Furman's 2019-20 season comes to an abrupt end due to Coronavirus Pandemic

Furman senior guard Jordan Lyons

Mar. 12, 2020

Furman third-year head coach Bob Richey and senior guard Jordan Lyons had hoped the 2019-20 season would once again see the Paladins receive a postseason bid to a prestigious college basketball tournament on Thursday, however, college basketball season has come to an end at all levels due to the pandemic spread of the Novel Coronavirus, which is also more commonly referred to COVID-19. 

Richey and Lyons had hoped to have the opportunity to set at least one more record in the 2019-20 season, which was receive a second-straight bid to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), and being able to claim a 26th win on the season, which would have eclipsed the 25 victories the Paladins achieved last year and matched this season.

The Paladins finish the 2019-20 season with a 25-7 overall record, which was the second-best record in the Southern Conference this season behind only East Tennessee State’s 30-4 record. Furman saw its season come to an end in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference Tournament, dropping a 77-68 decision to arch-rival and No. 7 seed Wofford.

At the time, it was thought the Paladins would likely receive an invitation to the National Invitational Tournament  (NIT), however, the week started with the official release by the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. When Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus Wednesday night prior to tip-off between the Jazz and Oklahoma Thunder, the season was suspended indefinitely.

The dominoes would fall in quick succession following news of the remainder of the NBA season being canceled, as 14 conference tournaments followed suit by cancelling their tournaments and by Thursday late afternoon, both the NCAA Tournament and NIT were canceled in a statement released by NCAA President Mark Emert. 

Furman finished the season with a school-record 15 Southern Conference wins, finishing second overall in the league with a 15-3 record in league play. The Paladins were one of two teams that were able to take down East Tennessee State during the regular-season, positing an impressive 65-56 win over the Bucs back on Jan. 4 at Timmons Arena. For the first time in school history, Furman went 12-0 at its on-campus facility. 

ETSU wins 100th Southern Conference Tournament

East Tennessee State  punches 11th ticket to NCAA Tournament by knocking off defending champions

ETSU senior guard Tray Boyd III

East Tennessee State 72, Wofford 58

Top seeded East Tennessee State finished what they started, claiming the 2020 Southern Conference regular season and tournament titles, as the Bucs posted a 72-58 win over No. 7 seed and defending SoCon champion Wofford Monday night before a sellout crowd on hand at the Harrah's Cherokee Center. 

The win punched ETSU’s 11th ticket to the NCAA Tournament, marked the14th-straight win, and clinched the program’s eighth Southern Conference crown, as the Bucs became just the fourth team in Southern Conference history to win 30 games, improving to 30-4 overall. ETSU will be making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. 

ETSU joins the 2018-19 Wofford Terriers (30-5), the 1950-51 North Carolina State Wolfpack (30-7) and the 1946-47 North Carolina Tar Heels (30-5).Wofford ended its season with a 19-16 record. The Bucs are the first team in Southern Conference history to enter the tournament with 30 wins.  ETSU will see who it will face in the upcoming NCAA Tournament in Sunday’s NCAA Tournament selection show to be broadcast by CBS at 6:30 p.m. EST.

ETSU senior guard Isaiah Tisdale was sensational in the championship win for the Bucs, scoring a game-high 24 points and his play during the tournament was that of a man on a mission, as well as personifying a team on a mission. For his three double-figure scoring games during the tournament, and in particular, his performance in Monday night’s championship game, Tisdale was selected as the SoCon Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. 

Tisdale finished the contest connecting on 5-of-8 shots from the field, including going 4-for-7 from three-point land. He was also 10-for-11 from the charity stripe. The only other Bucs player in double figures in the contest was Tray Boyd III, who chipped in with 11 points. 

Wofford was led in the contest by Chevez Goodwin, who posted 18 points, five rebounds and one block. The junior also finished going a perfect 8-for-8 from the the field, including 2-for-4 from the free throw line to equal his point total. The only other Terrier in double figures was Tray Hollowell off the bench, who posted 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and was 3-for-5 from three-point land. 

The Bucs ran out to an 11-2 lead early, however, Wofford responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game almost as quickly, in what what was a frenetic start to the 100th edition of the Southern Conference Tournament championship game. 

