Furman's Late Rally Enough to Clip FGCU

FORT MYERS, FL--Furman finished off its fourth-straight road game, which spanned three different time zones in style, as the Paladins trailed by as much as 13 points in the second half only to finish out the game on an 24-8 run over the final 9:33 to come up with a 76-73 win over Florida Gulf Coast Wednesday night at Alico Arena.

With the win, Furman moved to 8-1 overall, while the Eagles fell to 3-6 in what was a game that was part of the SoCon-ASUN Alliance. The Paladins went 2-0 in SoCon-ASUN games, as the Paladins also knocked off Jacksonville (77-68) at Bon Secours Wellness Arena last month. The win saw the SoCon, coupled with Western Carolina and Mercer's wins over Bellarmine and West Georgia earlier in the day, improve to 9-5 against the ASUN in alliance games.  

The win was also Furman's fourth win away from Bon Secours Wellness Arena this season, which matches the total from the 2023-24 season, and it was also the third true road win of the season for the Paladins. The Paladins also have true road wins at Belmont (W, 76-74) and at Charleston Southern (W, 67-46) this season. 

Leading the way for the Paladins in the win was PJay Smith Jr., who finished the contest with 18 points, while Ben VanderWal and Nick Anderson both added 10 points apiece. For VanderWal, it's his first double-figure scoring effort of the season, marking the 11th different Paladin to find his way into double figures this season.

Smith Jr. finished the night by connecting on 6-of-12 shots from the field, which included a 4-for-6 effort from three-point land, while also knocking down both of his free throw attempts. The senior from LaVergne, TN., also added four rebounds and two assists. 

VanderWal's energy and play on the defensive end were two key elements in allowing Furman to make its comeback down the stretch. The junior from Elmhurst, Ill., connected on 3-of-5 shots from the field and was 1-of-2 from three-point range and went 3-for-4 from the charity stripe. VanderWal blocked three shots, dished out three assists, and added three rebounds. 

FGCU ended the night with four players in double figures, led by Zavian McLean, who finished with a game-high 19 points, while also adding five rebounds, four steals and dishing out three assists. McLean finished his night by knocking down 8-of-13 shots from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range, but was just 1-for-4 from the free throw line.

McLean would be joined in double figures by Jevin Muniz, who added 16 points, while Dallion Johnson added 11 points and Rahmir Barno rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Eagles with 10 points and six rebounds.

The Paladins finished the game by connecting on 44.3% (27-of-61) of its shots for the game, which included a 33.3% (10-of-30) from three-point land and Furman finished shooting 75.0% (12-of-16) from the free throw line. 

FGCU finished the game connecting on 52.7% (29-of-55) from the field and shot 33.3% (6-for-18) from three-point land. The Eagles also finished by connecting on 69.2% (9-of-13) from the charity stripe. 

Furman finished the night holding advantages on second-chance points (17-6), bench points (24-11), total rebounds (34-26), and points off turnovers (18-8). FGCU finished holding advantages in points in the paint (34-30), total assists (15-14) and fast-break points (12-10). 

In what was just the third all-time meeting between the two programs, Furman recorded its first win in the series, with all three games having been decided by five points or less. 

How It Happened:

When Zavian McLean's three-pointer from the top-of-the-key at the buzzer, it marked the second time in as many games that the Paladins found themselves down by 11 points due to a buzzer-beater, with the home team heading to the locker room with all the momentum in each of the past two games. In Saturday's 35-point, 86-51, to then top-ranked Kansas, Flory Bidunga gave the Jayhawks a 39-28 lead as the buzzer sounded on a well-executed play in the paint, and the Jayhawks would roll from there in the second half.

So when McLean's triple swished at the Alico Arena buzzer to give the Eagles a 44-33 halftime lead Wednesday evening, things certainly didn't look good for Bob Richey's Paladins, who looked noticeable weary from their cross-country travels in the opening half of play.

While the opponent might not been of the caliber of Kansas, it was a much different response in the second-half, which would see the Paladins trail by 13 (65-52) following a corner three from Rory Stewart with 9:33 remaining. That's when the Paladins would turn up the pressure and turn the game completely, starting with a response 15 seconds later on a Cooper Bowser.

The Paladins went with full-court pressure, and after the Eagles broke through and appeared to have a wide open layup on the other end, Ben VanderWal's chase-down block on McLean with just under nine minutes left proved to be the momentum play of several made by the Paladins on the defensive end of the floor down the stretch that most would point to as the game-changer. 

