Furman drops back-to-back SoCon regular-season games for the first time since 2018-19

Bucs hold Paladins to lowest point total of the season; earn season series split

ETSU 71, Furman 62

Damari Monsanto scored a game-high 22 points and East Tennessee State used a key 13-0 run midway through the second half, holding Furman scoreless from the field for almost nine minutes en route to a 71-62 Southern Conference win Saturday afternoon at Freedom Hall.

With the win, ETSU improved to 9-5 overall and 5-1 in Southern Conference play, while the Paladins dropped to 10-4 overall and 4-2 in Southern Conference action. The second-straight loss marks the first time since the 2018-19 season that the Paladins have lost back-to-back league games. 

The last time that happened came during the 2018-19 season, as the Paladins dropped games at Wofford (L, 55-59) and UNC Greensboro (L, 79-89) in back-to-back games. 

The Paladins scored a season-low 62 points, and were held below 70 points for the first time all season, and it’s the Paladins’ lowest output in a game since Jan. 17, 2020, as Wofford limited the Paladins to just 52 points in a 66-52 nationally-televised game on ESPNU last season.

Monsanto finished the contest by connecting on 8-of-14 shots from the field, including knocking down six of ETSU’s 10 three-pointers, as he continued his hot shooting during the past week. He narrowly missed his second double-double this week, pulling down eight rebounds in the victory over the Paladins. 

LeDarrius Brewer, who didn’t play against the Paladins in the first meeting between the two a week ago due to COVID-19 protocols, added to what has been an already impactful season as a part of the Bucs rotation thus far, adding 17 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal. Lagos, Nigeria product Silas Adheke had one of his better games of his young ETSU career since transferring in from Northern Kentucky in the spring. He finished the afternoon with 14 points, nine rebounds and a steal. 

In Monday’s 11-point home win over VMI, Monsanto posted his first-career double-double, with 19 points and 14 rebounds. It was his third double-figure scoring performance in his last four outings.

Furman opened the second half with five-straight points, as it took its first lead of the day, at 34-30, however, as Mounce converted a layup and Bothwell hit a three. 

ETSU responded with a 7-2 spurt highlighted by Monsanto’s fifth three of the game to give the Bucs a 37-36 lead, but Furman responded with four-straight on an emphatic tomahawk slam by Mounce and a layup by Bothwell to give the Paladins a 40-37 lead, but four-straight points by David Sloan and a pair of foul shots by Ty Brewer allowed the Bucs to retake the lead, at 43-40, with just under 14 minutes remaining. 

Monsanto continued his monster day with a layup increase the Bucs lead to five, at 45-40, and that’s what the score would remain as the two teams headed for their respective benches for the second media timeout of the second half. 

ETSU would make it a 13-0 run following a LeDarrius Brewer triple and a layup by Silas Adheke, making it a 50-40 game with 10:32 left, prompting a Bob Richey timeout. Furman would finally end the drought at the foul line, as Mounce drew LeDarrius Brewer’s third foul and knocked down a pair of free throws with just over 10 minutes remaining. However, on the next trip down the floor the Paladins would see Gurley pick up his fourth foul.  

The Bucs maintained their double-double lead, 52-42, at the 7:45 media timeout of the second half. Furman would finally end its seven-minute scoring drought on a Mounce triple with 6:25 left, cutting the Bucs’ lead to seven, at 52-45. 

Bothwell would get the Paladins within four with a triple, however, following an offensive rebound by Vonnie Patterson on the other end, ETSU had an answer, as the ball found its way to the man with a hot hand, as Monsanto canned his sixth triple of the day to extend the Bucs lead back out to seven with just over five minutes remaining. The two teams traded buckets and the ETSU lead held at seven, 57-50, at the final media timeout of the game. 

LeDarrius Brewer then put the dagger in, as his triple off a high screen and the top of the key, and steal and dunk while being fouled by Slawson in the process gave ETSU its largest lead of the day, at 63-50, however, Mounce answered with a three with 2:14 remaining to trim the lead back to 10. Brewer's six-point, game-clinching flurry took just 12 seconds.

Furman would cut it to seven one more time, as Bothwell knocked down a triple with 51 seconds remaining, cutting Furman's deficit to 69-62, but it would prove to be the final points of the night for the Paladins, as a pair of David Sloan foul shots helped the Bucs close out the nine-point win.

The Paladins were paced by a strong performance from Mounce, who after being held to just two points in Wednesday night’s loss at VMI, finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday’s loss to the Bucs. The 22-point effort came on 8-of-17 shooting from the field, which included a 3-for-11 performance from three-point range. 

Rounding out the Paladins in double figures in the contest were Mike Bothwell, who posted 17 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal, while Gurley finished with 13 points. 

For the game, ETSU ended up connecting on 44.4% (24-of-54) from the field and shot 41.7% from three (10-of-24) and 72.2% (13-of-18) from the charity stripe. 

Furman, meanwhile, struggled for the second-straight game shooting the basketball, connecting on just 41.7% (25-of-60) from the field and a mere 25.8% (8-fo-31) from three-point land. Furman shot only seven free throws for the game, knocking down four of them for a 57.1% clip from the stripe. 

After taking an early 40-37 lead in the second half, the Paladins would score only 13 points over the next 13 minutes of game time, which included a nine minute scoring drought, which played a major role in the Paladins lowest scoring output of the season. 

The Bucs finished the contest owning advantages in total rebounds (38-30), second chance points (17-7) and bench scoring (18-4). Furman ended up holding advantages in points in the paint (34-24), fast-break points (9-5) and assists (14-13).

There is little rest for the Paladins, as they have a quick turnaround, hosting preseason co-favorite UNC Greensboro on Monday night at Timmons Arena in a nationally televised game for ESPNU. Tip-off time for that contest is slated for 7 p.m. EST. 

ETSU, which is now just a half-game back of Wofford (6-1) in the league standings, which face off against arch-rival Chattanooga Wednesday night, as the Bucs go in search of a 12th-straight win over the Mocs in the series. Tip-off time is set for 7 p.m. at Freedom Hall. 

