Arena and 45-8 since the start of the 2015-16 season. The Paladins have won 10-straight games at home dating back to last season.
--Furman is now 3-0 as a ranked team
--Furman is one of nine undefeated teams in the nation, and continues its best start to a season by any SoCon team since 1963-64.
--Furman has won 18 of its last 19 regular-season games dating back to last season, including having won 18-straight. The 12-game winning streak to open the season is the longest streak for the Paladins since the 1952-53 season.
Clay Mounce and Matt Rafferty postgame comments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=3iJx_v2fSTg
Bob Richey postgame comments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iJx_v2fSTg
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