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| Furman junior forward Ben VanderWal had two of the Paladins' eight dunks in Saturday's win |
Furman had faced this type of situation before against UNC Asheville and Auburn in preseason scrimmages and then were without him in the season-opening win over Columbia International, however, Saturday's game was a bit different, as the Paladins saw their leader on both ends of the floor leave the game with just under five minutes to play in the opening half, and wouldn't return suffering an apparent shoulder injury.
However, as it had already learned to play against good teams without Smith this season, the Paladins were once again without their floor leader, however, despite turning the ball over 14 times and surrendering 16 offensive rebounds to visiting South Carolina State, the Paladins simply found a way to overcome its own deficiencies and mistakes to post a 68-64 non-conference win over the Bulldogs in what was the 21st all-time meeting between the two Palmetto State programs.
The win saw the Paladins claim their fifth-straight win in the series, improving to 16-5 overall in the series and 10-1 overall to start the 2024-25 season. South Carolina State falls to 5-7. The Paladins, who have had a week off due to final exams, returned to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena and improved to 6-0 on its temporary homecourt this season. The win also marked Furman's 208th since the start of 2015-16 season, which is the most of any current Southern Conference member over that same span.
The Paladins got a big afternoon from Cooper Bowser, who scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and didn't miss a shot the entire afternoon, connecting on a perfect 7-of-7 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line. Six of Bowser's seven field goals were dunks and the performance marked his third double-figure scoring effort of the season, scoring at least 16 points in all three. Bowser posted a career-best 17 points and 12 rebounds in Furman's 61-56 win over Seattle in Las Vegas.
In addition to his 16 points, Bowser was absolutely huge on the defensive end of the floor, where he posted four blocks and had three steals. Bowser also played turnover free basketball in almost 21 minutes of floor time, as well as playing within himself and defending well without fouling
Bowser was joined in double figures in the contest by Eddrin Bronson and Nick Anderson, as the duo added 11 points apiece. Bronson's 11-point effort is part of a strong string of games of late, as he has recorded three double-figure scoring contests in his last five outings and it marks his fourth overall of the season. Bronson scored a career-best 14 points earlier this season in Furman's lone loss of the season at Kansas.
Ben VanderWal was a big factor in the win once again for the 'Dins finishing with seven points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and only one turnover. He finished the game going 2-of-4 from the field and was 3-for-5 from the line. VanderWal was absolutely huge on the offensive glass, grabbing three in the game, including one at a critical point in the game with Furman trailing 58-54.
Tom House missed the second shot on a two-shot foul, but VanderWal came up with the ball and then passed the ball back to House, who attempted a three and it was blocked by Omar Croskey, however, before that he fouled House in the act of his perimeter jumper. That would put House at the line for three free throws and he would nail all three foul shots to get the Paladins to within a point (58-57) with 3:25 remaining. From there, Furman would have the momentum for most of the remainder of the game, going on to the thrilling four-point win.
The Bulldogs finished the game with three players in double figures, with Drayton Jones leading the way with 15 points, while Omar Croskey added 13 off the bench. Davion Everett rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures, adding a double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The veteran guard also added three steals and two assists.
After starting slow offensively, as Furman shot the ball at just a 38.9% (7-of-18) shots in the opening half of play, as the Paladins went to the half trailing 33-26, failing to score for the final 3:25 of the opening half of play.
In the second half, the Paladins warmed up considerably, connecting on 60% (15-of-25) shots from the field, which included a 13-of-17 effort from two-point range, which included seven dunks, including six of seven accounting for the first 12 of 14 points to start the second half. The 13-of-17 shots made from two-point range in the second half account for a sizzling 76.4% shooting clip inside the arc.
Furman's performance from beyond the arc in the contest, however, was a forgettable one, as the Paladins connected on just 4-of-17 shots (23.5%) from downtown for the game. Furman's 60% shooting effort from the field in the second half resulted in the Paladins finishing the contest connecting on an impressive 51.2% (22-of-43). Furman finished off a strong offensive performance for the afternoon by connecting on 20-of-24 free throws (83.3%), which proved especially key in the four-point win.
