Furman's Defense Helps it Slip Past SoCon Leader Samford

It took all 40 minutes for Furman to defeat "Bucky Ball" and though Samford tied the game twice late, the Paladins never let Samford gain a lead, holding off the Bulldogs for a 72-70 Southern Conference win in a matchup between the two teams with the best records in the league entering the matchup.

It was a good matchup for the Southern Conference to display to a national viewing audience on CBS Sports Network as well, especially over the final 10 minutes when Samford threatened to take over the game with its pressure. For the first 30 minutes of the game, it was something that Furman attacked well and made the Bulldogs pay more often than not. It was clear to see that Samford was the favorite for a reason, as the Bulldogs had without question the most talent from 1-11 the Paladins have played since it faced off against Princeton 

However, over the final 10 minutes, Samford started to find its rhythm with the press, and it ignited the Bulldogs offensively and their energy changed from a team that looked tentative to one hunting some roadkill. 

The Paladins played a 'pretty' sound defensive effort that resembled its play in much of the non-conference slate, and was able to weather the Samford's furious rally with its relentless press in the late-going to hold on for the win, despite Trey Fort getting an excellent look at a left wing three as time expired, but the ball caromed out and the Paladins matched their win total for the 2023-24 season before the month flipped to February. The win sees Furman improve to 17-5 overall and 5-4 in league action, while Samford falls to 17-5 and 7-2 in SoCon play.

Furman's win came despite the fact that leading scorer PJay Smith Jr. had an off night offensively, credit goes to Samford's tenacious defense, and in particular, Rylan Jones, who battled Smith all night to try and limit his looks and effectiveness, holding him to 10 points under his 16.6 PPG average coming into the matchup. Smith finished just 3-of-14 from the field and was 0-of-7 from long range, but contributed by making winning plays in other areas, including posting three rebounds, two steals and two assists in 34 minutes of floor action.

It's a good thing that both Cooper Bowser and Nick Anderson picked the same night to have their best game in a Furman uniform. Following Furman's loss to Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago, head coach Bob Richey smiled when thinking about his star senior guard, telling the media that Anderson was kind of the team's comic relief at times, and that Anderson has a great positive personality. Coach Richey said that Anderson was in his office one day and piped up and said--and I paraphrase--"I'm not here for a long time, but I am here for a good time."

One of those "good times" was had by Furman's team in its entirety, but it was a particularly memorable meeting for both Anderson and Bowser. Anderson, who was coached up pretty well by former Paladin head coach Butch Estes (1986-94) in his four years at Barry University, and according to Anderson in the postgame presser, he had some pretty good experience facing a team like Samford during his time as a Barry Buccaneer, facing off against Division II 2023 national champion Nova Southeastern, which like Bucky Ball, suffocates with full-court pressure the entire game like sharks with blood in the water. 

"Actually at my old school [Barry University] ...we had a team in our conference [Nova Southeastern/Sunshine State Conference] that did the same thing and won the national championship D2 doing that and so I kind had experience with that pressing the whole time and like pressing right after defensive rebounds and I think you know if they press like that you have to be able to attack them," Nick Anderson said of Samford's relentless pressure known as "Bucky Ball".

Samford and Nova Southeastern have some connections, and it's a part of Florida that coach McMillan has recruited well over the years. West Florida and Florida in general is a state that is routinely known for having some of the best high school talent anywhere at places like Monteverde Academy, Columbus and St. Thomas Acquinas, and with a program that instills the same type of pressure as that of "Bucky Ball", it should be as no surprise that the Bulldogs would look to the highly-successful NCAA Division II program like Nova Southeastern to find talent, and were able to lure Dallas Graziani away from the Sea Lions for one season. Graziani would help supplement Rylan Jones at point guard en route to the Bulldogs winning their first Southern Conference title since joining the SoCon in 2008-09. Following the 2023-24 season, Graziani transferred back to Nova Southestern

The two were particularly key in the second half when Furman started to struggle against Samford's relentless pressure, as the over the final nine minutes, both Bowser and Anderson scored every point from the field for Furman.

Bowser scored a career-high 21 points, while Anderson scored a Furman career-high 24 points, as the two connected on a combined to go 17-of-21 from the field, with Bowser a perfect 8-for-8 from the field, while Anderson finished the contest going 9-of-13,

Anderson, a senior native of Schereville, IN, finished the contest by connecting on 5-of-8 shots from three-point range, while also adding three rebounds, two assists and two steals. The senior sharp-shooter did most of his damage in the first half, scoring 17 in the opening frame, as the Paladins carried a 33-25 lead into the break.