  

Furman drops first SoCon game of the Year at VMI

 VMI 74, Furman 73

Reigning SoCon Player of the Week Greg Parham scored 24 points, which included 22 in the second half, as VMI snapwithped a 10-game losing streak against Furman and handed the Paladins their first Southern Conference loss of the season, as the Keydets held on for a 74-73 win Wednesday night at Cameron Hall.

With the win, VMI improved to 8-7 overall and 3-3 in Southern Conference play, while Furman dropped to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in league action. It marked VMI's first win over Furman since Feb. 13, 2015, as the Keydets were 93-59 victors over the Paladins at Cameron Hall. For the second year in a row, Furman was looking to get off to its first 5-0 start in Southern Conference play since the 1979-80 season, which is the last time the Paladins won both the Southern Conference regular-season crown, as well as the tournament title. 

Parham finished the night connecting on 8-of-15 shots from the field, including going 2-for-4 from three-point range. Parham was also a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the contest to equal his 24-point effort. Parham was one of four Keydets in double figures in the contest, as VMI was able to overcome what was a six-point, 40-34, halftime deficit to get the come-from-behind win, improving to 8-1 on the home hardwood this season. 

The Paladins held a 60-55 lead with just under eight minutes remaining in the contest following a Mike Bothwell jumper in the lane. From that point forward, VMI would embark on a 10-0 run, which started with a Sean Conway three-pointer and ended with Parham jumper in the paint, giving the Keydets a 65-60 lead with just under four minutes to play, as the Paladins went scoreless from the field over a four-minute span. 

Jalen Slawson, who paced Furman with a double-double with 18 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, and five steals, connected on a triple with 3:41 remaining, as his shot caromed off the back of the rim and down through the hoop, as Furman cut VMI's lead to two, at 65-63.  A little less than a minute later, Bothwell tied the game, 65-65, on a short jumper. 

Marshall would respond with one of his two three-pointers of the night from the deep left elbow, giving the Keydets the lead back, 68-65, with 2:27 left in the contest. After a missed three-pointer from Clay Mounce and rebound by VMI, Slawson got a steal and tomahawk slam to get Furman back within a point, at 68-67, with 1:47 remaining.

However, Parham and VMI would continue to have a response, and another driving layup from VMI's leading scorer extended the home team's advantage back to three with 1:25 remaining. 

On Furman's ensuing possession, Noah Gurley had his shot blocked out of bounds by VMI center Jake Stephens, however, off the out-of-bounds play, Furman senior point guard Alex Hunter connected on a three-pointer from the left elbow to tie the game, 70-70, with 57 seconds remaining. 

Myles Lewis answered with a layup just 12 seconds later to help the Keydets grab the lead once again, 72-70, with 43 seconds remaining. Following a Bothwell missed layup attempt, VMI's Jake Stephens would rebound and was fouled immediately. He connected on 1-of-2 free throws to make it a 73-70 VMI lead with 17 seconds remaining. 

Furman would tie the game one more time, as Hunter was fouled on a three-pointer from the corner just in from of the Furman bench with 9.1 seconds left. He calmly stepped to the line and hit all three foul shots, tying the game 73-73.

In the biggest moment of the game, VMI turned to its dynamic freshman Trey Bonham, and his quickness allowed him to get to the basket and get a shot up, forcing Furman's Bothwell to commit the foul with 3.2 seconds remaining. Bonham stroked home the first foul shot to give the Keydets the 74-73 lead. He would miss the second, however, Slawson mid-court heave as time expired was no good, and VMI celebrated with the one-point win. 

Furman and VMI got off to a strong start from three-point range, with each team connecting on triples prior to the first media timeout, with Stephens and Conway both connecting from long range for the Keydets, while Jalen Slawson and Alex Hunter both connected on triples for Furman, as VMI took a 10-8 to the first media timeout of the night. 

Slawson would help power the Paladins to a 40-34 halftime lead, having posted a double-double in the opening half alone, as he finished the opening frame with 10 points and 10 boards in the opening half of play. The two teams nearly shot identical percentages from the field in the opening half of play, with the Paladins knocking down 41.0% (16-of-39) of their shots from the field, while the Keydets connected on 40.7% (11-of-27) from the field in the opening frame. 

Furman finished shooting the ball at just at 37.0% (27-of-73) from the field for the contest, while the Keydets completed the contest shooting the ball at a 47.1% (24-of-51) clip for the contest.  The Keydets shot the ball at a 54.1% (13-of-24) clip in the second half of play alone, while Furman was held to just 32.3% (11-of-34)  from the field in the second half. 

From beyond the arc, the Keydets connected on 11-of-25 from long-range, which converts to a 44.0% clip for the game. Meanwhile, Furman connected on just 30.8% (12-of-39) from three-point range for the contest.

In addition to Parham's 24 points, the Keydets placed three other players in double figures, with Stephens adding his fourth double-double of the season with 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Bonham added 13 points off the bench for the Keydets. Conway, who went 4-for-8 from three-point range in the contest, rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Keydets with 12 points.

Slawson was joined in double figures by Bothwell, who added 14 points, while Gurley finished his night with 12 points to go with seven boards and four assists. 

Furman was able to claim advantantages in second-chance points (20-11), total rebounds (40-38), assists (16-14), points off turnovers (16-6), and bench points (18-4). 

Furman returns to action on Saturday when it travels to East Tennessee State with another first-place battle on the line with the Bucs, who are also 4-1 in SoCon after capturing a 59-48 road win over Western Carolina earlier on Wednesday afternoon, with tip-off slated for 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Freedom Hall. VMI will face a road test at Mercer in a tip-off slated for 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Hawkins Arena. 

SoCon Basketball Update: Saturday's full slate of games produces some great individual and team performances

For the first time during the 2020-21 season, there were no games postponed in the Southern Conference, and Saturday produced some great basketball games. Probably the best of those games occurred in Lexington, VA., as the VMI and The Citadel met in what was truly a military classic.

 Other games included a Storm Murphy surprise in Chattanooga, as Wofford produced a big second half to come from behind to knock off Chattanooga, and Mercer held off Western Carolina in what turned out to be a thriller in Macon. Furman and Mike Bothwell held off East Tennessee State in a battle of SoCon unbeatens, and for the second time in 48 hours, UNC Greensboro was able to hand Samford its second loss by double digits. Below is a brief look at each game Saturday and updated power rankings following Saturday's action. 