Meanwhile, while the Paladins salvaged the offensive side of things in the second half, the defense was consistently good all afternoon, as Furman limited South Carolina State to just 38.3% (23-of-60) from the field, which included a 33.3% (6-of-18) shooting clip from three-point land. While the Paladins were strong from the charity stripe stripe, the Bulldogs shot just 66.7% (12-of-18) for the game.
Furman finished the game holding advantages in total rebounds (34-30), points off turnovers (16-15), points in the paint (36-28), bench scoring (27-23), and fast-break points (10-4). South Carolina State held advantages in total assists (14-12) and second-chance points (14-11). The Paladins turned the ball over 14 times on Saturday, while the Bulldogs finished the game with nine miscues.
South Carolina State ended the game holding a lead for 27:34 of the game, while the Paladins held the lead for just 7:53.
How It Happened:
The game between Furman and South Carolina State was one of contrasts, in that Furman was a program that had to replace 71% of its scoring, while South Carolina State is a program that returned 72% of its scoring.
For much of the opening half, it was the team that returned 71% of its scoring and not the one that still had some left over NCAA Tournament experience from two years ago that seemingly had control of the game. The Paladins were met with a pressing style for much of the afternoon, as South Carolina State could have cared less whether or not the team was coming off of its most important week of the semester academically--final exam week--and so many times in the past it's been this game that has proven to be a major hurdle for so many Furman basketball team.
Some nine years ago, Furman lost one of its rare non-conference home games at Timmons Arena, as Gardner-Webb handed Furman a 73-53 setback during this very same weekend. The Paladins would meet with some real adversity in the opening half of play, when with 4:39 remaining in the opening half of play leading scorer and preseason all-conference guard PJay Smith collided with South Carolina State's Caleb McCarty and after a lengthy review, it was whistled as a common foul.
Smith would go immediately to the locker room, grasping his shoulder and would later emerge with his arm in a sling. He was out for the remainder of the afternoon and no timetable has been provided on his return, as conclusive tests will be conducted in the coming days. Eddrin Bronson, Tom House and Nick Anderson would help manage the point guard responsibilities against the gritty Bulldogs for the remainder of the game.
A minute-and-a-half prior to Smith leaving with the concerning injury, of equal concern for head coach Bob Richey's team was the fact that South Carolina State looked like Gardner-Webb did some nine years ago, taking a nine-point lead following a Davion Everett jumper in the paint to make it a 26-17 SC State lead. The Bulldogs would end up settling for a seven-point halftime lead, scoring the final six points of the half after Furman had sliced the lead down to three, taking a 33-26 lead into the half.
Furman opened the second half by getting the crowd to its feet following a three-pointer from Eddrin Bronson, which got the 'Dins back to within four, at 33-29. The next 12 points from the Paladins would come on dunks from both Cooper Bowser and Ben VanderWal, as the Paladins scored 12 of their first 18 points of the second half on dunks, which would immediately enhance the 38.9% field goal clip the Paladins garbled together in the opening half.
Bowser caught a lob from Anderson to keep the crowd enthralled in the opening seven minutes of the half, and then on South Carolina State's next possession, VanderWal perfectly anticipated a South Carolina State pass, picking it off and racing the other way for a sixth-straight dunk, cutting the Bulldogs' lead to just one, at 43-42, with 11:10 left.
Michael Teal missed a shot on the other end, and the ball was rebounded by Furman's Davis Molnar, which was followed by a media timeout. Off the timeout, a badly thrown alley-oop on an inbounds pass was coralled by Bowser, who converted the rare layup off the glass and it resulted in the rarer lead, 44-43, with 10:21 left.
It had been Furman's first lead since a Davis Molnar three-point play the old-fashioned way had given the Paladins a 12-8 lead at the 13:06 mark of the first half. Eight-straight points would see the Bulldogs regain the lead at the 11:45 mark of the opening half, and it wouldn't be one they would relinquish until the 10:21 mark of the second.