In addition to Bowser's career-high scoring effort, he was 5-for-7 from the free throw line, added five rebounds, three blocks, a steal and an assist. 

Ben VanderWal turned in another outstanding performance on both ends of the floor, adding five points, six assists, and nine rebounds, as he led Furman on the backboards in the win. The junior forward ended the nine with a +9 on the stats sheet, seeing 30 minutes of floor action. 

Davis Molnar and Garrett Hien both ended the night playing key minutes off the bench for Furman, with both adding four assists apiece, while Hien added four rebounds and Molnar three. The duo also had two steals apiece on the defensive end of the floor. 

Samford ended up placing three in double figures, led by Rylan Jones, who finished with 19 points on a 7-of-13 shooting performance, which included a 3-for-6 shooting effort from three-point range. Jones also added four steals, two assists and three rebounds. 

Trey Fort, a transfer guard from Mississippi State, finished the contest with 12 points, four rebounds and a pair of assists, while Lukas Walls added 10 points, two assists, two steals and a  rebound off the bench for the Bulldogs.

For the game, the Paladins ended up shooting it at a 49.1% (27-of-55) from the field, including a 29.2% (7-of-24) from three-point range. The Paladins once again struggled from the free throw line, finishing the night connecting on just 52.4% (11-of-21) from the charity stripe. Despite shooting 12 more foul shots than Samford (21-9), the Paladins only held a four-point edge in charity shots made (11-7), which is pretty alarming, as this has been one of Furman's worst foul shooting teams under head coach Bob Richey. 

The good news for Furman is that it was the aggressor offensively much of the night, and that is indicated in its 21 free throws shot in the contest against the Bulldogs. In losses to Chattanooga and VMI, not only was Furman outscored at the line, but those two teams combined to connect on 49-of-55 from the line in those contests, showing the Paladins are doing a better job of defending without fouling. 

Samford meanwhile finished the game by connecting on 41.5% (27-of-65) from the field and shot it at a 36.0% (9-of-25) from three-point range and were 77.8% (7-of-9) from the free throw line in the contest. The Bulldogs' 25 attempted threes were four below the 

Furman finished the night holding advantages in points from turnovers (21-20), points in the paint (38-34), total assists (19-11) and total rebounds (38-34). 

Samford claimed advantages in bench scoring (28-14), fast-break scoring (20-16) and second-chance points (14-13).

How It Happened:

Furman built as much as a 12-point lead in both halves vs. Samford, however, it likely was not lost on many that the Bulldogs could make a double-digit lead disappear in a matter of moments with their relentless pressure and various forms of presses that evolve as the game moves forward, with in-game adjustments made by the astute McMillan and staff to how the pressure is attacked by the opposition. As the game wore on, they began to shut down some of the ways Furman was exploiting Bucky Ball and making it look more like a liability than strength in the opening 20 minutes.

It was just last week on CBS Sports Network that the Bulldogs had overturned an 11-point (42-31) halftime lead at Chattanooga in the second half to come away with a 73-69 road win. No matter how much Furman was able to cushion its lead, they could never feel completely comfortable. 

Samford's pressure began to take effect towards the end of the opening 20 minutes, as Furman held what was a 33-21 lead with 3:19 remaining in the opening frame. 

The Bulldogs would slice Furman's lead to eight by scoring the final four points of the half, including its final two of the frame by using "Bucky Ball" force a Davis Molnar turnover and Rylan Jones would end up drawing a foul to go to the line for two shots, connecting on both and the Bulldogs carried the momentum into the half, trailing by only eight. 

The Paladins played arguably their best defense of the season in the opening 20 minutes of basketball, holding the Bulldogs to just 25 points on 33.3% shooting from the field in the opening half. It was similar to the type of defense played in last season's 78-68 win over the Bulldogs at Timmons Arena, holding Samford to 25 points on 37.5% shooting from the field, as Furman took a 34-25 lead into the locker room in 2024. 

After Furman assumed a 51-39 lead in the second half, following a Charles Johnston layup and a foul by Samford's Trey Fort, as the Paladins had a chance to increase the lead to 13 with 12:13 remaining, however, his foul shot was no good.