VMI 110, The Citadel 103

VMI's Jake Stephens had a career afternoon against The Citadel, posting 33 points and 11 rebounds, while Greg Parham and and Sean Conway added 27 and 25 points, respectively, as the Keydets were able to hold off the high-scoring Bulldogs, 110-103, Saturday afternoon in a SoCon thriller. 

Stephens' first 30-point effort of his career was highlighted by an 11-of-22 shooting performance from the field and went 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. For Parham, it was his third 20-point effort of the season, and Conway posted career-highs in both points and and rebounds, bringing down 13 boards. 

The Keydets improved to 7-6 overall and evened their SoCon record to 2-2, bouncing back from what was a heartbreaking 82-80 loss at home to Wofford last week. 

The Bulldogs were led in the contest by the SoCon's three-point leader Kaiden Rice, who posted 29 points and had seven triples in the losing effort. The Keydets turned in an impressive performance from the foul line, converting 26-of-30 attempts from the charity stripe, and 14-of-16 from the line over the final six minutes to get the win. The Bulldogs fashioned a 22-of-32 performance from the charity stripe in the contest. 

VMI held a 52-46 lead at the break, and increased that lead to as much as 15 points, at 82-67, with 9:04 remaining. However, the Bulldogs would chip away at the lead, getting to within six, at 106-100, with Hayden Brown layup with 24 seconds to play. After a pair Conway free throws made it an eight-point game, the Bulldogs would cut it to five on a three-pointer by Brent Davis, but could get no closer, as the Keydets held on for the seven-point win by hitting its foul shots down the stretch. 

Mercer 78, Western Carolina 76

Another great game on Saturday afternoon took place at Hawkins Arena in Macon, GA., as Western Carolina and Mercer dueled in one of the better game's of the afternoon in Southern Conference play, as Mercer held off Western Carolina, 78-76, Saturday afternoon to capture its first Southern Conference win.

With the win, the Bears improved to 8-4 overall and 1-3 in SoCon action, while the Catamounts, who were playing their first game in two weeks due to COVID protocols, fell to 7-4 and 0-2 in SoCon play.

In the opening half of play, Mercer led by as many as 21 points with 3:33 remaining until halftime, however, the Catamounts went on a 12-2 run over a 2:38 span to shave 10 points off the Bears' lead, making it a 46-35 Bears lead at the half. The Beats never let the Catamounts lead, holding the lead 37:18, while the game was tied for 2:42. 

Maciej Bender had a career day, posting a career-high 22 points in the game. The 6-11 forward had five dunks in the first seven minutes of the second half, as the Bears assumed a 56-39 lead with 13:21 remaining. However, the Catamounts would slowly chip away at the Mercer lead from there and with 2:08 remaining, the Catamounts were able to cut the Bears lead to just five, at 74-69, and a minute later, tied the game, as Mason Faulkner's two charity shots tied the game, 74-74. 

However, they say big time players make big time plays in big time games. That player for Mercer on Saturday was Leon Ayers III, who drew a foul on Catamount forward Tyler Harris, and Ayers III stepped the line and gave Mercer the lead for good by knocking down a pair of free throws to make it a 76-74 lead, which the Bears would not relinquish the remainder of the game. 

On the next possession, Patrick Urey, who played a season-high 22 minutes in the contest, rebounded Xavier Cork's missed shot with 14 seconds remaining. Urey then drew a foul and calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to make it a 78-74 game. Western added a layup to produce the final margin, as the Bears held on for the two-point win. 

Mercer point guard Neftali Alvarez led the Bears with 24 points, while Mason Faulkner led all scorers in the matchup by posting 25.

Wofford 77, Chattanooga 59

Wofford's third-straight win of the season saw the Terriers post maybe their most-explosive half of the season, as the Terriers avenged one of their worst road performances of a year ago by getting a 77-59 on the road at Chattanooga.

The win saw the Terriers improve to 8-4 overall and 5-1 in the Southern Conference, while Chattanooga fell to 11-4 overall and 2-4 in league play. It gave the Terriers a 4-0 start to Southern Conference play, marking the first time that has happened since the Terriers went an unbeaten 18-0 in the SoCon regular-season en route to the regular-season crown a couple of years ago. 

The Terriers trailed 35-22 at the break, and for a second-straight season, it looked as if McKenzie Arena would once again play host to one of Wofford's worst shooting performances. However, the Terriers would flip the script on the Mocs in the second half, scoring its most points (55) it has scored in any half so far this season. Putting that in perspective, the Terriers' three-game winning streak began with a 48-46 win on the road at UNC Greensboro. 

The Terriers ended up out-scoring the Mocs by 31 points in the second half alone, posting 55-24 advantage in the second half alone. Senior point guard Storm Murphy was one of Saturday's top performers around the SoCon, as he recorded what was his fifth 20-point performance of the season, posting a game-high 23 points, as he connected on 7-of-19 shots from the field, which included connecting on three triples and going a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. With his three long range efforts in the win, Murphy moved into the top 10 in school history for three-pointers made. 

Murphy wasn't the only Terrier that did damage in the contest, as freshman Morgan Safford posted 19 points and seven rebounds, while Tray Hollowell finished the contest with 10 points to round out the Terriers in double figures in the contest. 

UTC finished the contest with four players in double figures, with Malachi Smith leading the way with 15 points and seven boards, while David Jean-Baptiste added 13 points. Josh Ayeni and Stefan Kenic rounded out the Mocs in double figures with 11 points apiece. 

The Terriers owned a commanding a 42-31 advantage on the backboards and held a 15-6 advantage in second-chance points.

UNCG 82, Samford 70 

For the second time in a 48-hour span, the UNC Greensboro Spartans showed their superiority against the Samford Bulldogs at the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham by posting their second-straight double-digit win on the road. It was UNCG's ninth-straight win over Samford

With the win, the Spartans ran their record to 8-5 overall and 3-2 in league play, while Samford fell to 5-7 overall and 1-4 in league play. The Spartans, who have struggled shooting the ball from the perimeter at times this season, connected on a season-high 11 triples in the win. 

