Furman's Andrew Brown has truly lived March Madness

Furman senior guard Andrew Brown

The life of an NCAA Division I men’s college basketball player is usually defined by what he does on the court in what the fans and media like to refer to as March Madness.

However, for Furman senior guard Andrew Brown, life off the court has provided its own share of madness in the month of March.

Specifically over the past six years, that date on the calendar has been March 20, and its the type of madness he’d rather avoid for the rest of his life.

After all, Brown’s March Madness last year was spent fighting for his life--not surviving in any one of college basketball’s one-and-done postseason tournaments. It took survive and advance to a whole new level.

Six years to the day prior to last week’s 76-70 NIT loss to Wichita State, Furman guard experienced the first of what would be several hurdles that had to be cleared before he could see the completion of what was an outstanding career in a Furman basketball uniform.

Brown’s toughness was part of the DNA of the Paladin basketball team in 2018-19, and it’s no wonder that he, along with his battle-hardened, gritty roommate and best friend Matt Rafferty, were able to elevate the Furman basketball program to unprecedented heights over their respective four-year careers at Furman.

The duo would be the bedrock of a class that won a school-record 90 games over a four-year span, finishing with a final mark of 90-46 when the buzzer sounded for the final time of their careers Wednesday night at Timmons Arena.

On March 20, 2018, Brown was fighting for his life due to complications from hernia surgery, which had inadvertantly perforarated his intestine. After a stroke two years prior to his arrival at Furman, and then surgery gone wrong some six years later on the same date, it probably would have seemed fitting if the Travelers Rest, S.C., product called it a career.

Easy, however, was not what Brown or this team were about all season, and its not something any of the Furman quartet has been about throughout their respective careers as Paladins.

“You know it’s funny, yesterday my mom texted me and said you know what tomorrow is, and I said gameday,“ Brown said. “She said no, it’s the anniversary of your stroke and your surgery stuff last year and it shows you how far...how far something can come in a year...A year ago, I wasn’t really thinking about basketball and that was kind of the last thing on my mind, and to see the season we’ve had and how far we’ve come to make the NIT and I know we had are minds set on the NCAA Tournament, but making the NIT is really special,”Brown added.

Only months after returning to 100% health, Brown would suffer another blow at the tail end of summer workouts. In mid-August, Brown suffered a fractured foot in practice.

The only thing that was good about the injury was the fact that it was one that was less severe than some foot fractures, allowing his return sometime in mid-late October, which was just in time for the start of the 2018-19 season.

On Nov. 6, the Paladins opened what would turn out to be the best in school history by hosting Division II Bob Jones at Timmons Arena.

Brown started the game and finished with six points and three rebounds. It was the start of his final season for Furman, and he seemed to be out finally 100% healthy for the first time since in
the middle of the 2018 season. He commented with a big smile and a sense of relief on his face following Furman’s lopsided 102-48 win in the season opener.

“It felt really good to be back out there. You kinda take this stuff for granted to go out there and play basketball and I can’t take it for granted anymore and it was a lot of fun to get out there and have fun with these guys and the rest of the team. It was just fun and enjoyed every second of it.”

Then came Nov. 9. That excitement and relief on Brown’s face following the home-opening win over Bob Jones was followed by anguish and concern early in the first half of Furman’s 60-58 road win over Final Four participant Loyola Chicago.

It turned out that Brown re-fractured the same foot, and his immediate status for the remainder of the 2018-19 basketball season was unknown.

With Brown’s fate to be decided by the team physician on whether a return was reality or not, Furman head coach Bob Richey was forced to remove the redshirt off of talented freshman Jalen Slawson for the immediate future.

After being cleared to play and following the complete fusion of the bone, Brown returned a month later to the Paladin lineup in a road contest at USC Upstate. By now, the Paladins were 9-0 and ranked for the first time in school history, at 9-0.

Brown would see only 12 minutes, and even favored his foot at times in the contest. But, in time, he would learn to trust that he would not injure it again.

With Brown back, however, the lineup and team dynamic changed back to what it had been coming into the season. With Furman playing so well, head coach Bob Richey had to make a tough decision.

That decision was telling Brown he would no longer be in the starting lineup, but rather coming off the bench. Richey told Brown he would be the top man coming off the bench for the Paladins. Brown, as he had done with everything that has happened over the past six years, took it in stride.

In his second game back this season, Brown was rewarded for his patience, tenacity and perserverance to return to the floor for the Paladins. He helped No. 23 Paladins to a 10-0 start by posting 16 points off the bench.

“We were 10-0. It wasn’t like we needed some huge spark.I was feeling good today and some shots were falling. The guys kept looking for me and that’s what it’s about. It’s about finding the right guy for that night,” Brown added.

It was obvious that Brown didn’t have any trouble adjusting to his new role not being in the starting lineup, with his 16 points marking one of eight double-figure performances during his final season as a Paladin.

Brown poured in 15 points in Furman’s first loss of the season, which was on the road at current Sweet Sixteen bound LSU. He also posted one of his best performances in a road loss in early January at eventual SoCon unbeaten and tournament champion Wofford, totaling 10 points in the 59-54 setback to the Terriers.

The senior from Travelers Rest, S.C., also was a key in more some of Furman’s best victories this season. In the 30-point home win over East Tennessee State, Brown posted a season-high 17 points and in Furman’s opening round, Southern Conference Tournament win over Mercer, he finished with 14.

Unfortunately, postseason basketball is unpredictable, and for Brown, he and the rest of the Paladins were hoping to make a deep run in the National Invitational Tournament, however, it wasn’t in the cards.

In his final game for the Paladins, Brown got in foul trouble early on in the contest, and he never was able to find an offensive rhythm, finishing scoreless.

He will be remembered as one of Furman’s most efficient three-point shooters in the history of the program, however. The hometown product finished his career with 163 triples, and shot the ball at a 41.9% clip for his career, which is second-best in program history.

In many ways, Brown’s tenacity and toughness were easily discernible, but it was his perserverance and humility that give you an idea what the 2018-19 Paladins were about and why they elevated the program to new heights with a program-best 25 wins.

He was part of a senior class of four players that led by serving, which is the mantra that Furman basketball exhibited night in and night out in 2018-19, ending with more wins than any other in school history. That's the way you wanna go out.

Kentucky survives good battle from Wofford

Wofford's Keve Aluma (right) and Kentucky's Reid Travis (left) battle for the basketball

On the heels of breaking the career-record for three-point field goals, senior guard Fletcher Magee went 0-for-12 from three-point range, and scored just eight points, as No. 7 Wofford fell in a 62-56 game to No. 2 Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Veterans Memorial Arena.