With just under 11 minutes left, Davis Molnar intercepted a errant pass from Josh Holloway to increase Furman's lead back to 12, at 56-44, but that's where things would get interesting. A 19-7 Samford run over the next five minutes would see the Bulldogs tie the game, 63-63, following a three-pointer from the left wing connected on a triple with 5:53 left. 

Furman had hit a lull, and it was about the same time in the game it had seen Chattanooga begin to overtake the Paladins, however, unlike that game, which resulted in a four-point home loss for the 'Dins, the Paladins were more patient offensively in the final five minutes this time around.

Following a PJay Smith Jr. miss in the paint for Furman and a three-pointer that went awry for Samford's Rylan Jones, Cooper Bowser would make one of the bigger shots of the night for the Paladins, connecting on a half-hook in the lane with 4:22 left to give the Paladins the 65-63 lead. 

Samford's Lukas Walls then converted a layup in the lane following a Bowser block after the Bulldogs came up with the ball and converted a layup and was fouled by Smith with 3:38 left. With the game tied, 65-65, and a chance to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game, he missed the free throw off the front of the rim, and on the other end, it was Furman's man in the clutch of late--Ben VanderWal that came up with another important winning play for the Paladins, as he rebounded a missed jumper in the lane by Smith and went back up immediately where he was fouled by Samford's Larry Olayinka and would go to the line for a two-shot foul with 3:09 remaining. 

VanderWal would convert his first charity shot but missed the second, leaving the Paladins clinging to a 66-65 lead, but nonetheless, restoring the advantage and the Paladins would never led the Bulldogs even the score again. 

Anderson would make back-to-back shots in the paint, with one of them being an acrobatic layup and the other a mid-range jumper from about 12 feet out with 1:49 left, as the Paladins went ahead by five, 70-65. 

Walls converted a layup and was fouled by Molnar, and this time he would convert a three-point play the old fashioned way to get the Bulldogs back within two, at 70-68, with 29 seconds remaining. 

The Bulldogs then tied up Tom House in the corner off following a quick inbounds play for Furman trying to get up the floor before Samford could set up its press, however, the possession arrow favored the Bulldogs. Jaden Brownell missed a left wing three following the inbounds pass. 

Samford's pressure would force Furman to burn its final two timeouts, and with no timeouts left and Furman's Molnar having trouble finding an open Paladin to pass to, he avoided a five-second violation by heaving the ball down the floor and provided a jump-ball opportunity for Bowser, who went up and high-pointed the ball and came down with it before being fouled by Collin Holloway, who committed his fifth personal foul to foul out of the game with 11.9 seconds remaining. Bowser connected on both foul shots to give Furman a two-possession lead once again, at 72-68.

Following the made foul shots, Josh Holloway drove the down and converted a layup with 5.9 seconds left, making it 72-70.  

After Smith was fouled before the Paladins got the ball inbounds, the senior from LaVergne, TN went to the line where he missed both shots, leaving the door open for the Bulldogs to win the game, however, despite getting an excellent look from the left wing at the buzzer, Trey Fort's three-point attempt clanged off the right side of the rim as the buzzer sounded and Furman held on for a two-point win. 

The Paladins will return to action on Sunday when they play a second-straight nationally televised SoCon game on CBS Sports Network, with a 2 p.m. contest at East Tennessee State (12-10, 5-4 SoCon). The Paladins claimed a 73-70 win over the Bucs a couple of weeks ago in Greenville. 

Samford returns to the floor on Saturday, as the Bulldogs will be in Charleston to battle The Citadel in a 12 p.m. EST tip-off time slated for McAlister Field House.

Notes:

--Furman improved to 16-11 in games play at "The Well" (Bon Secours Wellness Arena) all-time.

--The Paladins remained perfect (5-0) against "Bucky Ball" in Greenville.

--Head coach Bob Richey improved to 7-3 in his career against Bucky McMillan.

--Furman's 17 regular-season wins eclipses its 16 from the 2023-24 season and evened the win total from the 2023-24 campaign, as the Paladins finished 17-16 overall.

--Furman senior center Garrett Hien notched his 100th-career win in a Paladin uniform.

--The Paladins won their 215th (1st in SoCon) game overall and 118th (2nd in SoCon) since the start of the 2015-16 season.

--Furman improved to 12-1 this season when leading at halftime (33-25 FU at the half) and 3-2 this season when connecting on less three-pointers than the opposition (Samford-9, Furman-7).