ETSU would match its nine-point lead with 11:49 remaining in the game on a triple by Patrick Good, however, on Wofford’s next possession, Lucas N’Guessan picked up his fourth foul, as ETSU led 49-40 heading into the second media timeout of the second half.  The Bucs then responded with six-straight points following a Joe Hugley three-point play the old-fashioned and one of Tisdale’s four triples, taking a 17-11 lead with 13:44 remaining in the first half.

Wofford responded with another haymaker of its own, going on a 13-2 run to take the lead, 24-19, following a Messiah Jones layup in the lane with just under eight minutes remaining in the opening frame. Over the next five minutes, the game featured three ties, with the last coming when Storm Murphy drained a three, answering three-straight made free throws from Tisdale, knotting the game, 29-29, with three minutes to play in the first half. 

The Bucs would close the half on a flurry, however, with Tisdale scoring the final seven points of the half for the Bucs, as they went to the halftime locker room with all of the momentum, leading 36-31 at the break. 

In the second half,  the stage was set for Hugley to re-enter the lineup following Lucas N’Guessan’s fourth personal foul with  11:23 left and the Bucs having a 49-40 lead following a Patrick Good three-pointer. With the game in a precarious spot for the Terriers, Hugley would help the Bucs start to pull away from the Terriers and helping the Bucs to their first double-digit lead of the night after ripping a rebound away from Wofford’s Chevez Goodwin, and then nailing a right elbow three on the other end, as the Bucs assumed a 52-40 lead with 10:45 left.

The Terriers could never get within double digits of ETSU the remainder of the week, and a pair of Boyd free throws would see the Bucs lead grow to as large as 18 points  (72-54) with 1:11 remaining. Wofford scored the final four points of the game,  but the celebrations had already begun among the partisan ETSU sellout crowd of 6,400 fans on hand at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center. 

ETSU finished the night connecting on 48.9% (23-of-47) from the field, including hitting on 42.9% (9-of-21) from three-point range, while holding the Terriers to 43.4% (23-of-53) from the field and just 24.0% (6-of-25) from three-point range. Coming into Monday night’s championship game, the Terriers had hit on 49.3% (36-of-73) shots from three-point range through their first three games of the tournament coming into the championship game. 

Wofford held advantages in points in the paint (26-24),  points off turnovers (17-15), bench scoring (21-20), and fast-break points (6-4). ETSU held a slight advantage in points in the paint (7-6), while posting advantages in total assists (12-7) and total rebounds (32-27). Both teams took relatively good care of the basketball, as the Bucs turned it over 13 times, while Wofford finished with 11. 

Quotable:

ETSU head coach Steve Forbes on when he knew the team was at a different level

“There was a couple of things I could tell you. The win at LSU. I don’t believe in moral victories but, when we went to Kansas and we were down five with four to go and we were right there, had the ball, I’ve been in there a lot of times and just got whipped. A lot of teams. So I knew then we had a chance. Didn’t get it done. Then we went to LSU and popped them. Had them down 23 in the second half and beat them by double digits, So I knew we had a chance. Then Jeromy [Rodriguez] got hurt against Furman, tough loss and the sky was falling in Johnson City. Came back and beat Greensboro on the road. Kind of exorcised a demon that we haven’t won there in a while. So I knew we’d be okay. And after Mercer, we changed. Changed the starting lineup, got better on offense and we haven't lost since. Those were probably the biggest moments for me. Important to get Jeromy back before the tournament. He made a lot of plays defensively for us.”

ETSU senior forward Joe Hugley on energizing the team

“Every game I try to come in, no matter if I play five or 20 minutes, I have to affect the game in the most efficient way possible. I think today I knew we needed some energy. We took a punch from them and I tried to do whatever I could to help us punch back. I did everything the team needed me to do and that’s been my role all year. Just filling the plug. Going out there and getting it done no matter how many minutes I played. Just affect the game positively any way I can.”

Wofford junior guard Storm Murphy on how this will motivate the team for next year

“We came in thinking ‘we’re the defending champions this year.’ We had some rough patches but I’m proud of our team for how we did in getting here. All three of us [himself, Goodwin and Hollowell] have learned a ton this year and we’ve learned how to lead and how to create a program that is a winning program. We will all have to step up in major ways and lead better.”