With the win, Kentucky improves to 29-6 on the season, and will face the winner of Houston-Ohio State coming up tomorrow afternoon. The loss for the Terriers snapped a nation-best 21-game winning streak, and Wofford concludes its 2018-19 season with a 30-5 overall mark. The Terriers are the first Southern Conference member to win 30 or more games since North Carolina State did so during the 1950-51 campaign, and are just the third team to ever achieve the feat in the rich history of the Southern Conference.

Despite Magee's struggles, the Terriers came out and played well early on in the contest, scoring the first five points of the game on a jumper from Nathan Hoover and a three-pointer from senior forward Cameron Jackson, as the ball caromed high off the back iron and down back through the net for a three-pointer, as things seemingly were good at that point in the contest for Wofford.

The Terriers would build as much as a 24-18 lead late in the first half, following three made foul shots from Nathan Hoover with 4:23 remaining in the opening half. From this point, however, the Wildcats would take control of the contest, and closed the half on a 10-2 run to take a narrow 28-26 lead into the halftime locker room.

Three-straight baskets by Reid Travis, J.R. Baker, and a steal by Ashton Hagans from behind on Matthew Pegram, as he poked the ball free and went down for an un-contested layup prompted a Mike Young timeout, and tied the game, 24-24, with 1:28 remaining in the half.

Following a Storm Murphy missed jumper, Nick Richards corralled the rebound for Kentucky, and Travis was fouled on the other end. He knocked down a pair of foul shots to give Kentucky its first lead of the game, 28-26, with 1.6 seconds remaining in the half. Nathan Hoover's 70-foot heave at the buzzer just missed, and the Wildcats clung to a two-point, 28-26, lead at the half.

Wofford would assume the lead early in the second half, as Cameron Jackson, Hoover and Magee scored six-straight points to help Wofford re-assume the lead, 35-32, with 17:02 remaining.

However, Kentucky would respond with a 13-2 run to take its largest lead of the contest, at 45-37, following a Keldon Johnson layup with 12:11 remaining. Wofford would call a 30-second timeout. Following that timeout, the Terriers would slice the Kentucky lead back to four, at 45-41, on baskets by Jackson by Aluma with 10:42 remaining.

From that point, however, the Wildcats would push its lead to its largest of the day, using consecutive possessions, while holding Wofford scoreless on consecutive possessions. A three-point play the old-fashioned way by Hagans and a pair of Tyler Herro foul shots pushed the Wildcat lead to 50-41 with 8:42 left.

Over the next three minutes, Wofford would battle its way back into the game, cutting the Kentucky lead to three once again, at 54-51, following a triple by Hoover with 5:42 left. The Wildcats answered with a Herro triple, and a Richards foul shot to take the lead back to seven (58-51) with 3:38 left.

Murphy canned a three and the Terrier defense would get two stops and a Kentucky turnover. Following a Baker miss with just under a minute to play, Wofford would score its final points of its historic 2018-19 season following an Aluma layup in the paint, cutting the deficit to two, at 58-56, with 37 seconds remaining. Aluma would foul Travis on the following possession, and he knocked down a pair of foul shots with 19 seconds remaining to make it a two-possession lead for the Wildcats, 60-56.

Following a Magee missed three and a foul by the senior guard from Orlando, would be his last act of what has been a phenomenal career at Wofford. Herro knocked down a pair of foul shots to seal the final score and Kentucky's advancement into the Sweet 16.

It was the conclusion of a pair of careers for Jackson, Pegram and Magee that saw them combine to score over 4,000 points in their respective careers for the Terriers. The Terriers garnered the program's first-ever national ranking, getting as high as No. 19 in both polls, won the school's first NCAA Tournament game, and set a school-record with 30 wins, and also posted 21-straight wins.

Wofford, which shot only 37.5% for the game, had two players score in double figures, led by Hoover's 19 points, while Jackson finished out his final game of his Wofford career with 11 points and eight boards.

Kentucky got 14 points and 11 boards from Travis, while Hagans added 12. The Wildcats shot 40.7% from the field for the game.

NCAA Tournament: Wofford to take on Kentucky Saturday in second round clash in Jacksonville

Wofford senior guard and three-point king Fletcher Magee

For the first time since 2008, the Southern Conference is advancing in the NCAA Tournament, as No. 7 Wofford (30-4) dispatched of No.10 Seton Hall, 84-68, Thursday night and will move on to face No. 2 Kentucky in the Midwest region of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off for that contest is set for 2:40 p.m. EST in Jacksonville. 

No.2 Kentucky won its opening round comfortably over No. 15 seed Abilene Christian, taking a 79-44 win. 

Notes To Know:

--Thursday night's win extended Wofford's nation-best winning streak to 21 games, and it also marked its 30th win in school history, making the Terriers just the third team in the history of the SoCon to ever win 30 games, and the first to accomplish the milestone acheivement since North Carolina State in 1950-51. The win also marked Wofford's first ever NCAA Tournament win in now its fifth trip to the Big Dance. 

--Saturday afternoon's game between Wofford and Kentucky will mark the first-ever meeting betwen the two programs. 

--Kentucky will be facing its third Southern Conference opponent this season, as the Wildcats faced off against UNC Greensboro back on Dec. 1, 2018, dropping a 78-61 contest in a very competitive game at Rupp Arena.  UNCG led that game 40-37 at halftime against the Wildcats. UNCG had a five-point lead on three different occasions in the second half, however, the Wildcats took the lead with 8:35 remaining in the game, and never relinquished the win en route to the 17-point win. Wofford went 3-0 against UNCG this season, including a 70-58 win in the Southern Conference Tournament championship game two weeks ago. Kentucky also owns a win over VMI (92-82) earlier this season. The Terriers went 3-0 against VMI, with a 99-72 win over the Keydets in the quarterfinals of the SoCon Tournament. 

--In that win over VMI earlier this for Kentucky this season, the Keydets connected on 19 triples, which was the most three-pointers made against Kentucky this season. The Terriers come into Saturday afternoon's contest averaging 11.1 three-point field goals per game, and are coming off a performance against Seton Hall, which saw the Terriers connect on 13-of-28 shots from long-range against the Pirates last night, which equates to 46.4% from long range. The Terriers are second in the NCAA statistical rankings in three-point field goal percentage, canning 41.8% from three-point land as a team this season.  

--Both Kentucky and Wofford also faced North Carolina, Mississippi State, Seton Hall, Kansas and South Carolina this season. The one that stands out is Seton Hall, with Kentucky losing one of its two games at home to the Pirates this season, as Kentucky dropped an 84-83 decision to the Pirates. The Terriers thumped the Pirates, 84-68, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday night. 