--Furman improved to 16-1 when dishing out more assists than the opposition (Furman-19, Samford-11). The Bulldogs entered the matchup ranking 14th in the nation in team assists-per-game (17.5 APG). 

--Furman improved to 4-0 this season in games decided by 1-3 points. 

--Furman held Samford below its averages of three-point field goal attempts (29.3) and three-pointers made (10.6) per game entering the contest, as the Paladins limited the Bulldogs to 25 attempts and nine made threes.

--Samford fell to 13-3 when forcing more turnovers than its opposition and 12-4 when hitting more threes than its opposition. 

 --Samford fell to 17-3 when scoring 70 or more points in a game this season, with losses coming against Cornell (L, 86-88) and Michigan State (L, 75-83) prior to Wednesday's loss to Furman.

Postgame Press Conference:

Head Coach: Bob Richey

Players: Cooper Bowser (left) and Nick Anderson (Right)

Furman Earns Crucial Win at Mercer

Senior guard Nick Anderson

Furman Snaps Two-Game Series Skid Against the Bears

MACON, GA—It’s true that in life you learn best from your losses. 

Furman held off a dangerous and capable Mercer team with a gutsy, 79-74, before a crowd of 3,272 fans on-hand Saturday afternoon at Hawkins Arena. It was a win that, as head coach Bob Richey detailed in his postgame comments with the media, ranked as a Top 15 win in his tenure as Furman head coach, due to the on-court adversity the Paladins have faced in the past couple of weeks. 

The Paladins were coming off consecutive losses against VMI (L, 82-91) and Chattanooga (L, 71-75) when they arrived in Macon to take on a dangerous Mercer team capable of beating anyone in the SoCon. Furman had arrived at a proverbial crossroads in the 2024-25 season, with all it had worked for on the verge of falling apart with another loss. 

However, Furman responded in a big way like it has so many times under head coach Bob Richey, who is now in the eighth year of his tenure as the head coach and 13th overall with the program, responding the right way with the right actions and the Paladins looked much like the team that had won 12 of its first 13 rather than one that had lost four its previous seven entering the clash with the Bears. 

In what was a potential season-defining game for a Furman team locked in a tight Southern Conference race, it was one the Paladins had to had to have on the road in a hostile environment, and by using a collective team effort, Furman got back to what had been the key ingredient to 12 wins in its first 13 games this season, which was the team collective, without any one player excelling more than the other.

With the win, Furman improved to 16-5 overall and improved to 4-4 in Southern Conference play, while Mercer dropped 10-11 overall and 3-5 in league action. The five-point win also snapped a two-game losing skid to the Bears, who claimed a 78-69 win in Macon last season to snap what had been an 18-game series winning streak over the Bears. Mercer also handed Furman its final loss in the old Timmons Arena, which is currently undergoing a 40-million dollar facelift, as the Bears came to Greenville and claimed an 82-75 win in the regular-season finale last March.

Ryan Ridder’s Bears are a problem for foes in the Southern Conference, which is a testament to what he’s done to bring talented players from the transfer portal, and the ability to retain some veteran holdovers like Alex Holt and Jah Quinones. He brought in a certified star, in New Hampshire transfer guard Ahmad Robinson, and even has managed to bring a star recruit like Brady Shoulders, who reminds me of a younger version of Furman’s own Ben VanderWal.

The Bears, who rebounded from a 23-point deficit to hand UNC Greensboro its first home loss in their last outing (W, 79-78), and this season has been a team that has been worth the price of admission if your heart is in good condition. 

The Bears have had eight of the previous nine games decided by five points or less, including seven of their eight SoCon games. The Bears have wins over Chattanooga and the triumph at UNCG, and likely should have saddled league-leading Samford with its second loss this season in league play a couple of weeks back.

To no surprise, the game followed the narrative of a conference that, according to KenPom, has been the most competitive in a NCAA Division I College Basketball this season. The game had the feel of a regular-season game with major postseason implications based on where each team currently sits in the standings and the narrow margins that exist in the top eight teams in a league where only six teams get a bye in the opening round, and a tournament that no team has won four games in four days since Clemson did so in 1939.

The drama followed suit, as neither team held more than a 10-point lead throughout the game, with Furman taking a 10-point lead in the second half before the Bears quickly trimmed the lead to one, using a 10-1 run to trim the Paladin lead to 64-63 and make things quite interesting over the final 7:05 of regulation.

