Furman rebounded from its heartbreaking double-overtime loss at Tulane last week, the Paladins returned to action in a big way five days later, downing in-state rival Presbyterian, 76-61, in the Paladins’ final game before Christmas.
With the win, the Paladins improved to 6-6 overall, while the Blue Hose dropped their second-straight contest to fall to 7-6. The Paladins remained perfect at Timmons Arena this season, improving to 5-0 on the home floor and picked their 102nd win inside the friendly confines since the beginning of the 2015-16 season.
Furman was led by JP Pegues for a second-straight game, as he posted 21 points, while Garrett Hien finished with his first-career double-double, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and also finished the game by dishing out a team-high five assists.
Fresh off a career-high 29-point effort in the 117-110 loss at Tulane, the junior guard from the Music City posted his seventh 20-plus performance in 11 games this season, including his fourth-straight 20-point scoring effort. Pegues finished the night connecting on 8-of-12 shots from the field, which included a 2-for-5 effort from long-range. Pegues, who continues to be Furman's most efficient foul shooter, finished a perfect 3-for-3 in the contest.
Hien had one of his best offensive nights of the season and as a Paladin, with a performance ranking right up there with his effort in Furman's 69-50 win over South Carolina last season, as he finished the contest by connecting on 8-of-12 from the field, including 1-of-1 from beyond the arch and finished 2-for-5 from the charity stripe.
After finishing the previous two games by connecting on a combined 35-of-91 from three-point land, which converts to an impressive 38.4% clip, however, in the win over Presbyterian, the three-ball would not be significant factor in Furman's sixth win of the season. In fact, the Paladins finished the contest connecting on just 18.5% from long range, connecting on just 5-of-20 attempts from three-point land, which included an 0-for-7 performance in the opening half of play.
All told, Furman would finish the contest by connecting at 45.0% (27-of-60) clip from the field and held the visitors from Clinton to just 39.7% (25-of-63) from the field, including just 19.0% (4-for-21) from three-point land, in the win. The Paladins also connected on 68.0% (17-of-25) from the charity stripe, while the Blue Hose finished just 58.3% (7-of-12).
Furman did a stellar job on the defensive end of the floor, however, as the 'Dins held the Blue Hose to just 61 points, which is a season-low for the Paladins on that end of the floor.
The Blue Hose were led in scoring by a pair of players in double figures, with Marquis Barnett leading PC with 14 points, while Jonah Pierce finished with 11.
The Paladins finished holding advantages in points in the paint (42-40), points from turnovers (13-5), total rebounds (41-37), and second chance points (10-9). The Blue Hose ended the night holding advantages bench scoring (30-15), fast break points (9-5) and total assists (14-11).
How It Happened:
The Paladins didn't have things working from the perimeter in its final game before Christmas, however, that was okay because they had things going well inside the paint, posting 42 points in the paint, while locking down Presbyterian en route to the 15-point, 76-61, win over the Blue Hose in a game that offered further evidence of Furman's improvement against a much improved Big South program.
The Paladins would begin to assume control of the game near the end of the opening half, using an 11-4 run over 5:42 of the half, which included scoring the final seven points of the frame to take a 37-26 lead into the halftime locker room. '
Following a Marquis Barnett made layup in the paint to cut Furman's lead to four, at 26-22, the Paladins would get a layup from Cooper Bowser and then a pair of free throws by JP Pegues to increase the lead to eight (30-22) with 3:37 left in the half.
Presbyterian would cut the Furman lead back to six when Trevon Reddish-Rhone converted a layup in the paint on PC's ensuing possession. Then after Furman committed one of its eight turnovers in the game, the Blue Hose would cut the Paladin lead to four when Reddish-Rhone converted a second-straight layup in the paint with 2:29 left in the half, making it a 30-26 game.
Furman, however, would score the final seven points of the half, and Garrett Hien's baby jumper off the glass in the lane extended the Paladin lead back to six, at 32-26.
On PC's next possession, the Paladins came up with a big defensive play, as Carter Whitt blocked a Jonah Pierce jumper and after Pierce came up with the rebound, he missed a second shot in the paint and the board was corralled by Hien, and on the other end, Hien used a nice up-and-under move to lose the Blue Hose defender, converting the easy two off the glass to increase Furman's lead to eight, at 34-26, with 1:22 remaining in the first half.
After Jamahri Harvey missed a three on the other end, Hien grabbed the rebound and was immediately fouled, putting him at the free throw line in the 1-and-1 bonus. Hien missed the front end of the 1-and-1, but Davis Molnar got the rebound and converted a layup underneath and was also fouled with 33 seconds remaining in the frame. After completing the three-point play the old fashioned way, he gave the Paladins a 37-26 lead heading to the half.
The Paladins would pick up in the second half right where they left off in the first half, using a 10-3 run out of the gate in the opening 3:10 of the second half to assume a 17-point, 47-30, lead on a three-pointer by JP Pegues. Another Pegues triple from the top of the key with 13:39 left would grow Furman's lead to 20, at 54-34, and the Paladins would lead by their largest margin of the second half of 22 points on three different occasions with the final 22-point margin coming following a Hien layup, which made it a 72-50 game with 3:29 remaining.
PC would out-score the Paladins 11-4 over the remainder of the game to account for the final 15-point margin.'
Furman returns to the floor in 10 days, as the Paladins welcome former assistant Jimmie Williams and the Anderson University Trojans into Timmons Arena for Furman's final game of what has been a magical 2023 calendar year. Tip-off for that Dec. 30 contest is set for 7 p.m. EST.
Postgame:
Players: Garrett Hien and JP Pegues
Inside Furman Basketball (Dec. 18)
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