--You obviously know that Fletcher Magee (509 career triples) is now the career king of three, but did you know the SoCon might be able to make the claim as the conference that is the king of the three-pointer. The SoCon is distinguished at the NCAA Division I level for being the league that had the first-ever made three-pointer (Ronnie Carr, Western Carolina, Nov. 29, 1980), second-most threes made by a freshman (Stephen Curry, Davidson, 162 in 2006-07), most threes in a single game (Jordan Lyons--Furman 15 vs. North Greenville, Nov. 15, 2018/Keith Veney 15--Marshall vs. Morehead State, Dec. 14, 1996), and third-highest three-point field goal percentage by a player in a single season (Keith "Mister" Jennings--East Tennessee State, 59.2%, 1990-91).

--Wofford continues to be led by its three-headed monster of Fletcher Magee (20.6 PPG), Cameron Jackson (14.6 PPG) and Nathan Hoover (13.3 PPG). Kentucky counters with Tyler Herro (14.2 PPG), Reid Travis (11.4 PPG), and Keldon Johnson (13.8 PPG). Big man and leading scorer P.J. Washington will miss the game with a sprained foot. 

--Wofford will be at a size disadvantage at nearly every position  in the matchup, with Kentucky having three guards in its starting five no shorter than 6-3. Things should be a little more favorable for the likes of Cameron Jackson and Chevez Goodwin in the post for the Terriers, as those two players starting for the Wildcats are both at 6-8, respectively. 

--John Calipari has never faced Wofford head coach Mike Young, however, he is 1-0 against Wofford. Calipari faced off against the Terriers in the 2001-02 season opener when he was the head coach at Memphis. That would be the last season for Wofford head coach Richard Johnson, who handed over the reins to his top assistant, Mike Young, following his retirement at the end of the season. In that meeting back on Nov. 13, 2001, it was the highly anticipated debut of college basketball's top high school prospect that season, Dajuan Wagner, who led the Tigers with 32 points, en route to an 88-61 win over the Terriers. 

Furman set to face Wichita State in the NIT

For the first time since 1991, Furman was invited to play in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), and will host the Wichita State Wednesday night, with tip-off set 7 p.m. EST at Timmons Arena.

Wichita State forward Markis McDuffie

The Paladins will be the No. 3 seed, while the Shockers will be the No.6 seed. The winner will advance to play the winner between No. 2 Clemson and No. 7 Wright State.

Furman, which posted a 25-7 overall mark and a third-place finish in the Southern Conference (13-5), will take on a Wichita State that finished the season 19-14 and finished sixth overall (10-8) in the 12-team league. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs on the college basketball hardwood.

The appearance in the NIT will mark the Furman’s 11th postseason trip in school history, and the first since going to the Final Four of the CollegeInsider (CIT) Tournament before losing to eventual champion St. Peters (L, 51-77) back during the 2016-17 season.  

The 2019 tournament will mark the second appearance for the Paladins in the NIT, with that ‘91 appearance seeing the Paladins drop an 86-67 decision to West Virginia.

The Shockers return to the NIT for the first time since the 2011, when the Shockers won the NIT title, which is the only one in Wichita State history.

Overall, the Shockers hold an 8-11 record in 13 NIT appearances. That 2011 title team included an 82-75 win over former Southern Conference member College of Charleston at Koch Arena. The 2012-13 Shockers team captured national attention, making a run all the way to the Final Four.

Coaches:

Furman head coach Bob Richey is in his second season at the helm of the Furman basketball program, having posted a 48-18 record in two seasons, including helping the Paladins to a school-record 25 victories this season. Gregg Marshall is in his 12th season at the helm of the Shockers, and has a 305-112 record at Wichita State, and a 499-195 record in his 21st season overall as a head basketball coach. Marshall spent nine seasons in Rock Hill, S.C., at the helm of the Winthrop basketball program.

Players To Watch Wichita State:

There are some intriguing individual matchups set to go against each other in this matchup. Wichita State is different than what Furman sees in the Southern Conference, but there is one team the Shockers are most like according to Paladin head coach Bob Richey, and that team is East Tennessee State. Much of that has to do with the fact that ETSU head coach Steve Forbes was once an assistant under Gregg Marshall at Wichita State.

“I wouldn’t say there are mirrors in terms of this team looks exactly like this team in our league, but ETSU is probably the closest in terms in of just the size,” head coach Bob Richey said.

“They’ve got a lot of size on the interior...They’ve got three big post players that they're gonna rotate...They’ve got a stretch four that’s different in terms of what [Jeromy] Rodriguez does for ETSU and what [Markis] McDuffie does for Wichita State, but in terms how the teams play and how the team’s coached and the intensity in how they defend and the offensive rebounding and just goes to the boards...They really attack the offensive glass, so we’re going to have to do a good job there. They’re very good in transition offense just like East Tennessee State, so I think that would be the most in terms of similarities,” Richey added.

In the backcourt, the leading trio of guards are 6-0 senior Samajae Haynes-Jones (12.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG), 6-4 freshman Jamarius Burton (6.3 PPG, 3.4 APG) and 6-5 freshman Dexter Dennis (8.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG).

Haynes-Jones’ 12.1 PPG ranks second on the team in scoring average, and he dictates the flow of the offense for the Shockers. The Paladins probably haven’t met a team in the SoCon this season that have three guards that rebound collectively as well as Wichita State does.

The southpaw Haynes-Jones is one of the quickest guards the Paladins will have seen this season, although Samford’s Josh Sharkey and LSU’s Tremont Waters were probably good preppers for the senior from Wichita. Haynes-Jones has three 20-point performances this season.

Haynes-Jones and Dennis are the Shockers decent perimeter threats. Haynes-Jones has connected on 30.3% (60-of-198) from three-point range this season, while Dennis comes into the contest having knocked down 38.6% (44-of-114) from three-point land this season. Dennis was an AAC All-Freshman team selection.

The top player for the Shockers is Markis McDuffie (18.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG), who had one of his best performances of the season against the Temple Owls in the AAC Tournament, posting 34 points in the quarterfinal win. McDuffie has a unique skillset, as the senior has a litany of skills that can stretch a defense.The 6-8 forward is probably most comparable to Furman’s Noah Gurley, in that he has an excellent inside-outside game.

As a result of that skill-set, McDuffie will have a chance to play at a high level at the next level, whether that be in a good European league, or in the NBA. McDuffie had a 32-point effort early in the campaign in an 83-80 win over Providence. All told this season, McDuffie has registered double-figure scoring performances in 30 of 32 games this season for the Shockers.