The win would mark Furman’s eighth road win of the season, including its seventh true road win of the campaign. The win also meant Furman improved its overall total of road wins since the start of the 2016-17 season to 72, which ranks fifth nationally among NCAA Division I programs. 

Individually, Furman placed three different players in double figures in another well-rounded effort. 

Nick Anderson finished with 18 points, while Eddrin Bronson, who started on the bench after having made three-straight starts, finished with a career-high 16 points. 

PJay Smith Jr. rounded out the Paladins in double figures in the game, as he posted Furman’s final seven points, including a key top of the key three-pointer to push Furman’s lead to five (77-72) with just 58.9 seconds to play, to round out the Paladin players in double figures in the game.

Anderson connected on 7-of-11 shots from the field, including going 3-for-5 from three-point range, and was 1-of-2 at the line to equal his team-leading 18 points in the win. Anderson finished the four rebounds, three steals and dished out one assist in addition to his team-leading scoring effort.

Bronson confidence grew with each made shot, and the redshirt freshman going 5-of-8 from the field and finished a solid 4-for-6 from three-point range, while finishing 2-for-3 from the charity stripe. He also finished with a pair of rebounds and assists in the Paladin road win. 

Smith finished by scoring his 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field and was 2-for-6 from three-point range, while finishing 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. Smith’s final two free throws with 2.8 seconds remaining made it academic. He also finished the game with seven rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal.

Garrett Hien was a player challenged by head coach Bob Richey after the loss to VMI, and he responded accordingly in Saturday’s win over the Bears, adding nine points, two rebounds and an assist in 17 minutes of floor time, while Cooper Bowser finished with a solid afternoon of work, completing the contest with eight points, five rebounds, four assists and one block. 

Ben VanderWal continued his strong play of late, finishing with seven points and a team-leading nine rebounds.

Mercer was led by arguably the league’s top transfer portal addition, in Ahmad Robinson, who finished with a game-high 24 points, while forward Alex Holt added 17 points and USC Aiken transfer Tyler “Chip” Johnson completed the contest with 16. 

Robinson finished the afternoon by connecting on 8-of-13 shots from the field and 4-for-6 from three-point range and went 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Additionally, Robinson added six assists and three steals before fouling out late in the game. 

So what was the difference for Furman Saturday as opposed to their previous two outings against both Chattanooga and VMI? While there are several obvious ones that can be found on a stats sheet from the actual game, I would point to the fact that Furman’s energy was a lot different Saturday evening that had been in the previous couple of games. 

The three that show up most were the three displayed on the LED Board, which was lit up directly across from press row, as the Paladins led in rebounds (37-29), shooting percentage (54.5%-45.3%) and total assists (19-14) the entire game. Those were good indicators for winning success for any basketball program, but especially Furman and especially when it came to assists, as the Paladins improved to 15-1 this season when they finished with a higher assists total than its opposition. 

The Paladins also improved to 11-1 when holding a halftime lead this season. The only losses in each of the previously mentioned categories were the last two, as Furman had more assists than VMI (20-12) and led Chattanooga at the half (34-27), only to go on to lose both of those games.  

The Paladins, though, were invested and engaged on the defensive end of the floor throughout the game, and though it wasn’t a perfect performance on that end of the floor, it was noticeably more aggressive and active from tip-off of Saturday afternoon’s donnybrook at Hawkins Arena. 

Furman finished the contest by connecting 54.5% (30-of-55) of its shots from the field, including a 40% (10-of-25) effort from three-point land. The one are that wasn’t fantastic shooting-wise was free throw shooting, which has not been a team strength for the 2024-25 ‘Dins, as Furman connected on just 52.9% (9-of-17).

Mercer countered with a strong shooting performance of their own, making many contested buckets in the game, including several from long-range. The Bears shot the ball at a solid 45.3% (29-of-64) for the game, while also connecting a strong 39.3% (11-of-28) from long range. Like Furman, the Bears also struggled from the line, connecting on just 50% (5-of-10). 

In addition to the three major categories mentioned above, Furman finished the game with advantages in second-chance points (14-12), points in the paint (32-30), and bench points (22-11).

The Bears finished holding advantages in fast-break points (15-13) and points off turnovers (16-12).

The Weight of Winning in Adverse Circumstances

One look at coach Richey following an absolute battle of Southern Conference Basketball game told you all you needed about what had transpired over 40 minutes of basketball. It was a look of both exhaustion and extreme relief. That’s because Furman has found winning tough in the ultra-competitive and grueling Southern Conference race. This is the grind. 