Over the next four minutes, the lead would change hands six times until South Carolina State assumed what was a 53-51 lead following a pair of Drayton Jones foul shots with 6:08 remaining. Croskey made a rainbow three from the elbow with 5:28 left to extend the Bulldogs' lead to five, at 56-51, and after an Anderson jumper cut the lead to three once again, the Bulldogs went back ahead by five when Croskey converted a contested, twisting one-handed shot off glass in the lane to put the Bulldogs back up five, at 58-53, with 4:45 left.
At that point, it seemed like it was going to that 'Dogs day, as every time Furman seemingly threatened the game, the Bulldogs had an answer. The game would change on a subtlety, however, as Tom House was fouled hard by South Carolina State's Omar Croskey in the lane with 3:29 left, eliciting a two-shot trip to the charity stripe.
House made the first to get the Paladins to within four, however, he missed his second free throw, but the good news for him would be Ben VanderWal came to rescue, much like he had on the defensive end of the floor in Furman's recent win at Florida Gulf Coast when he chased down an Eagles player to block the ball against the backboard to ultimately provide that game-changing moment.
This time VanderWal timed the house miss perfectly, grabbed the offensive rebound, but instead of going straight back up, kicked it to the wing where House, who by this time had made it to the right wing where he spotted up for three and VanderWal found him with an alert pass for an apparent wide-open shot, however, Croskey lunged and blocked the potential three-ball but also fouled House in the process, putting the Florida State transfer back at the stripe. He would knock down all three to get the Paladins to within 58-57 with 3:25 left. The crowd to its feet in support and Furman had turned the game in an instant much like it had a week earlier in a second half come-from-behind win over Princeton.
After Croskey traveled on South Carolina State's next possession, the Paladins would then commit a turnover following a Bowser rebound and in haste to get the ball up the floor, Anderson turned the ball over, as South Carolina State's Michael Teal picked off the pass in Furman's backcourt. Croskey then looked to answer with a quick three from the top of the key, however, it was no good. Davion Everett came up with the Bulldogs 16th offensive rebound of the day, however, when the ball found its way back to Croskey, good defense on a double-team by Bronson and House forced Croskey to travel.
On the ensuing possession, Furman got a rare easy basket, as Anderson raced past Croskey who fell down at the top of the key and he went in for the uncontested layup to give the Paladins the lead once again, at 59-58, with 2:18 left.
Mitchell Taylor missed a three on South Carolina's next possession, however, after the Paladins grabbed the seemingly rare defensive rebound, House threw a bad pass and this time the Bulldogs would make Furman pay by turning the turnover into points, as Croskey converted the layup in the paint to make it a 60-59 South Carolina State lead with 1:43 left.
Anderson continued his strong play down the stretch, connecting on the Paladins most important three-pointer of the day, as the ball found its way to him on the left wing and his three hit was nothing but net, bringing the crowd to a roar in unison and giving the Paladins the 62-60 lead with 1:24 left.
Everett answered with a layup on the other end to tie the game, 62-62, with just under a minute left before Tom House knocked down a jumper in the paint to give the Paladins a 64-62 lead with 35 seconds left.
The Bulldogs then took a timeout to set up a play, however, Colin McKenzie's contested three-pointer was off the mark and Anderson chased down the rebound, lobbing the ball ahead to Davis Molnar, who was then immediately fouled by McKenzie with 11 seconds left. Molnar connected on both to put Furman up by four, 66-62.
Furman then allowed Drayton Jones to go in for the uncontested dunk to trim the Furman lead back to two, with four seconds left, and then the Bulldogs were forced to foul Anderson, who was a perfect 14-for-14 from the charity stripe on the season. Anderson calmly made both charity shots and the Paladins went ahead 68-64, which would ultimately go in the books as the final score on win number 10 in game number 11 to open the 2024-25 season for Furman's Men's Basketball Team.
The Paladins will return to the floor on Wednesday, Dec. 18, facing Montreat in what will be its final game against non-Division I competition of the season. Tip-off for that game is set for 7 p.m. and will be played on campus at Bob Jones University's Davis Field House.
South Carolina State returns to the hardwood on Wednesday night, taking on USC Upstate in Spartanburg at the Hodge Center. Tip-off for that contest is also set for 7 p.m. EST.
Post-game Press Conferences:
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