After an 87-63 win over the Bulldogs in the first of two meetings between the two on Thursday night, the Spartans used a strong start to the second half, which included a 13-3 start to the frame, taking command of the scoreboard to take a 52-43 lead after trailing by a 40-39 margin at the break. But Samford would rally back to make it a two-point game with just under five minutes left on a Richardson Maitre three-pointer. 

However, the Spartans answered with an 11-0 run, and that was that, as the Bulldogs never threatened again, as the Spartans ended the game on a 13-4 run two close out the SoCon victory strong. 

SoCon reigning Player of the Year Isaiah Miller put together another stellar performance, posting 20 points, marking his 14th-straight game in double figures and his 30th in his last 31 outings. Keyshaun Langley--the league's reigning co-Freshman of the Year--also had a big afternoon by posting 19 points, including 14 in the second half, as the UNCG backcourt played a big role in the win for the Spartans. 

Furman 78, East Tennessee State 66

Opportunities don’t come that often for mid-major programs like Furman and East Tennessee State, but when they do, and the game is before a national television audience, it’s important to take advantage of the moment. It’s not only a moment for the current players, but for all those that game before. 

“Since we got back from Citadel, Coach Richey was telling us this game wasn’t for us. This game was to show everybody watching us on ESPNU for the first time what our brand of basketball is about. This game was for Jordan Lyons, Matt Rafferty, Daniel Fowler and all those guys that came before us. I think we showed a great brand of Furman basketball,” Mike Bothwell said.

It was Bothwell who made the most of the opportunity, as he scored a career-high 32 points, and Furman moved into sole possession of first place in the Southern Conference, with a 78-66, win over East Tennessee State Saturday afternoon at Timmons Arena.

With the win, the Paladins improved to 10-3 overall and remained unbeaten in Southern Conference play, at 4-0, while ETSU dropped to 6-5 overall and 2-1 in league action following the loss.

The win marked the 19th-straight at Timmons Arena, and was also the 70th in the facility since the start of the 2015-16 season, as Furman improved to 70-11 in the facility over that span. Additionally, it was also Furman’s 70th Southern Conference win since the start of that same season, which is second to only ETSU’s 73 league wins during that same span.

It was the typical intensity you get when the Paladins and Bucs meet on the college basketball hardwood, and for about 35 minutes on Saturday afternoon at Timmons Arena, neither team could find much separation from the other. 

The game featured 11 ties and 16 lead changes before Furman was able create some cushion between it and the Bucs over the final 10 minutes. From that point, the Paladins never let ETSU take more than a three-point lead the rest of the way. 

With 10:02 remaining, ETSU point guard David Sloan connected on 1-of-2 foul shots to give the Bucs a 58-57 lead. However, it would prove to be the Bucs’ final lead of the game, as Bothwell scored 13 of 21 points for the Paladins over the final 10 minutes, as the Paladins closed on a 21-8 run to finish with the 12-point win. 

“We talk about kills, which is getting three-consecutive stops on the defense end, and we didn’t have any of those in the first half, but in the final 10 minutes of the game tonight we ended up getting three,” head coach Bob Richey said. 

The Bucs, who were without leading scorer LeDarrius Brewer, got the most of his supporting cast, which included players like Vonnie Patterson and Damari Monsanto--who were two of the three members of a Bucs team that won 30 games and a SoCon Tournament title a year ago--were a significant part of an 8-0 run, which included a steal and dunk from Vonnie Patterson, giving the Bucs 52-47 lead with 12:17 remaining.

 Clay Mounce stepped up and made maybe the biggest shot of the night for the Paladins from the left corner, bringing the Paladins within two points, at 52-50, with 12:03 left.  

Alex Hunter had another one of bigger shots of the night, and on a night when Noah Gurley was 0-of-8 from the field and held scoreless, it was not only Bothwell’s career night that helped compensate for that lack of offense, but also Mounce, Jalen Slawson and Hunter. 

Hunter’s triple from the left elbow that helped the Paladins open up a seven-point, 71-64, lead with 3:49 left. Bothwell’s triple with 1:26 remaining all but made the game academic, giving the Paladins a 76-66 lead. Bothwell added a layup with 10 seconds remaining to set the final margin, as he scored the final seven points on his career night for the Paladins. 

Furman took a 37-35 lead into the halftime locker room, as the opening half featured 12 lead changes and nine ties, as Mike Bothwell connected on a left elbow three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining in the half. Bothwell was tied with game-high honors along with ETSU’s Serrel Smith, as both had 10 points at the break. 

The junior from Cleveland Heights, OH, connected on 11-of-19 shots from the field, including going 2-for-8 from three-point range in the win. Bothwell also added five rebounds, two assists, and a steal. It was Bothwell’s sixth game of 20 or more points this season. 

Bothwell was one of four Paladins in double figures in the contest, as he was joined by Hunter (15 pts),  Mounce (14 pts), and Slawson (11 pts).  Mounce ended up leading the Paladins with nine rebounds, as he narrowly missed a double-double. Gurley did not score, but dished out a career-high six assists, as the Paladins finished with 16 assists. Gurley also led the Paladins with two steals. 

Furman shot 51.8% (29-of-56) from the field and 30.8% (8-of-26) from three-point land. The Paladins shot a blistering 62.5% (15-of-24) in the second half. The Paladins ended the night holding advantages in points in the paint (40-28), second-chance points (18-8), total rebounds (35-30) and assists (16-12).

The Bucs ended up with five finishing in double figures, with three players ending the afternoon with 13 points. Smith, Patterson and Sloan all finished the contest with 13 for the Bucs, while Ty Brewer added 12 and Monsanto finished with 11. 

ETSU ended the contest by connecting on 45.6% (26-of-57), but struggled shooting the ball from three-point land, connecting on just 20.0% (4-of-20) from three-point land.  

The Bucs finished the contest by holding advantages in points off turnovers (21-15), bench points (15-6), and fast-break points (4-2).  