To that point, this Furman is different than any Richey's seven previous seasons. There isn't one recognizable star that tops opposing scouting charts like a Matt Rafferty, Devin Sibley, Jordan Lyons, Mike Bothwell, Jalen Slawson or JP Pegues might have in recent seasons, however, Furman's versatility returned in defending as a team, which led to shots falling on the offensive end and while that's a boring and simple formula, it's the truth. There are a lot of wins in Garrett Hien (99) and leadership in Ben VanderWal, who were two key pieces in Furman’s SoCon title winning team two years ago. 

Furman has talent, but it's not a team that can allow itself to be carried by one or two stars when others have an off night. This team requires a complete team to find its way to wins. However, Furman's version of Kentucky's "Unforgettables" under Rick Pitino or Clemson's "Slab Five" under Rick Barnes is known as "Find A Way Furman", which is in reference to how Furman has used a collective group of good players and has found a number of paths to victory in second halves of games this season.

What I mean by that is one look at this team on a stats sheet or showing up to the arena isn't likely going to move the needle for you, but when you watch this team connect on all cylinders as a collective unit, they can function well-oiled machine, but it takes every role being executed with elite efficiency each game. No one is allowed an off night, and if one is off, the whole mix seems off. 

The Paladins had lost three of four games entering the matchup and had to answer a few crucial questions about their collective recent run of form as a team, if to answer them but for no one else but themselves. The excruciating and stressful task of getting it the formula right was up to Richey, and it was complicated. It was because there was no objectively right answer to remedy the Paladin ills on either end of the floor, but Richey came up with one.

The drama followed suit, as neither team held more than a 10-point lead throughout the game, with Furman taking a 10-point lead in the second half before the Bears quickly trimmed the lead to one, using a 10-1 run to trim the Paladin lead to 64-63 and make things quite interesting over the final 7:05 of regulation.

The win would mark Furman’s eighth road win of the season, including its seventh true road win of the campaign. The win also meant Furman improved its overall total of road wins since the start of the 2016-17 season to 72, which ranks fifth nationally among NCAA Division I programs.

Game Superlatives

Individually, Furman placed three different players in double figures in another well-rounded effort.

Nick Anderson finished with 18 points, while Eddrin Bronson, who started on the bench after having made three-straight starts, finished with a career-high 16 points.

PJay Smith Jr. rounded out the Paladins in double figures in the game, as he posted Furman’s final seven points, including a key top of the key three-pointer to push Furman’s lead to five (77-72) with just 58.9 seconds to play, to round out the Paladin players in double figures in the game.

Anderson connected on 7-of-11 shots from the field, including going 3-for-5 from three-point range, and was 1-of-2 at the line to equal his team-leading 18 points in the win. Anderson finished the four rebounds, three steals and dished out one assist in addition to his team-leading scoring effort.

Bronson confidence grew with each made shot, and the redshirt freshman going 5-of-8 from the field and finished a solid 4-for-6 from three-point range, while finishing 2-for-3 from the charity stripe. He also finished with a pair of rebounds and assists in the Paladin road win.

Smith finished by scoring his 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field and was 2-for-6 from three-point range, while finishing 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. Smith’s final two free throws with 2.8 seconds remaining made it academic. He also finished the game with seven rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal.

Garrett Hien was a player challenged by head coach Bob Richey after the loss to VMI, and he responded accordingly in Saturday’s win over the Bears, adding nine points, two rebounds and an assist in 17 minutes of floor time, while Cooper Bowser finished with a solid afternoon of work, completing the contest with eight points, five rebounds, four assists and one block.

Ben VanderWal continued his strong play of late, finishing with seven points and a team-leading nine rebounds.

Mercer was led by arguably the league’s top transfer portal addition, in Ahmad Robinson, who finished with a game-high 24 points, while forward Alex Holt added 17 points and USC Aiken transfer Tyler “Chip” Johnson completed the contest with 16.

Robinson finished the afternoon by connecting on 8-of-13 shots from the field and 4-for-6 from three-point range and went 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Additionally, Robinson added six assists and three steals before fouling out late in the game.

So what was the difference for Furman Saturday as opposed to their previous two outings against both Chattanooga and VMI? While there are several obvious ones that can be found on a stats sheet from the actual game, I would point to the fact that Furman’s energy was a lot different Saturday evening that had been in the previous couple of games.