Only Louisiana Tech and UConn managed to hold McDuffie under double digits this season. He’s averaging 22.3 PPG over his last three games for the Shockers.

McDuffie was voted a second-team All-ACC performer this season, and has increased his scoring average by 10 PPG this season. Prior to his senior season, he worked out with several NBA teams to gauge his draft status, but never retained an agent.

Like Dennis and Haynes-Jones, McDuffie can step out and shoot the three, and his 74 triples so far this season lead the Shockers this season. He’s shooting 34.7% from beyond the arc this season. His 603 points so far this season rank eighth-most in Wichita State history, and currently ranks fourth overall in the AAC in scoring average.

Rounding out the starting five for the Shockers will be 6-11 junior center Jaime Echenique (8.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG). The native of Amazon-based city Barranquilla, Colombia by way of Trinity Valley Community college in Athens, TX, has been a difference-maker in the paint for the Shockers this season.  His 5.8 blocks-per-game ranked fourth in the AAC in blocked shots this season, averaging 1.4 swats-per-contest, and he has registered a block in 14-straight games.

The Shockers’ top player off the bench this season has been freshman guard Erik Stevenson (6.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG). The 6-3 guard ranks second on the Shockers roster with 30 steals this season, and has seven double-figure scoring performances this season. He posted a career-high 21 points in a win over Rice back in November. He is shooting 28.1% (41-of-146) from downtown so far this season.

All told, the Shockers are averaging 70.7 PPG and allowing 69.2 PPG, and shoot the ball at a 40.6% from the field, including 31.0% from three-point range, while limiting opponents to 42.1% shooting from the field, including 33.8% from three-point range. The Shockers come in having won 11 of their past 14 games.

Players To Watch Furman:

Furman heads into its first appearance in the NIT since 1991 continuing to be led by senior forward Matt Rafferty (17.2 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 61.7 FG%, 4.3 APG, 2.5 SPG), who will be looking to extend his career as a Paladin with a postseason win Wednesday night over the Shockers.

Rafferty has been a major key to Furman’s school-record 25 wins this season, and his 15-point and career-high 17 rebounds in the early-season, 76-68, overtime win over defending national champion Villanova helped the Paladins grabbed the attention of college basketball.

In the Southern Conference Tournament, Rafferty injured his hand in the Paladins’ quarterfinal round win over Mercer, and in the semifinal loss to UNC Greensboro, managed to post a 17-point, 10-rebound performance despite not being 100%. Rafferty is 100% healthy heading into Thursday night’s showdown with Wichita State. He’s part of a senior class that has amassed a 90-45 record during his Furman career, which is a school-record for Furman in four-year span.

Rafferty’s 79 steals this season are a single-season school record, and he finished the season ranking third in the SoCon in steals-per-game (2.5 SPG). Rafferty was recently ranked as the 34th best player in college basketball by Sports Illustrated, and he ranks in the Top five in the SoCon in eight different categories. He was a consensus First-Team All-SoCon selection.

Teaming with Rafferty in the paint will be Clay Mounce (10.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and Noah Gurley (8.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG), who have been key to helping the Paladin success this season. Mounce has come on as one of the most-improved players in the Southern Conference, while Gurley has a unique skill-set that should make him an potentially attractive as a next level prospect as he furthers his career at Furman.

Gurley was voted to the SoCon’s All-Freshman team, and has scored in double figures in 13 games this season, posting a career-high 19 points in a mid-February home triumph over VMI. As a perimeter threat this season, the redshirt freshman from Fayetteville, GA, is shooting 31.7% (33-of-104) from long range this season.

Mounce had a pair of 26-point performances this season, as he did so in non-conference wins over Gardner-Webb and UNC Wilmington. When Mounce has played well, it’s been a real key to Furman’s offensive efficiency and overall team performance. Mounce, a redshirt sophomore, is one of the team’s top perimeter shooters, knocking down 42.5% (51-of-120) from three-point range this season.

The Paladin backcourt will be led by sophomore guard Alex Hunter (9.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.3 APG) and junior shooting guard Jordan Lyons (16.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG). Hunter has come into his own this season as Furman’s point guard after seeing only about 14 minutes-per-game as a freshman last season.

Hunter’s consistency and care with the basketball have been key elements of the Paladins offensive success and efficiency this season. The Raleigh, N.C. native finished the season ranking seventh overall in the SoCon in assists (3.3 APG), and leads the SoCon in assists-turnover ratio (2.9). Hunter has a pair of double-doubles this season, and is shooting 37.2% (58-of-156) from three-point range this season.

Lyons has had a record-setting season for the Paladins so far this season. He tied the NCAA single-game record with 15 triples in a game earlier this season in a win over North Greenville, and has already shattered the single-season three-point field goals mark, which was previously set at 88 by Anthony Thomas back in the 2001-02 campaign, and Lyons already has 101 treys this season.

The junior from Peachtree City, GA, is shooting 34.5% (101-of-293) from long range this season, and with 14 points vs the Shockers on Thursday night, will become the 45th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone in a career.

The top player off the bench for the Paladins is senior shooting guard Andrew Brown (7.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG), who on March 20, 2018, survived life-threatening complications due to a perforated intestine during surgery for a hernia. Six years ago today, Brown survived a stroke. Earlier this summer, Brown broke his foot and then re-fractured against Loyola Chicago in the second game of the season.

Brown is Furman’s most efficient outside threat, and has connected on 44.1% (43-of-103) from three-point land this season.

Wofford's 2019 NCAA Tournament Profile

Wofford reserve freshman point guard Storm Murphy

For the fifth time in the past 10 seasons, Wofford is dancing in the NCAA Tournament. The Terriers, who knocked off No. 2 seed UNC Greensboro, 70-58, in the championship game of the 99th edition of the Southern Conference Tournament, will open the NCAA Tournament as the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Regional on Thursday against tenth-seeded Seton Hall (20-13) in a game set for 9:40 EST on CBS.

Wofford has never won an NCAA Tournament game (0-4). The No. 7 seed attained by Wofford is the best seed attained by a Southern Conference team in the NCAA Tournament since 1979 and it is the best seed the SoCon has ever received since the NCAA Tournament moved to 64 teams in 1985.

The Terriers will be looking to end the Jacksonville curse, having lost twice in the River City by a combined seven points in two of their four previous NCAA appearances. Perhaps the third time will be a charm against No. 10 Seton Hall Thursday night.