The Paladins may have only gotten six points from its bench, but it was the little things that Furman did, particularly guys like Joe Anderson and Marcus Foster off the Furman bench. Foster’s activity on the defensive end was intense, and he had an important assist to Garrett Hien in the second half, while Joe Anderson had slashing driving layup in the opening half of play that helped the Paladins keep pace with a game-ready ETSU club. 

“We’ve challenged those  guys (the bench) a little bit and shown them some things that outside sources have said about them just because we want them to understand to be ready to play and come with an edge about them,” Richey said.

SoCon Power Rankings Following Saturday's Action

1. Furman (10-3, 4-0 SoCon)--Tough week ahead for the Paladins, who face both VMI (Jan. 20) and ETSU (Jan. 23) on the road.

2. East Tennessee State (6-5, 2-1)--Bucs did enough to prove themselves worthy without LeDarrius Brewer at Timmons Arena yesterday

3. Wofford (8-4, 5-1)--Wofford's explosiveness in the second half yesterday with 55 points was impressive

4. UNC Greensboro (8-5, 3-2 SoCon)--Spartans starting to find some rhythm, and Miller finally has some help from Allegri and Langley

5. Mercer (8-4, 1-3 SoCon)-Mercer needs to show some more consistency, but Neftali Alvarez will keep them in the title race

6. VMI (7-6, 2-2 SoCon)--When the Keydets shoot it well, they can beat anyone

7. Chattanooga (11-4, 2-4)--Mocs have had trouble getting a consistent roster of players together, but the addition of Darius Banks is huge. 

8. Western Carolina (7-4, 0-2 SoCon)--WCU started to find itself yesterday after digging a deep hole vs. Mercer on the road

9. The Citadel (8-2, 1-2 SoCon)--Bulldogs had a tough pair of losses against rivals Furman and VMI this week 

10. Samford (5-7, 1-4)--After winning its SoCon opener vs. VMI, Bucky McMillan's squad has struggled 

Furman survives battle of SoCon heavyweights led by Mike Bothwell's career afternoon

Furman junior forward Jalen Slawson posted 11 points and was one of four Paladins in double figures

Opportunities don’t come that often for mid-major programs like Furman and East Tennessee State, but when they do, and the game is before a national television audience, it’s important to take advantage of the moment. It’s not only a moment for the current players, but for all those that game before. 

“Since we got back from Citadel, Coach Richey was telling us this game wasn’t for us. This game was to show everybody watching us on ESPNU for the first time what our brand of basketball is about. This game was for Jordan Lyons, Matt Rafferty, Daniel Fowler and all those guys that came before us. I think we showed a great brand of Furman basketball,” Mike Bothwell said.

It was Bothwell who made the most of the opportunity, as he scored a career-high 32 points, and Furman moved into sole possession of first place in the Southern Conference, with a 78-66, win over East Tennessee State Saturday afternoon at Timmons Arena.

With the win, the Paladins improved to 10-3 overall and remained unbeaten in Southern Conference play, at 4-0, while ETSU dropped to 6-5 overall and 2-1 in league action following the loss.

The win marked the 19th-straight at Timmons Arena, and was also the 70th in the facility since the start of the 2015-16 season, as Furman improved to 70-11 in the facility over that span. Additionally, it was also Furman’s 70th Southern Conference win since the start of that same season, which is second to only ETSU’s 73 league wins during that same span.

It was the typical intensity you get when the Paladins and Bucs meet on the college basketball hardwood, and for about 35 minutes on Saturday afternoon at Timmons Arena, neither team could find much separation from the other. 

The game featured 11 ties and 16 lead changes before Furman was able create some cushion between it and the Bucs over the final 10 minutes. From that point, the Paladins never let ETSU take more than a three-point lead the rest of the way. 

With 10:02 remaining, ETSU point guard David Sloan connected on 1-of-2 foul shots to give the Bucs a 58-57 lead. However, it would prove to be the Bucs’ final lead of the game, as Bothwell scored 13 of 21 points for the Paladins over the final 10 minutes, as the Paladins closed on a 21-8 run to finish with the 12-point win. 

“We talk about kills, which is getting three-consecutive stops on the defense end, and we didn’t have any of those in the first half, but in the final 10 minutes of the game tonight we ended up getting three,” head coach Bob Richey said. 

The Bucs, who were without leading scorer LeDarrius Brewer, got the most of his supporting cast, which included players like Vonnie Patterson and Damari Monsanto--who were two of the three members of a Bucs team that won 30 games and a SoCon Tournament title a year ago--were a significant part of an 8-0 run, which included a steal and dunk from Vonnie Patterson, giving the Bucs 52-47 lead with 12:17 remaining.

 Clay Mounce stepped up and made maybe the biggest shot of the night for the Paladins from the left corner, bringing the Paladins within two points, at 52-50, with 12:03 left.  

Alex Hunter had another one of bigger shots of the night, and on a night when Noah Gurley was 0-of-8 from the field and held scoreless, it was not only Bothwell’s career night that helped compensate for that lack of offense, but also Mounce, Jalen Slawson and Hunter. 

Hunter’s triple from the left elbow that helped the Paladins open up a seven-point, 71-64, lead with 3:49 left. Bothwell’s triple with 1:26 remaining all but made the game academic, giving the Paladins a 76-66 lead. Bothwell added a layup with 10 seconds remaining to set the final margin, as he scored the final seven points on his career night for the Paladins. 

Furman took a 37-35 lead into the halftime locker room, as the opening half featured 12 lead changes and nine ties, as Mike Bothwell connected on a left elbow three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining in the half. Bothwell was tied with game-high honors along with ETSU’s Serrel Smith, as both had 10 points at the break. 

The junior from Cleveland Heights, OH, connected on 11-of-19 shots from the field, including going 2-for-8 from three-point range in the win. Bothwell also added five rebounds, two assists, and a steal. It was Bothwell’s sixth game of 20 or more points this season. 

Bothwell was one of four Paladins in double figures in the contest, as he was joined by Hunter (15 pts),  Mounce (14 pts), and Slawson (11 pts).  Mounce ended up leading the Paladins with nine rebounds, as he narrowly missed a double-double. Gurley did not score, but dished out a career-high six assists, as the Paladins finished with 16 assists. Gurley also led the Paladins with two steals. 