After Furman was fouled, which was followed by a couple of offensive rebounds by the 'Dins on the other end, PJay Smith Jr. finally got free for an open look at a three, which he drained with 7:24 left, cutting Furman's deficit to just eight, at 65-57. 

The Eagles would then do a nice job of breaking the pressure, and McLean converted an acrobatic jumper with just over seven minutes left to push the FGCU lead back to double digits. 

From there, however, Furman would score the game's next 11 points to take a one-point lead, starting with a Garrett Hien layup off an FGCU turnover due to the full-court pressure, and the 11-0 spurt for the 'Dins would end with a pair of Charles Johnston foul shots with 4:15 left to give the Paladins a 68-67 lead. It was Furman's first lead since late in the first half, when a Tyrese Hughey tip-in had given the Paladins a 32-31 lead with 3:37 remaining in the opening 20 minutes of basketball. 

Another acrobatic layup from McLean gave FGCU the lead once again, at 69-68, at the 3:45 mark of the game and that would prove to be the Eagles' final lead of the night.

A Garrett Hien half-hook in the lane a little over a minute later would give the Paladins a 70-69 lead, and it would be an advantage the Paladins would not relinquish the remainder of the game. After McLean was fouled by Hien on his way to the hoop with 2:27 left, the FGCU star and Columbia transfer missed both charity shot attempts, leaving the door open for the Paladins to increase their lead.

However, Hien would be stripped of the ball by Dallion Johnson on the other end, but Rahmir Barno's layup attempt in transition was no good, rolling off the front of the rim and was rebounded by Hien. 

After no shot was immediately available, Furman head coach Bob Richey called a timeout with 1:47 left to ensure the Paladins got vital points.  A beautifully executed backdoor feed from Hien, which his subtlety in where he caught the ball away from the cutting Smith allowed Smith to get around his defender and a perfect bounce feed from Hien-to-Smith gave the Paladins a 72-69 lead with 1:44 left following the layup.  

Though a different area on the floor, the play had a very similar look to it as Furman's game-winning dunk from Clay Mounce off a feed from Matt Rafferty in 2018 in what was a thrilling 60-58 win over Loyola Chicago at Gentile Arena.

Hien would then foul Jevin Muniz, who connected on a buzzer-beater to help FGCU get a huge, 80-78, road win at Florida Atlantic in the previous outing, and he stepped to the line to knock down a pair of free throws to cut Furman's lead to just a point, at 72-71, with 1:28 left.

Following a pair of blocks on layup attempts from Smith and Hien by FGCU's Tristen Guillouette, the Paladins would eventually come away empty and Charles Johnston would foul Guillouette, sending the FGCU big man to the line for a 1-and-1 with 1:04 left. He missed the front end and the ball was rebounded by Hien and after a Furman timeout and subsequent turnover by Smith with 35 seconds left, the Eagles then took a timeout to try and set up a play at a crucial moment.

However, Furman defended the initial ball actions well, which were designed by FGCU up-and-coming head coach Pat Chambers, and that allowed some moments of indecisiveness from the Eagles, and it would be Nick Anderson's blindside steal on Muniz that, along with VanderWal's block at the 8:50 mark of the second half, would prove to be winning defensive plays for the 'Dins.  

The Eagles were immediately forced to foul Anderson with 19 seconds left. The graduate transfer from Barry University remained perfect from the stripe (12-for-12), and the Paladins led 74-71. After FGCU dribbled hurriedly across midcourt, the Eagles burned their final timeout to try and set up a look on a three for either Johnson, McLean or Muniz. 

Furman was well-versed defensively, not letting Muniz or Johnson get free, and the only remaining option for the Eagles with time winding down was to take the uncontested layup, which was converted by Barno, cutting Furman's lead to a point once again with just 3.6 seconds left. 

Smith was immediately fouled and the senior stepped to the line and knocked down both free throws to give the Paladins a 76-73 lead. On the game's final play, Furman allowed Muniz an open look, but his 30-footer didn't draw iron and Furman held on for a key road win, using a furious late rally to come up with a W in a game in which Furman was far from its best offensively.

Furman returns to action on Saturday for a huge home matchup with Ivy League matchup with Princeton, with tip-off slated for high noon at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The Eagles will return to action on Sunday with a trip to Baton Rouge to take on LSU. Tip-off for that contest is set for 3 p.m. EST at the Pete Maravich Center.