The three that show up most were the three displayed on the LED Board, which was lit up directly across from press row, as the Paladins led in rebounds (37-29), shooting percentage (54.5%-45.3%) and total assists (19-14) the entire game. Those were good indicators for winning success for any basketball program, but especially Furman and especially when it came to assists, as the Paladins improved to 15-1 this season when they finished with a higher assists total than its opposition.

The Paladins also improved to 11-1 when holding a halftime lead this season. The only losses in each of the previously mentioned categories were the last two, as Furman had more assists than VMI (20-12) and led Chattanooga at the half (34-27), only to go on to lose both of those games.  

The Paladins, though, were invested and engaged on the defensive end of the floor throughout the game, and though it wasn’t a perfect performance on that end of the floor, it was noticeably more aggressive and active from tip-off of Saturday afternoon’s donnybrook at Hawkins Arena.

Furman finished the contest by connecting 54.5% (30-of-55) of its shots from the field, including a 40% (10-of-25) effort from three-point land. The one are that wasn’t fantastic shooting-wise was free throw shooting, which has not been a team strength for the 2024-25 ‘Dins, as Furman connected on just 52.9% (9-of-17).

Mercer countered with a strong shooting performance of their own, making many contested buckets in the game, including several from long-range. The Bears shot the ball at a solid 45.3% (29-of-64) for the game, while also connecting a strong 39.3% (11-of-28) from long range. Like Furman, the Bears also struggled from the line, connecting on just 50% (5-of-10).

In addition to the three major categories mentioned above, Furman finished the game with advantages in second-chance points (14-12), points in the paint (32-30), and bench points (22-11).

The Bears finished holding advantages in fast-break points (15-13) and points off turnovers (16-12).

How It Happened

Furman and Mercer both got off to a fast start in the opening half of play hard throughout the game, with each team relatively crisp offensively throughout the opening half, and the Bears led by as many as seven when Ahmad Robinson knocked down an early three to make it a 17-10 Mercer lead with 12:09 remaining in the opening half. 

However, a 15-2 run by Furman, which began with a Eddrin Bronson three-pointer with 11:44 remaining and ended with a PJay Smith Jr. triple, which gave the Paladins a 25-19 lead with 8:50 remaining in the opening half. When Bronson knocked down his second three of the opening half, it gave the Paladins an eight-point lead, at 34-26, with just under five minutes remaining in the half, but a 15-7 run by the Bears cut the Paladins lead to three at the break, as Furman went to the break with a 41-38 lead.

In the second half, it looked as though the Paladins were ready to take control game when Bronson knocked down a pair of free throws to give Furman a 10-point lead, at 63-53, with just under 10 minutes left.

However, Mercer wasn't going anywhere, as the Bears posted a 10-1 run to get right back in the game and cut the Paladin advantage to 64-63 when Cam Bryant knocked down a triple with 7:05 remaining. With just under six minutes to play, Tyler "Chip" Johnson answered a Davis Molnar layup on the other end to get Mercer as close as a point once again, at 66-65.

It would be as close as the Bears would get the rest of the way, however, as the Paladins quickly extended the lead back to five when Anderson and Molnar both connected on layups, which sandwiched by a Jah Quinones missed three. 

The Bears would cut it to two once more after Ahmad Robinson connected on 1-of-2 from the line with 1:23 left, however, on the ensuing Furman possession, it was PJay Smith's top of the key that proved to be the proverbial dagger, giving the Paladins the 77-72 lead with 58.9 seconds remaining. 

After Anderson fouled Robinson with 23 seconds left, Robinson connected on a pair of free throws to bring the Bears back to within three, but following a timeout, the Paladins ran a razzle-dazzle play to get the ball inbounded and forced Robinson to commit his fifth foul with 11 seconds remaining. However, Furman's best free throw shooter missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and left the door open for Mercer to tie the game.

The Bears got two excellent looks on a three-pointer, with the first coming from Johnson from the top of the key, but after the long carom, Brady Shoulders eventually found himself with maybe Mercer's most wide open shot from three of the game from the right wing, and his shot was on-line, but short and PJay Smith came up with his seventh rebound of the game and was immediately fouled with 2.8 seconds remaining. He knocked down both free throws to seal the win the five-point win. 

Furman returns to action on Wednesday night in a nationally televised contest on CBS Sports Network, as the Paladins will take on league-leading and defending champion Samford (17-4, 7-1) in a 6 p.m. EST clash at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. 