Season Recap:
The Terriers completed one of the best runs in the Southern Conference history and enter the 2019 NCAA Tournament riding the nation’s longest winning streak, having won a school-record 20-straight games and sporting the program’s first national ranking, at No. 19 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, respectively.

The Terriers, to the surprise of many, were the only qualifier from an unusually strong Southern Conference in the 2018-19 season, as Wofford raced through the 11th strongest conference of 32 NCAA Division I basketball conferences, having posted a 29-4 overall record and a perfect 18-0 mark in conference play.

The Terriers became just the third team in the 100-year history of the league to complete the season at 16-0 in or better in league play, and were the first to race through both the league and tournament since the 2007-08 Davidson Wildcats, which was led by Stephen Curry and went all the way to the Elite Eight before bowing out to eventual NCAA national champion Kansas (L, 57-59). Davidson posted a 20-0 record in conference play that particular season. It could be argued it best the best season by any team in the history of the Southern Conference history.

An opening round over Seton Hall would give the Terriers 30 wins over the first time in school history, and would be the first team to reach 30 wins in the SoCon since the 1950-51 N.C. State Wolfpack, and just the third in conference history.

Wofford went out and challenged itself during the non-conference, taking on the likes of No. 8 North Carolina (L, 67-78), at Oklahoma (L, 64-75), at South Carolina (W, 81-61), at No. 2 Kansas (L, 47-72) and at No. 17 Mississippi State (L, 87-98).

In conference play, the Terriers were only challenged on a few occasions, posting an average margin of victory of 16.9 PPG in league games. In mid-January, Wofford needed overtime to get a 107-106 win over Samford, which is a team it trailed for much of the night on its home floor. In early Jan., Mercer came to Wofford with thoughts of an upset on its mind before a late four-point play by three-point marksman Fletcher Magee allowed head coach Mike Young’s Terriers escape with a 78-74 win.

On Jan. 19, Furman, which also earned its first-ever ranking the AP Top 25 earlier this season following wins over Loyola Chicago and Villanova, came to Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium and threw a scare into the Terriers, however, Wofford held on for a thrilling 59-54 win. Of its 18 Southern Conference regular-season contests, the Terriers only had five single-digit margins of victory, with Furman accounting for two of them.

In the final month of the regular-season, the Terriers had only one major scare, and that came on Feb. 7, as the Terriers went on the road and were able to sweat out a 78-76 overtime win over East Tennessee State. It was a win that saw Wofford’s two top guns—senior guard Fletcher Magee and senior forward Cameron Jackson—combine for 52 of the team’s 78 points in getting the win. A late Magee three helped the Terriers take a 75-73 lead with 31 seconds remaining, and after the Terrier defense forced an ETSU miss, Magee closed out the contest at the line, as Wofford was able to steal a two-point win on the road.

The most impressive performances by the Terriers during the regular-season came against preseason favorite and reigning champion UNC Greensboro, as the Terriers took down the league favorites by 29 and 30 points, respectively. The 72-43 win by Wofford at UNCG back in January ended the Spartans’ school-record 17-game homecort winning streak.

In the Southern Conference Tournament, the Terriers posted wins over VMI (W, 99-72), ETSU (W, 81-72) and UNC Greensboro (70-58) to lift their first conference tournament title trophy since 2015.

Coming into the 2018-19 campaign, Wofford was the consensus No. 2 pick in the preseason Southern Conference polls, which were conducted back in mid-October. The Terriers came into the season with all five starters returning from a club that won 21 games and made a CIT appearance last season.

Past NCAA Tournament Results: (0-4)
2010: Wisconsin, L 49-53 (Jacksonville, FL/East Regional)

2011: BYU, L 66-74 (Denver, CO/Southeast Regional)

2014: Michigan, L 40-57 (Milwaukee, WI/Midwest Regional)

2015: Arkansas, L 53-56 (Jacksonville, FL/West Regional)

--The Southern Conference has not won an NCAA Tournament game since 2008, when Davidson made its run to the Elite Eight. The league has had some success in the tournament in years past, however, with Chattanooga going all the way to the Sweet Sixteen back in 1997, while VMI made the Elite Eight in 1976. The SoCon is 31-76 (29.0%) all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Players to Watch:
If you’ve been paying attention to our website the past three years, you know who Fletcher Magee is (20.5 PPG, 151-of-353 from three-point range/42.8%). He’s quite simply one of the best players in not only mid-major college basketball, but at any level of college basketball. His 151 triples leads all of NCAA Division I college basketball.

Magee won’t be playing too far from his central Florida home of Orlando, where it would be hard to imagine family and friends not making the short two-hour and 15-minute drive to see if the senior sharp-shooter try and make history. With three three-pointers in the opening round vs. Seton Hall, Magee would be the all-time NCAA career leader in three-pointers made, with 505 in his career. He was surpass former Oakland standout and sharp-shooter Travis Bader. Magee has been the Southern Conference Player of the Year each of the past two seasons, and was a consensus pick in 2018-19.

Magee isn’t the only weapon that head coach Mike Young has at his disposal in the Wofford backcourt, however. As a team, Wofford is one of the ball extremely well from the perimeter, highlighted by guards Nathan Hoover (13.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 84-of-184 from three-point range/45.7%) and point guard Storm Murphy (8.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 47-of-97 from three-point range/48.5%).

Hoover dropped 30 points in a game in a win at South Carolina earlier this season, while Storm Murphy hit two critical game-winning shots in wins over Samford and Furman earlier this season. As a team, the Terriers have been tough to handle from long-range all season, connecting on 42.0% (357-of-851), which ranks second in the NCAA this season.Tray Hollowell (5.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 41-of-99 from three-point range/41.4%) and Ryan Larson (3.2 PPG, 1.3 RPG) are solid role players off the bench, with Hollowell being an excellent shooter and Larson being wise beyond his years in maturity handling the basketball at the point.

In the paint, senior First Team All-SoCon Cameron Jackson (14.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG) is one of the top big men in mid-major basketball, and has been a major catalyst for Wofford’s success in this historic season. Add to that Keve Aluma (6.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG) and College of Charleston transfer Chevez Goodwin (4.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG), and all the ingredients are in place for a good run in the NCAA Tournament. Add to that senior center Matthew Pegram (5.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG), and his toughness and ability to step out and hit the occasional outside shot, you have a complete, connected team that all know their respective roles and share the basketball well.