Furman shot 51.8% (29-of-56) from the field and 30.8% (8-of-26) from three-point land. The Paladins shot a blistering 62.5% (15-of-24) in the second half. The Paladins ended the night holding advantages in points in the paint (40-28), second-chance points (18-8), total rebounds (35-30) and assists (16-12).

The Bucs ended up with five finishing in double figures, with three players ending the afternoon with 13 points. Smith, Patterson and Sloan all finished the contest with 13 for the Bucs, while Ty Brewer added 12 and Monsanto finished with 11. 

ETSU ended the contest by connecting on 45.6% (26-of-57), but struggled shooting the ball from three-point land, connecting on just 20.0% (4-of-20) from three-point land.  

The Bucs finished the contest by holding advantages in points off turnovers (21-15), bench points (15-6), and fast-break points (4-2).  

The Paladins may have only gotten six points from its bench, but it was the little things that Furman did, particularly guys like Joe Anderson and Marcus Foster off the Furman bench. Foster’s activity on the defensive end was intense, and he had an important assist to Garrett Hien in the second half, while Joe Anderson had slashing driving layup in the opening half of play that helped the Paladins keep pace with a game-ready ETSU club. 

“We’ve challenged those  guys (the bench) a little bit and shown them some things that outside sources have said about them just because we want them to understand to be ready to play and come with an edge about them,” Richey said.

Furman and ETSU will be back in action next week, as both will face the same opponent. ETSU will host VMI in a Monday night contest slated for a 7 p.m. contest, while Furman will be on the road on Wednesday night to face the Keydets in a 7 p.m. contest against the Keydets at Cameron Hall. 

Postgame Radio Interview With Bob Richey

https://soundcloud.com/dan-scott-772024809/richey-after-etsu-win

Media Postgame Game Interview With Mike Bothwell/Bob Richey

 

Furman moves to 3-0 in the SoCon with hard-fought win at The Citadel

Furman got a career-high 29 points from senior forward Clay Mounce, holding on for a 94-88 Southern Conference victory, handing The Citadel its first loss of the season Wednesday afternoon at the McAlister Field House. 

The win, which marked the fifth-straight win for the Paladins over the Bulldogs and ninth in the past 10 meetings, saw Furman improve to 9-3 overall and 3-0 in Southern Conference play, while The Citadel fell to 8-1 overall and 1-1 in league action.

Mounce’s 29-point performance comes just a game after setting his previous career-high of 27 points against Mercer the last time out. In Wednesday afternoon’s win over the Bulldogs, Mounce connected on 10-of-12 shots from the field, including going 10-of-12 from the field, including knocking down 4-of-5 shots from long range.  Additionally, the native of Elkin, N.C., also contributed two assists, four rebounds and a steal in the win.

The Bulldogs, who came into the season with a streak of 20-straight Southern Conference losses, had not only snapped that streak against Chattanooga with a 92-87 home win this past Saturday, but one of only eight teams in the nation to get the season off to an unbeaten start to this point, pushed the Paladins from tip-to-buzzer in a game fitting of the league’s oldest hoops rivalry.

The Paladins used a pair of runs of 11-2 and 12-2 in the opening half of play to open up a seven-point, 48-41, lead at the half.  Noah Gurley and Mounce were important to the Paladins taking a bit of a cushion to the break. 

Gurley provided some emotion plays in a first-half, which was highlighted by good play from both teams offensively, as two of his three alley-oop dunks were apart of those two important runs in the opening half. He finished with eight of his 18 points in the opening half of play.

Despite picking up two first-half fouls and playing 10 minutes, Mounce posted 14 of his career-high 19 in the opening frame. Furman senior point guard Alex Hunter scored all 10 of his points in the opening half of play. 

Those totals helped off-set the rare half by leading scorer Mike Bothwell, who faced a tenacious Bulldog defense, and was held to just two points in the opening half of play after entering the contest ranking fifth in the SoCon in scoring coming into the contest, averaging 17.7 PPG . 

While Mounce, Gurley and Hunter helped pick up the slack with Bothwell held to just two points, in the second half, Bothwell responded by reaching his average, equaling Mounce’s 15 second-half points. The two combined to go 12-of-18 from the field in the second half, including going 3-for-4 from three-point range, as the Paladins were able to hold off the tenacious Bulldogs. All told, the two veterans combined for 30 of Furman’s 46 second-half points.

It appeared Furman would pull away in the second half, as the Paladins led on multiple occassions by double digits, posting as much as a 17-point lead with 8:38 to play, and it was five-straight points  from Bothwell, which gave the Paladins their largest cushion of the contest.

But The Citadel wouldn’t go away, and would scrap the entire second half each time the Paladins would make a charge at making a double-digit margin victory.  The Bulldogs would make things interesting when they trimmed the Furman lead to just five points, 81-76, with just under five minutes. 

With Furman clinging to an 85-80 lead with 3:21 to go, but Clay Mounce showed up when the Paladins needed him the most, as he scored three points over the next two possessions, while Bothwell added a steal and a driving layup to extend the Furman lead back to double digits, at 90-80, with 2:08 left.

The best shooting team in the conference lived up to that billing once again, as the Paladins knocked down 51.4% of their shots from the field and posted an impressive 21 assists on 37 made field goals. Furman out-scored the Bulldogs 58-32 in the paint, posting 30 points off 20 Bulldog turnovers.

The Citadel was led by guard Kaiden Rice, who posted 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from long-range, while Hayden Brown continued his strong play in the paint for the Bulldogs, posting 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. 

The Bulldogs finished the afternoon shooting 46.3% from the field and made 12-of-34 three-point field goal attempts in their first setback of the season.

UNC Greensboro gets important road win over Wofford

One of the bigger rivalries in the Southern Conference over the past five years has been Wofford and UNC Greensboro, and on Wednesday night, the two were at it once again in what was another Southern Conference classic, as UNC Greensboro picked up what was a big 84-75 win in a crucial league game.   

UNCG came into the contest loser's of four-straight Southern Conference games dating back to the end of last season, yet came into the season as the favorites by the coaches to claim the 2020-21 SoCon crown. With the win, UNCG improved its overall mark to 6-4 overall and 1-1 in SoCon play, while Wofford fell to 5-4 overall and 2-1 in league play. 

