Furman dominates from the tip in taking down former Southern Conference rival College of Charleston

Furman forward Jalen Slawson (photo courtesy of College of Charleston Athletics)

 Furman 81, College of Charleston 57

CHARLESTON, S.C.--Furman connected on 11-of-18 shots from three-point range in the opening half and never looked back in getting an 81-57 non-conference win on the road over former Southern Conference rival College of Charleston at TD Arena Saturday afternoon. 

The win helped the Paladins improve to 4-0 on the season, while Charleston fell to 1-2 on the young 2020-21 campaign. 

Mike Bothwell helped Furman run out to a 47-23 halftime lead, scoring 17 of his game-high 26 points in the opening half, going 5-for-5 from three-point range as a part of the Paladins’ first-half three-point barrage, which helped to the 24-point halftime advantage. Bothwell was on fire the entire game, as he connected on 10-of=14 shots from the field, which included going 6-for-8 from three-point range in the contest. 

Bothwell was one of three Paladins in double figures in the contest, as Jalen Slawson finished one assist shy of a triple double, with 16 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, while Noah Gurley connected on 7-of-12 shots from the field and 4-for-8 from three-point range, as he finished with 18 points in the win.

The Cougars took a 4-2 lead following a Peyton Willis jumper, however, the Paladins would respond with a 26-4 run to take control of the basketball game from that point, staking the Paladins to a 28-10 lead with 10:01 remaining in the half following a Marcus Foster layup. Paladins connected on six three-pointers during the run, which included three from Bothwell. 

The Cougars would get within 12, following a Zep Jasper on a fast-break, making it a 28-16 contest, however, that would turn out to be as close as CofC would get the rest of the way. The Paladins led by as many as 34 points in the second half. The 24-point road win marked Furman's largest win over Charleston since a 114-67 win over the Cougars in Charleston in the 1952-53 season. 

Along with shooting 51.7% from the field for the game and a blistering 47.1% from beyond the arc, and the 16 three-pointers by Furman is second-most made three-pointers made against a Division I opponent in program history. 

Equally as good was Furman's play on the defensive end of the floor, as the Paladins limited the Cougars to just 36.5% shooting from the field for the game, and held CofC to just a 5-for-23 shooting performance from beyond the arc. The Paladins converted 15 Cougar turnovers into 29 points. 

The Cougars were led in scoring in the contest by Zep Jasper, who posted 12 points, while Dontavious King added 11 off the bench. Furman returns to action Wednesday night, as the Paladins stay on the road to face the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Furman and Cincinnati will be facing off against each other for just the second time in history, with the only other meeting coming on a neutral floor, with a 93-77 win over the Paladins on a neutral floor in Oklahoma City, which took place during the 1953-54 season.