Final Prediction:
With three players shooting well over 40% from three-point range, and a player in Cameron Jackson that shoots nearly 60% (58.1%) from the field, it’s pick your poison with Wofford. It’s why Wofford will have a great chance to win its first-ever NCAA Tournament game against Seton Hall, and with the right shooting night, a potential second round nightmare for the second-seeded Kentucky Wildcats. One of the things that makes Wofford such a difficult out is how well it takes care of the basketball.

A four-point deficit against the Terriers can often seem like a double-digit deficit because if you don’t capitalize on the few mistakes the Terriers do make, their highly efficient offense and their ability to shoot the three, they will make you pay dearly. Enjoy picking your bracket, and note the Terriers will be and should be a trendy upset pick in your bracket given the uncanny strength of the SoCon in 2018-19.

Quotable:
“We went to Portugal this summer, and those practices were invaluable for us,” head coach Mike Young said. “I’ve said many many times, if you’re looking for easy don’t come here [Wofford] . They're challenged academically and they are in class everyday. I love the caliber of recruit I can get here you know...Life’s too short to be surrounded by knuckleheads, he added.”

The summer trip to the Iberian Peninsula, and the type of grueling academic work ethic, and the work ethic that Young demands is the kind of thing that pays off for mid-majors in the off-season, and may well pay off for Wofford in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

Wofford finishes off SoCon perfection Monday night

Wofford senior forward Cam Jackson

ASHEVILLE, N.C.--Greatness has been defined by the likes of UNC Greensboro (28-6), Furman (25-7) and East Tennessee State (24-9) in Southern Conference basketball this season, however, only one team could claim perfection against everyone in a season unlike any other in the league’s 100-year basketball history, and that team was the 20th ranked Wofford Terriers (29-4).

For a team already 20-0 against its Southern Conference brethren and 2-0 against UNCG with victories by 29 and 30 points, respectively, over the Spartans already this season, the game was in doubt for most of the 40 minutes of basketball action Monday night.

In fact, the UNCG Spartans led for 33:23 of Monday night’s championship contest, but when the confetti finally fell at the end of the night, the scoreboard read, Wofford 70, UNCG 58, in front of what was a raucous sellout crowd of 6,400 at the US Cellular Center.

Despite trailing most of the night, Wofford showed the poise of a champion. It was the perfect way to end one of the best single season's turned in by one team in Southern Conference history. After all, the league came into the night with a NET ranking of No. 10 out of 32 conferences in college basketball, and Monday night’s win by the Terriers marked its 21st-straight against league competition. It’s the most conse

For head coach Mike Young, who is now in his 17th season as the head coach of the Wofford Terriers, he won his fifth league title in the past decade, and improved to 5-0 all-time in SoCon title games. For Young, he admits the journey hasn’t always been easy.

He reflected on just what it meant to win his fifth league crown in just the last 10 years, and if he could have ever imagined the Terriers would be the 20th ranked team in the country and cutting down the nets following a perfect season in a uniquely powerful SoCon. He mentions how the winning and standard to be elite in the SoCon has created some pressure.

“ I’d be less than honest with you if I told you I envisioned all this,” head coach Mike Young said. “It’s been gradual. But it’s all about players. Anyone can coach this bunch.”

“It’s been gradual. We weren’t very good early in my time...2002 I wasn’t very good but got a little bit better. I think back to [Noah] Dahlman and [Tim] Johnson and that 2010 team and that mountain and it hasn’t been all ice cream and rainbows since that time but this is five of them and that is five in 10 years and three different teams. The [Karl] Cochran, [Lee] Skinner, C.J. Neuman and [Eric] Garcia era and there’s pressure now. There just is and those guys are coming through in the summer and that’s not comfortable and this was very important to Cameron [Jackson], Fletcher [Magee] and Matthew [Pegram]to do it and now they have.”

For Wofford, the 29th win was also its 20th in a row, as the Terriers improved to 29-4 win the victory and remained undefeated in the new year. The 29 wins eclipsed the previous wins high water mark for the Wofford basketball program achieved by the 2014-15 outfit, which finished 28-7 following an opening round, 56-53, defeat against Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament. Wofford, who has been projected as high as a No. 7 seed by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, will find out its NCAA fate at 6 p.m. Sunday evening when the NCAA pairings are released on CBS. The 20-straight wins is the sixth-longest streak in Southern Conference history.

Monday night’s win for Wofford had a different feel to it, and it was thanks in large part to the effort brought by defending champion UNCG, as Wes Miller’s club was not interested in going quietly into the cool, brisk Asheville night. The 28-win Spartans were a worthy title competitor. While talented All-American guard and Southern Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player Fletcher Magee has been the catalyst to the Wofford perfection all season, it was Memphis, TN native and junior guard Nathan Hoover, who stepped up and led the charge for the Terriers in a tense championship battle Monday night.

With UNCG leading 55-50 with 5:41 remaining following a jumper by Spartan freshman guard Angelo Allegri, it would be Hoover who took over with his play on both ends to help will inject enthusiasm into the Terriers, and help will them past the Spartans. It was a spurt that we often see championship games by good teams in college basketball. With the Terriers trailing by five, Hoover scored eight-straight points to turn a five-point deficit for Wofford into a three-point lead. He started by connecting on a jumper, and followed three-pointer from the right elbow and three free throws after being fouled by UNCG star guard Francis Alonso on another perimeter attempt, giving the Terriers a 58-55 advantage with 3:22 left.

Wofford would eventually extend that advantage to 62-55 after four free throws by Magee and Hoover, with the final two charity shots being set up by Hoover’s play on the defensive end, as he jumped in front of a Demetrius Troy pass only to be fouled by talented Spartan sophomore guard Isaiah Miller. Hoover’s two free throws put Wofford ahead seven (62-55) with 2:14 left. A layup by Keve Aluma and a pair of made foul shots by Jackson extended Wofford’s lead to its largest all night, at 66-55, with a little over a minute remaining. Hoover’s scoring spurt ignited what would turn out to be a pivotal 16-0 run over 4:33 stretch, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the basketball game.

“I know I have to bring energy every time, that’s my main goal,” junior guard Nathan Hoover said. “I might score 20 or I might score zero, but as long as we get the win that’s all I care about.”

“We’re in a bad place and then Nathan hit a big three for us,” head coach Mike Young said of his junior guard. “He hit eight foul shots. He was just phenomenal and he put us on his shoulders tonight.”

Ignited by the play of Hoover’s 20 second-half points, the Terriers ended the game on a 20-3 run. It was a nearly six-minute masterpiece of basketball by Wofford against a good UNCG team, which showed why Wofford is the class of Southern Conference basketball and legitimately one of the best 20 teams in the country.