Full Press ETSU Conference link

https://www.facebook.com/ETSUAthletics/videos/3074638795936355/

ETSU and Wofford meet in 100th SoCon Championship Game

Defending champs and preseason favorites set for championship meeting

SoCon Championship Preview:  No. 1 East Tennessee State (29-4) vs. No.7 Wofford (19-15), 7 p.m.

ASHEVILLE, N.C.--From the outset of the season, I thought it would be a good season for the Southern Conference. The preseason favorite has made it to Monday night. The challenger is also the holder, however, for Jay McAuley’s Wofford Terriers and Steve Forbes’ East Tennessee State Bucs, it’s been a strange trip to get here. 

The preseason favorite has made it to Monday night. The challenger is also the holder, however, for Jay McAuley’s Wofford Terriers and Steve Forbes’ East Tennessee State Bucs, it’s been a strange trip to get here. 

If you’re looking for two teams with a star, like former Wofford guard Fletcher Magee or former East Tennessee State floor general Keith ‘Mister’ Jennings, tonight’s SoCon title game between ETSU and Wofford is not for you. However, there are plenty of team-oriented storylines.

Let’s rewind a bit. Just a little over a week ago, McAuley’s Terriers were licking their wounds from a seventh-straight loss to close the season—a 59-47 decision at Mercer. A little over a week later, the Terriers are on the cusp of another 20-win season, SoCon title, and would be the first team in the modern format of the tournament to win four games in four days if they pull the shocker over top seeded ETSU this evening.

The Terriers, who are 5-0 all-time in SoCon Tournament championship games, have what it takes to win Monday night. In fact all five of those Terrier titles have come in the past decade. 

McAuley has been here before. Just five years ago as a member of Niko Medved’s staff at Furman, he faced heavily favored and top seeded Wofford in the title game. The Paladins entered the 2015 SoCon Tournament as the No. 10 seed. 

That must seem like light years ago to McAuley, who is in his first season as the head coach at Wofford, having been asked to fill the shoes of legendary Wofford head coach Mike Young, who is now at Virginia Tech. 

The Terriers followed up that seven-game skid by getting wins over No. 10 The Citadel (93-76), No. 2 Furman (77-68) and No. 6 Chattanooga (72-70) to arrive at tonight’s 100th SoCon title game. The Terriers needed another miracle from Storm Murphy—something he did last year in the regular-season vs. Furman and Samford—to get past Chattanooga, as his free throw line jumper with 3.1 seconds remaining ended the Mocs run one game short of a potential rematch with their Volunteer State rival. 

ETSU has arrived at its fourth championship game in five seasons under head coach Steve Forbes. A little over a week ago, the Bucs were in very serious danger of seeing their SoCon regular-season outright crown slip into obscurity trailing Western Carolina late. However, ‘Good’ things happened to the Bucs once again—as in the form of Patrick Good—as the junior guard connected on seven threes in the final eight minutes, including the game-winner with six seconds left, as the Bucs came up with a thrilling 68-67 win in the regular-season finale.

Tonight, the Bucs don’t want to share the spotlight with Wofford. Share? A Wofford win likely puts two SoCon teams in the NCAA Tournament, although waiting on pins and needles for a week to let a committee decide your fate probably isn’t Forbes’ idea of a fun time.

The Bucs are 7-4 all-time in SoCon championship games and have made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. An ETSU win Monday night would give the SoCon a 30-game winner for a second-straight season, and would be just the fourth SoCon team to do it in the 100-year history of the league. Only former members NC State (1950-51), North Carolina (1945-46) and Wofford last year, have been able to achieve that milestone. 

The Bucs have a school-record 29 wins, eclipsing those great Bucs of 1990-91, which were ranked as high as No. 10 in the nation at one point during that particular season, and a team that featured the likes of Calvin Talford and Keith “Mister” Jennings, whose banner hangs in the rafters at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville.

The Bucs got to Monday night by defeating gritty VMI (70-57) and rolling by upstart Western Carolina—a team it narrowly defeated at home just a little over a week ago by 22 points (97-75) in yesterday’s first semifinal. 

ETSU was the only one of the top three to sweep Wofford during the regular-season. The Bucs won a 49-48 game in Johnson City that, at times, made you cringe the shooting was so woeful, but it also had something to do with really good defense, too.In a late February meeting in Spartanburg, the Bucs held off pesky Wofford, which led most of the night, as ETSU charged back for a 60-54 road win. 