The Spartans trailed 43-35 at the half, but responded with one of their best halves of basketball of the season, scoring 49 points in the second half and shooting the ball at a 56.2% clip in the second half, as Angelo Allegri and Isaiah Miller helped power the Spartan offense in the nine-point road win. The Spartans trailed by as many as 11 points in the opening half of play. It was the third time the Spartans have been able to overcome a double-digit effort to go on to a victory this season. 

UNCG was able to turn 16 Terrier turnovers into 18 points en route to the win, as Allegri led the scoring efforts of the visitors by posting 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, including 4-for-8 from three-point land. Miller finished the contest with 15 points and 13 rebounds to complete what was an impressive double-double performance. Allegri's performance from three-point land was part of season-best 11 triples for the Spartans. 

The reigning and preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year turned in one of his best performances of the season by also dishing out eight assists, while recording four thefts, as he threatened the rare triple-double. Miller finished the game going 6-of-16 from the field and was 3-for-5 from the charity stripe. 

Miller continued his climb in the UNCG record book, moving into fourth place in program history, surpassing James Maye (1999-2003), as he now has scored 1,578 points in his UNCG career.

In the losing effort, Wofford was led by Storm Murphy, who posted a game-high 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, including going 5-for-8 from three-point range in the win.

SoCon Basketball 2020-21: Early conference play power rankings

 Southern Conference Power Rankings 

As COVID-19 adjusts the league schedule once again, below are a look at the power rankings so far and some other news and notes you might have missed.

1.  Furman (8-3, 2-0 SoCon)--Two wins to open the SoCon by a total of seven points has the Paladins tied atop the league lead. Coming into the week, the Paladins faced a pair of teams with a combined 16-2 record, in both unbeaten Chattanooga and two-loss Mercer. Courtesy of 22 points on the road by Mike Bothwell, and despite only four three-pointers the entire game, the Paladins were able to knock the Mocs from the ranks of the SoCon unbeatens with a 77-73 win in the Scenic City last Wednesday. The Paladins turned around and got the job done in their SoCon home opener Saturday, downing a game Mercer squad, 83-80, in Greenville, as the Bears played their second game without point guard Neftali Alvarez, who also missed the Wofford game, but is expected back this week. The Paladins got a career-high 27 points from senior forward Clay Mounce in the win, while Noah Gurley contributed 23. Furman was slated to face Western Carolina on Wednesday night, but the game was postponed as a result of COVID-19 protocols. Furman will return to action Saturday when it faces VMI at Timmons Arena, with tip-off slated for 2 p.m.

2. Wofford (5-3, 2-0 SoCon)--When Jay McAuley's Terriers have been able to play this season without COVID-19 interruption, the Terriers have looked like a team that will be in competition for the Southern Conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Terriers, like Furman, have gotten a pair of impressive league wins to open Southern Conference play, as the Terriers opened on the road with a 78-65 win over Mercer, who was without its point guard Neftali Alvarez, and without him, the Terriers were locked in defensively and made the Bears seemingly look lost at times offensively, especially down the stretch in the second half. Storm Murphy was a big part of the story in Macon, as he netted his 1,000th point and scored 16 points,  but was also 0-for-6 from three-point range, however, the Terriers were outstanding defensively by limiting the Bears to just 39.7% from the field for the game. Samford is a team that Wofford has somehow done Houdini act after Houdini act to escape over the past four years in three out of the past four meetings at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Arena, and this past Saturday's contest was no different, as Wofford needed to shoot a scorching 63.3% from the field so far. Storm Murphy continued to show why he is one of the premier point guards in all of college basketball, posting his first-career double-double, with 23 points and 11 assists, leading five Terriers in double figures en route to a 94-84 win over the Bulldogs. Wofford has a huge showdown at home against UNC Greensboro on Wednesday night at Jerry Richardson Indoor Arena. Tip-off for that contest is set for 7 p.m. Saturday's scheduled game against East Tennessee State has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocol.

3. East Tennessee State (6-4, 2-0 SoCon)--It was only a matter of time before Jason Shay's ETSU Bucs started to figure things out, and the Bucs went on the road and got a huge 71-61 win over co-league favorite UNC Greensboro in the Nexstar Southern Conference Game of the week this past Saturday. The Bucs put together arguably their most complete game of the season against the Spartans, and it was junior guard Serrell Smith that scored a career-high 16 points, which included going 5-for-8 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 from three-point range in helping lead the Bucs to the all-important road win. LeDarrius Brewer continued his outstanding play to open the season, as he posted a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, as the Bucs finished the contest connecting on 44.6% from the field and 46.7% from three-point land in the win. While the offense has begun to come to life for Jason Shay's Bucs, the defense remained stout through the first two games of conference play in wins over Western Carolina and UNC Greensboro, holding the Spartans to just 32.8% shooting in a road win, while converting 19 Catamount turnovers into 20 points in an 86-78 league win. The defending champion Bucs have won 18 of their past 20 Southern Conference regular-season games. ETSU has paused all basketball related activities due to COVID-19 protocols.

4. Mercer (7-3, 0-2 SoCon)--Mercer has big expectations under the direction of second-year head coach Greg Gary, but had a tough slate to open Southern Conference play by hosting perennial league power Wofford to open the SoCon season last week, while having to travel to Furman this past weekend. Add to that the Bears had to do so without starting point guard--arguably one of the biggest impact player of any in the SoCon to this point--and it made those two aforementioned assignments all the more tougher. That said, the Bears played well at times against, but looked gassed by the end of the 78-65 SoCon-opening loss to the Terriers. After falling behind by as many as 18 points in the second half in Greenville, the Bears battled all the way back with a chance to tie the game on a Felipe Haase three-point attempt at the buzzer, which fell short, as the Paladins held on for an 83-80 win. Ross Cummings continued his strong play and to show why he was such a key missing piece for Gary's Bears last season, posting 22 points in the road loss to the Paladins. Cummings is averaging 16.6 PPG so far this season and ranks fourth in the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 45.8% from long range. The Bears had their game against The Citadel slated for Wednesday night halted due to COVID-19 protocols. Mercer will return to SoCon action Saturday when it travels to UNCG. 