Matching Hoover for team-high scoring honors was Magee, who also dropped 20 points, while Jackson added 15 and a team-best seven boards. UNCG got a game-high 21 points from Francis Alonso, while backcourt mate Isaiah Miller added 19 points and a pair of steals.

It will be interesting to see just where the Terriers land Sunday, and if any other SoCon teams join them in the field of 68.

Samford and VMI move on to Saturday

ASHEVILLE, N.C.—Bubba Parham recorded a career-high 41 points and posted the highest point total since TJ Cromer scored 41 points for East Tennessee State two years ago in a SoCon semifinal matchup with Samford, as No. 8 VMI captured a 96-83 opening game win over No. 9 Western Carolina at the 2019 Ingles Southern Conference Tournament at the US Cellular Center.

VMI center Jake Stephens

The win means that VMI (11-20) move into tomorrow’s noon quarterfinal clash with top-seeded and SoCon unbeaten Wofford (26-4). Western Carolina’s season comes to an end with a final mark of 7-25 in head coach Mark Prosser’s first year in charge. The win for VMI marked its first in the tournament since 2003, when the Keydets made a run all the way to the semifinals of the tournament.

The 2003 tournament saw the Keydets win games over Furman (63-56) and then shocked No. 1 seed Davidson (W, 66-60) before eventually falling to Chattanooga (L, 58-77) in the semifinals. Led by Radee Skipworth, VMI made one of the more memorable Cinderella runs in the SoCon Tournament back in that 2003 edition, which was played at the North Charleston Coliseum and eventually won by East Tennessee State.

The story of the night was the guard play for the Keydets, as a trio of backcourt teammates combined for 75 of the team’s 96 points in the SoCon Tournament opening victory.

Parham finished his historic night against the Catamounts, connecting on 9-of-16 shots from the field, including going 6-for-8 from three-point range. Also having a big night for the Keydets was Sarju Patel, who finished with 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, which included a 4-of-6 from the three-point land and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

Garrett Gilkeson rounded out the trio of starting guards that accounted for all but 21 of the Keydet points, as he posted 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field, and 1-for-4 from long range.

Not to be outdone were Western Carolina’s Carlos Dotson (27 pts, 13 rebs) and Kameron Gibson (23 pts), as both finished off outstanding inaugural seasons in the Purple and Gold.

Dotson, a junior transfer from Central Florida Junior College, finished out his first season as a Catamount by connecting on 9-of-16 shots from the field and 9-of-12 from the line. It marked his 13th double-double of the season, and the 27 points tied a career-high for Dotson, which he also established earlier this season against Furman.

Both teams came out shooting the basketball well in the opening minutes of the second half prior to the first media timeout, with Gibson opening the half with a three for the Catamounts, giving the Catamounts a brief lead, however, five-straight points from Myles Lewis and Sarju Patel, extending the Keydets lead to four (50-46), and the Keydets took a 53-48 lead into the first media timeout of the second half.

Following the first media timeout, a bucket by the Catamounts made it 53-50, but the Keydets began to flex their muscles and show why they were one of the hotter teams coming into the 2019 Southern Conference Tournament, using a 10-0 run to assume a 13-point (63-50) lead, capped by a Garrett Gilkeson three-point play the old-fashioned way. That’s the way the score would remain heading into the second media of the second half.

The Catamounts would respond, however, using an 8-2 spurt to get the deficit back under 10, slicing VMI’s lead to seven on a Dotson rebound and put-back, however, Dotson picked up his fourth foul on the other end.

Following a pair of free throws from Parham, a Gibson jumper kept it at seven (67-60) and prompted a VMI timeout with 8:26 remaining. Off the timeout, Stephens nailed a three to extend the Keydet lead back to double digits.

VMI led 70-60, with 7:41 to play. That lead remained ten (81-71) at the final media timeout, with 4:15 left, and grew to as many, with Parham scoring eight of 11 points during the stretch, as his monster night continued.

The Keydets closed out the game by knocking down its foul shots, never letting the Catamounts to get closer than seven points over the final five minutes of the game. 

Gibson led the Catamounts in the opening half of play offensively, posting a team-high 10 points, while Dotson chipped in with nine points and four boards. VMI’s Bubba Parham led all scorers in the opening half of play, posting 15 of his 41 points in the opening half of play, as the Keydets took a 41-39 lead into the halftime locker room.

The Catamounts shot 46.9% in the opening half of play, while the Keydets connected on 45.2% from the field in the opening frame. VMI connected on eight first-half threes, and finished the half connecting on a solid 44.4% shots from long range.

“Bubba has shown throughout the year that he knows how to score the ball. He’s doing a good job on knowing when to distribute and when to score. He’s making really good decisions. Sarju Patel is playing his best basketball, just a phenomenal game from him as well,” VMI head coach Dan Earl said.

For the game, VMI sizzled from both the charity stripe and the three-point line, thanks in large part to the performances by both Parham and Patel. 

Samford point guard Josh Sharkey

The Keydets shot 83.3% (25-of-30) from the line, including going 20-for-24 from the line in the second half, and also shot a season-high 51.7% (15-of-29) from three-point land. That led to a substantial advantage from the Catamounts in the paint, finishing with a 28-10 advantage in that category.

In the second game of the night, No. 7 Samford took advantage of a short-handed tenth-seeded Citadel club, as the visitors from Birmingham picked a solid 100-71 Southern Conference Tournament opening round win.

The win means Samford improves to 17-15 overall and moves on to the quarterfinal of the Ingles Southern Conference Tournament presented by General Shale, facing No. 2 UNC Greensboro in a game slated for a 2:30 p.m. tip-off Saturday afternoon at the US Cellular Center. The loss saw The Citadel conclude its season with a 12-18 overall record.

Less than 24 hours before its Southern Conference opener, The Citadel would receive a big blow, when it was learned senior graduate transfer guard and the SoCon’s third-leading scorer Lew Stallworth (20.2 PPG) was declared academically ineligible for the Southern Conference Tournament due to a mis-communication regarding a dropped class.

Without Stallworth, the Bulldogs had to employ the services of true freshman point guard Jerry Higgins III, who showed flashes of brilliance at times and a promising future, but lacked the maturity and know-how of a Stallworth.

Samford was led in the contest by Alabama transfer Brandon Austin, who poured in 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, including going 6-of-12 from long range. He was also 4-for-4 from the line and grabbed seven rebounds.

Austin was one of five Samford players in double figures in the contest, and was joined by Josh Sharkey (16 pts, 8 assts, 2 stls), Myron Gordon (15 pts, 4 assts), Ruben Guerrero (12 pts, 8 rebs), and Robert Allen (11 pts, 8 rebs). Sharkey’s eight assists set the Samford new single-season school record, at 232, breaking Christen Cunningham’s former single-season mark of 225 set back in the 2016-17 season.