The difference in this Bucs team—what stands out from some of those great ones that still elicit stories from yesteryear—is that precisely they aren’t distinguished by stars. There’s no “Mister” or dunking champion like Calvin Talford. 

What the winningest team in Bucs history does have is connection and selflessness. Isaiah Tisdale’s importance can’t be defined or captured just by a stats sheet alone. Tisdale isn’t a fancy player. He’s tough and gritty. He’s not interested in what you have to say nor does he talk much on the floor. His game speaks loud enough, especially on the defensive end.

Much the same can be said of Wofford. There’s no Cam Jackson or Fletcher Magee around to save the day, and while Storm Murphy has had his moments, there’s not a star that can be defined by a nickname or a stat that really sticks out on a stats sheet. 

As Chevez Goodwin put it after the win over Furman, the Terriers have played with a chip on their proverbial shoulders the whole season. They play like they are disrespected defending champions. Fact is, guys like Goodwin, Murphy, Tray Hollowell, and Nathan Hoover still have their individual pieces of net from the 2019 SoCon title run. They were more than a Magee and me team. They were multi-faceted last season.

The guy that has arguably been Wofford’s most key piece spent most of last season sidelined with an injury—Trevor Stumpe. Stumpe was the hero in Wofford’s upset win over Furman, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the second half, with most of those coming during a key Wofford run late. However, Stumpe is averaging just 7.4 PPG. Other key pieces like sophomore guard Ryan Larson and SoCon All-Freshman team member Messiah Jones have also been big.

ETSU has had its own injury issues this season in season, with the foot injury Jeromy Rodriguez has battled since the start of league play. Rodriguez’s impact in the tournament won’t show up on the stats sheet, but it could very well be huge tonight in terms of depth. 

Wofford has played one more game, and though it was The Citadel, it wasn’t as if it were a church league over 40 outing either. Rodriguez’s ability to spell guys with minutes could come up huge. 

Lucas N’Guessan has been one of the most improved big men in the SoCon. His steal and slam in the six-point win at Wofford changed the game.  Daivien Williamson has been the man over the last month of the season, and he is putting together quite the Southern Conference Tournament, posting his sixth 20-point effort of his career in the win over Western Carolina and is 14-of-16 from the field in the tournament. Williamson has been in double figures in eight of the last 11 games. Tray Boyd III and Bo Hodges have provided big moments throughout the season for the Bucs, and while there’s no star, there’s not a weakness. 

Wofford has clearly been the team of the last decade in the Southern Conference, while the Bucs come in having won 129 games in five seasons. Not a bad performance either. Monday night’s title game will give the winner a head start on the next decade. 

I am not giving up on a two-bid SoCon yet, but with UNCG and Furman now longer an option as a potential close loss in the championship game now for an at-large bid, the Bucs might not have a fall-back plan if they lose. That should make for an intriguing battle in the SoCon title game.

Other Notes:

--The last team to defend their title in the SoCon Tournament was Wofford in 2014 and '15

--A win for ETSU would give the Bucs its eighth Southern Conference title and 11th all-time NCAA Tournament appearances. An 11th tournament appearance would be tied for most in the league among current league members, as Chattanooga also has made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances.

--ETSU and Wofford will be meeting for the third time in tournament history, with Wofford winning over ETSU in the semifinals last year, downing the Bucs 81-72. The only other meeting between the two in the Southern Conference Tournament came in 2003, as ETSU knocked off Wofford 80-75
--Should Wofford win Monday night, it would mark the first time in the modern format of the tournament, and it would mark the first time it has happened in any format of the tournament since Clemson did so in 1939.

Furman finishes season unbeaten at Timmons Arena; Jordan Lyons honored

Noah Gurley scores a team-high 20 points as Furman closes out regular season with a win

Furman Heads into the SoCon Tournament with Momentum

Furman 82, The Citadel 58

The Particulars:

On a day when Furman’s winningest player was honored—Jordan Lyons—it matched its most wins in a season (25) and posted its most Southern Conference wins (15) in the history of the program, downing arch-rival The Citadel, 82-58,  before an announced sellout crowd inside the friendly confines of Timmons Arena.

The Paladins finished the season a perfect 12-0 at Timmons Arena, which marks the first time in school history the Paladins have finished undefeated in the facility. The Paladins also improved to 63-11 at Timmons Arena since the start of the 2015-16 season. The Paladins are now 50-14 over the past two seasons. 