5. UNC Greensboro (5-4, 0-1 SoCon)--UNC Greensboro and head coach Wes Miller had their four-game winning streak halted on Saturday, as East Tennessee State handed the Spartans their first Southern Conference loss of the season, including their third-straight league regular-season loss dating back to last season. The Spartans continue to struggle offensively early on this season. The Spartans' 71.0 PPG this season ranks them 209th out of 357 NCAA Division I teams, however, its been defense that has been the calling card for Wes Miller's Spartans over the past four years. That hasn't changed, but shooting the basketball at least a little better from the field, and also preseason player of the year Isaiah Miller (19.1 PPG) is going to need some help with the scoring load if the Spartans are going to live up to preseason expectations. The talent is certainly there to do so, however. UNCG is on the road for a huge game tomorrow night when the Spartans invade Spartanburg to take on Wofford. 

6. Chattanooga (9-2, 0-2 SoCon)--After getting off to the best start in school history, the Mocs have had a pair of hiccups to open Southern Conference play, with a 77-73 home loss to Furman to open league play, while dropping an 84-79 road contest at VMI to open the New Year. The good news is All-SoCon guard David Jean-Baptiste has returned to the fold for Lamont Paris' Mocs. The bad news is UTC is dressing only eight players right now due to a roster that has seemingly been influx all season. Malachi Smith has been one of the real positives for the Mocs this season, and he is the Player of the Month for the league for the month of December. Smith is averaging 16.3 PPG to rank 10th in the SoCon, while leading the SoCon with 11.0 RPG so far this season. The Mocs return to Southern Conference action Wednesday night with an important clash against its closest SoCon rival, Samford. Tip-off for that contest is set for 7 p.m. at McKenzie Arena. This game is important for Chattanooga, which can ill-afford an 0-3 start to league play.  

7. Samford (5-4, 1-1 SoCon)--"Bucky ball" is alive and well in the Magic City, as Bucky McMillan's Samford Bulldogs have been an exciting revelation through the early portion of the Southern Conference hoops season. Samford's 86.9 PPG so far through its first nine games ranks second to only The Citadel in points per game. The Bulldogs have found points from a lot of different areas on the floor, and have one of the league's most versatile guards, in Myron Gordon (17.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.9 APG), as well as one of the most underrated big men in the league, in Jalen Dupree (8.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG). McMillan's Bulldogs gave the Terriers all they wanted in Spartanburg last Saturday night, and the relentless pressing style is very similar to The Citadel, only dare I say even a quicker pace. Samford and Chattanooga will be meeting for the 104th time on the hardwood on Wednesday night, with UTC holding the 63-40 all-time series edge. 

8. Western Carolina (7-3, 0-1 SoCon)--Western Carolina has had two games slated for this week against both Furman and The Citadel both postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Catamounts opened SoCon play with an 86-78 road loss at East Tennessee State, marking their 29th loss in their last 30 meetings against the Bucs. That being said, it was the second-straight time the Catamounts have let one slip away in Johnson City, as the Bucs put together one of their best halves of the season to post a win in their Southern Conference opener. It's not been the start that Mason Faulkner had hoped to get off to this season for the Catamounts, however, he's still averaging 15.9 PPG and ranks third in the league in assists--per-game, dishing out 4.5 helpers-per-game. Matt Halvorsen has really stepped up and been the Catamounts top player to this point in the season, averaging 16.0 PPG, knocking down a league-best 41 triples, while shooting them at a 45.1% clip so far this season. The Catamounts have enough weapons to be a factor in the title race this season.

9, VMI (6-5, 1-1 SoCon)--Dan Earl has his best team yet in Lexington, but like almost everyone else in the league, had its midweek game postponed  vs East Tennessee State in what would have shaped up to be a very interesting Southern Conference clash. In its last outing against Chattanooga, in what was an 84-79 win at Cameron Hall against Chattanooga. The Keydets could be this year’s version of the Southern Conference surprise package, much like Mercer was last season. The Keydets are under the direction of sixth-year head coach Dan Earl, who has arguably his best team this season.

Furman will put what has become a 18-game Timmons Arena home winning streak on the line when it faces the VMI Keydets in a key SoCon showdown. The Keydets were one of the team’s that put Furman’s long homecourt winning streak to the test late last January, as the Paladins were forced to hold off the Keydets for a 74-72 overtime win. It was Furman’s 10th-straight win over the Keydets. Saturday’s meeting between the Paladins and Keydets will mark the 101st all-time meeting between the two program’s, with Furman holding a 66-34 all-time series edge. Since the start of the 2015-16 season, the Paladins are 69-11 at Timmons Arena during that span on their on-campus home floor. Earl’s Keydets put on a solid shooting display in this past Saturday’s win over the Mocs at Cameron Hall. Both center Jake Stephens and guard Greg Parham got 2021 off to a strong start, posting 25 points piece, as the duo combined for 50 of the 84 points.

10. The Citadel (7-0, 0-0 SoCon)--It probably seems like I am being completely cruel to The Citadel Bulldogs, but I am really not. It's just that the Bulldogs have yet to play anyone with a pulse yet. One player that has played exceptionally well to start the season Hayden Brown, who leads the league averaging 21.2 PPG, while teammate Kaiden Rice is third in the SoCon in scoring, averaging 18.6 PPG. The Citadel is one of a handful of teams remaining in the nation that have yet to take a loss, and all three of its slated SoCon games have been postponed. The Bulldogs last played a game back on Dec. 22, knocking off Presbyterian, 94-82. 

SoCon All-Conference Teams so far

First Team

G-Mike Bothwell (Furman)

G-Isaiah Miller (UNCG)

G-LeDarrius Brewer (ETSU)

F-Clay Mounce (Furman)

G-Storm Murphy (Wofford)

Second Team

G-Matt Halvorsen (Western Carolina)

G-Greg Parham (VMI)

G-Malachi Smith (Chattanooga)

F-Noah Gurley (Furman)

G-Myron Gordon (Samford)