The Citadel was paced by senior center Zane Najdawi, who posted 15 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and a steal playing in his final game for The Citadel. It was Najdawi’s seventh double-double of the season. In his first start of the season, Higgins III finished with 12 points and six assists, while
Alex Reed’s 10 points rounded out the double-figure scorers for The Citadel.

Samford led most of the way en route to victory, leading for 38:03 of the 40 minutes of game action. The Citadel was never able to find its cutting edge offensively without Lew Stallworth in the lineup, but things were good early on in the contest, as Kaiden Rice’s jumper got The Citadel within two, at 24-22, with 11 minutes remaining in the opening half of play.

However, Samford would break open in the game from this point and went on a 13-4 run to take command of the contest, as the Samford lead swelled to 11 points following a Myron Gordon jumper with 4:33 remaining in the opening half of play. That run would eventually reach 19-4, as Samford senior center Ruben Guerrero slammed it home to make it a 43-26 game with 2:36 remaining in the opening half of play. The Bulldogs took a 45-30 lead into the halftime locker room.

In the second half, it was more of the same from Samford, as the Bulldogs from Birmingham would increase their lead to 20 or more points three times over the final 20 minutes of basketball, with the Samford lead only dipping below 20 points for the final time on a Jerry Higgins III jumper with 4:52 remaining, which cut The Citadel’s deficit to 19, at 84-65.

However, a dunk by Guerrero off an alley-oop from Austin and a three-pointer by Austin off a Samford steal saw the lead balloon back to 24, at 89-65, with 4:04 to play. The Bulldogs were able to close out the night with an emphatic 29-point win.

Samford finished the game shooting a blistering 60.7% from the field for the game, while holding The Citadel to just 38.4% for the contest.

Quarterfinal Session 1 Notes:

--Wofford won a pair of contests vs. VMI during the regular-season, claiming a 90-76 win in Lexington, and a 95-84 win in Spartanburg.

--UNC Greensboro claimed both regular-season meetings against Samford, posting an 83-75 in late December, and 75-67 at UNC Greensboro in early February.

--Wofford has won 12-straight against VMI heading into Saturday afternoon’s quarterfinal matchup. The last VMI win in the series came on Feb. 10, 2001, as the Keydets posted an 68-60 win at Cameron Hall in Lexington, VA.

--Mike Young is 12-0 all-time vs. VMI, with the last time the Keydets won being the final season for Richard Johnson as the head coach.

Furman avenges late January loss to Samford

Furman junior guard Jordan Lyons

Furman recorded its school record 23rd regular-season win, as the Paladins had each of their starting five players score in double figures en route to a 90-81 Southern Conference win over Samford Thursday night at the Pete Hanna Center.

With the win, Furman improved to 23-6 overall and 12-5 in Southern Conference action, while Samford dropped to 16-14 overall and 6-11 in league action. Furman's 23 wins also ties the school record--regular-season and postseason--which has been achieved three other times in program history, including each of the two previous seasons. The 1979-80 Paladins, which was the last to visit the NCAA Tournament, also claimed 23 victories.

Furman was led by a pair of double-doubles, as Matt Rafferty registered 15 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore point guard Alex Hunter added 15 points and 10 boards to lead the Paladins to the school record-tying win.

For Rafferty, a senior from Hinsdale, Ill, it was his 14th double-double of the season, while Hunter picked up his second of the campaign. Rafferty also added six assists, a steal and a block, while Hunter added a pair of helpers and a swipe.

The Paladins were led in scoring by junior guard Jordan Lyons' 17-point effort. Lyons more than doubled his total of eight points, which he totaled in that 75-73 loss to Samford a month ago at Timmons Arena. He finished the night connecting on 2-of-7 shots from the field, which both came from beyond the arc to extend his single-season record to 91 triples this season, and he was a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe.

Clay Mounce (15 pts) and Noah Gurley (11 pts) rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Paladins, while Andrew Brown narrowly missed double figures off the bench, finishing with nine points.

The Paladins used a 15-0 run spanning two halves to take control of the game for good, despite having to weather a furious Bulldog rally down the stretch. Mounce and Hunter scored the final six points of the opening half on a pair of three-pointers, as the Paladins took a 50-35 lead into the Pete Hanna Center locker room.

To open the second half, it was more of the same, as the Paladins opened the frame with a 9-0 run on a triple and layup by Lyons, a pair of free throws by Gurley, and a Hunter made jumper, which prompted a Samford timeout by head coach Scott Padgett, and staked the Paladins to their largest lead of the night at 24 points, as the Paladins led 59-35 with 15:48 remaining.

Samford would attempt to make things interesting down the stretch, however, the Paladins never let their lead be trimmed beyond nine points. A Myron Gordon layup with 2:23 remaining (76-67), a Kevion Nolan three-pointer with 23 seconds left (86-77) and a Brandon Austin made jumper as time expired (90-81) were the only three times the Bulldogs were able to trim the game to nine points inside the final 15 minutes of the contest.

Furman was an impressive 18-for-18 from the charity stripe in the second half alone, and finished the contest an impressive 23-of-24 for the night from the line. The Paladins connected on an impressive 50% (27-of-54) of their shots for the game, while going 46.4% (13-of-28) from beyond the arc. The Paladins' cumulative shooting performance was highlighted by an opening 20 minutes of play, which saw the Paladins sizzle the nets to the tune of a 58.1% (18-of-31) clip, including a 52.9% (9-of-17) from beyond the arc.

Samford was limited to 39.1% (27-of-69) from the field for the game, including just 37.0% (10-of-27) from three-point range. The Bulldogs did out-score the Paladins 46-40 in the second half. The Paladins, who only forced nine turnovers in the contest, made the most of the Samford miscues by netting 25 points. Samford, which forced 13 Paladin miscues, could only muster 15 points off those Furman turnovers.

Aside from out-scoring Samford, 25-15, in the points-off-turnovers category, the Paladins also recorded advantages in fast-break points (4-2) and assists (15-8). The Bulldogs notched advantages in bench scoring (45-34) and total rebounds (37-35). Both teams finished even in points in the paint (34-34) and second-chance points (13-13).

Furman will look for its school-record 24th win Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale at Chattanooga, with a 2 p.m. tip-off slated for McKenzie Arena. Samford will welcome No. 24 Wofford to the Hanna Center Saturday to close out its regular-season. Tip-off for that contest is slated for 4 p.m. EST.