With the win, Furman improved to 25-6 overall and 15-3 in league play and will be the No. 2 seed in next Saturday’s  Southern Conference Tournament and will face the winner of No. 7 Wofford/No. 10 The Citadel matchup Saturday evening in the SoCon’s second quarterfinal matchup at approximately 6 p.m. The Citadel finishes the regular-season with a 6-25 and have now lost a school-record 18-straight games. The Citadel will open play in the 2020 General Shale Southern Conference Tournament at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center against No. 7 seed Wofford on Friday night at 6 p.m. in an opening round matchup. Furman heads to Asheville as winner’s of 10 of its last 11 games. 

The Paladins placed four players in double figures, led by Noah Gurley’s 20 points, while The Citadel had only one player in double digits scoring-wise, as senior Kaelon Harris paced the Bulldogs with a game-high 24 points. 

Furman finished the night shooting 45.5% (30-of-66) from the field, including going 10-for-31 from three-point range in the second half. The Citadel finished the night connecting on 45.1% (23-of-51) from the field,  but shot just 26.3% (5-of-19) from three-point range.

The Paladins turned the Bulldogs over 20 times, which included 13 steals, posting a 22-12 advantage in points off turnovers. Furman finished the contest with just nine turnovers. 

Furman also held advantages in points in the paint (40-34), second-chance points (12-9), total rebounds (36-34), total assists (20-13), and fast-break points (16-4). The Citadel edged Furman in bench scoring, 29-22. Furman finished the day connecting on 75.0% (12-of-16) from the charity stripe, while the Bulldogs were 58.3% (7-for-12) from the line.

Gurley scored his team-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, including 2-for-2 from three-point range and was 4-for-6 from the charity stripe. Gurley added three assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal to his overall totals. 

The redshirt sophomore from Fayetteville, GA, was joined in double figures by Clay Mounce (17 pts), Mike Bothwell (13 pts), and Alex Hunter (12 pts). For Bothwell, it was his third-straight start and his 13th double-figure scoring performance in his last 15 games. 

Mounce came off the bench for the second-straight game, posting his 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 3-for-5 from the free throw line. Mounce also added six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. 

Hunter’s 12 points came on 4-of-11 shooting from three-point range, and the junior point guard led the Paladins with six assists and had only one turnover. The Raleigh, N.C., native also added five rebounds and had a pair of steals. Sophomore forward Jalen Slawson paced the Paladins on the glass, grabbing eight rebounds to go with his six points.

Lyons, who played in his final home game in front of the Furman faithful, learned prior to tip-off that his jersey will be displayed at the Naismith College Basketball Hall-of-Fame in Springfield, MA, for his NCAA record-tying 15 three-pointers vs. North Greenville last season. He finished out his senior day with nine points, two assists, two steals and two rebounds, improving to 96-36 in his record-setting Paladin career. His 286-career three-pointers are also a school record. 

The Citadel’s Harris scored his 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 2-for-3 from three-point range. The senior from Atlanta, GA, was also 4-for-7 from the line, and added seven rebounds and a steal to his overall totals to finish out his evening.

The Turning Point:

A Kaelon Harris layup gave The Citadel a 14-13 lead with 11:27 remaining in the opening half, however, after somewhat of a slow start, the Bulldogs used a 16-7 run to close the half, beginning with a Jaylon Pugh three-pointer and ending with a triple by Alex Hunter with just 1:04 remaining in the opening half, as the Paladins took a 29-21 lead into the halftime locker room, despite shooting just 35.3% (12-of-34) from the field in the first half.

Furman would pick up right where it left off in the first half, using an 11-1 run to start the second half, which included  a pair of triples from Mike Bothwell and another one from Noah Gurley to account for nine of those 11 points to open the frame, as the Paladin lead ballooned to 18 points, at 48-22, with 17:38 to play. 

All told, Furman out-scored the Bulldogs 27-8 from the 11:27 mark of the first half until the 17:38 mark of the second half to take complete command of the game. The Paladins led by as much as 29 points in the second half when Jordan Lyons scored on a layup to give Furman an 80-51 lead with 2:22 remaining. 

Link to Press Conference:

(Bob Richey and Jordan Lyons)

(Noah Gurley)

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9LL1BclKaL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link