The Bulldogs claimed two out of the three meetings between the two last season, with Furman's lone win being a 78-68 win at Timmons Arena. Samford handed Furman its last loss of the 2023-24 season, with an 84-77 SoCon semifinal win to at the Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville. Mercer will host The Citadel (5-14, 0-8) Wednesday night in a 7 p.m. contest at Hawkins Arena. 

Notes Following Saturday's Win

--Furman snaps a two-game skid against Mercer and improved to 28-12 in the all-time series against the Bears

--The Paladins are one win away from matching its win total of 17 wins a year ago, as the Paladins finished 17-16.

--The Paladins notched their 214th win (most overall wins in the SoCon) since the start of the 2015-16, as well as posting what was their 117th SoCon win (2nd most in the SoCon behind UNCG) over that same span.

POSTGAME AUDIO:

Furman Head Coach Bob Richey

https://1drv.ms/u/c/a308fdf7e05a294e/ESnUjYsCxUZDp3YQbnCgqxABd8ek8z2stCKXtnlBjzXm3g

Furman redshirt freshman guard Eddrin Bronson postgame audio:

https://1drv.ms/u/c/a308fdf7e05a294e/EW2MBZVT_jpPjgRezEzohrYBg6dtaU-j7W9G3mggsKITgw

VMI Paints Furman with Another Loss; Wins Third-Straight

VMI sophomore guard AJ Clark (photo courtesy of VMI athletics)

LEXINGTON, VA. --It's rare to see it snow at the beach. It's also rare over the better part of the past decade to see Furman's men's basketball team lose three out of four games, however, in 2025 that's where we are, as both have occurred in a short span. In the process, VMI snapped a five-game losing streak against Furman, as the Keydets got a 91-82 Southern Conference win over the Paladins before a crowd of over 1,500 on-hand Wednesday evening at Cameron Hall.

The Keydets were buoyed by the effort of 6-8 forward Augistinas Kiudulas, who scored nine of VMI's first 11 points as part of a 22-point night to lead five Keydets in double figures, as VMI shot a season-high 51.8% (29-of-56) against an NCAA Division I foe to capture its first win over a Paladin team in three years. 

It marks the first three-game winning streak in league play for VMI since winning four games in a row during the 2021-22 season, knocking off East Tennessee State (W, 83-79), UNC Greensboro (W, 76-65), Western Carolina (W, 76-69) and Mercer (W, 85-79) in succession from Jan. 29-Feb. 10 of that particular season.

With the win, the Keydets improved to 9-11 overall and 3-4 in Southern Conference play. The Paladins have now dropped three of their last four games, falling to 15-5 overall and 3-4 in league action. 

It was almost like Furman shored up the areas that cost it the game against Chattanooga, making 14-of-18 foul shots and posted a 46-29 advantage on the boards, including bringing down 20 offensive rebounds, which led to a substantial 20-3 edge in second-chance points. 

The Paladins came into the game off a contest, which saw them surrender a 17-3 edge in second-chance points and also missed 11 free throws in allowing Chattanooga to overcome as 16-point deficit in the first half, including a 13-point margin early in the second half, to garner a 75-71 win over the Paladins at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

While VMI nearly matched Chattanooga's stellar free throw shooting in identical fashion, connecting on 24-of-27 attempts from the charity stripe, which was only one off in each category of the Mocs' 25-for-28 performance on Saturday in Greenville, the Keydets chose a bit of a different rout to get the job done on Wednesday evening and notch a third-straight SoCon win. 

The Keydets were able to capitalize on Furman's 11 turnovers and turned them into an 18-12 advantage in points from turnovers. VMI took good care of the basketball, turning the ball over just seven times all night. 

To its credit, as much as Furman struggled and didn't do things necessary or deserving of victory, credit has to go to VMI and head coach Andrew Wilson for how he's turned the Keydets not only into a competitor in the SoCon in 2024-25, but the roster overhaul and introduction of transfers from the portal, most specifically with an international flair and maturity beyond their class rank,  have the Keydets’ collective sight on even more than just being competitive in league play on a nightly basis.

Another alarming similarity, however, to the loss to the Mocs on Saturday was Furman's inability to defend the paint, particularly over the final 10 minutes when VMI conducted almost a live layup drill in the Paladin paint, with little if any obstruction to the hoop. Any obstruction was usually a foul, putting VMI at the line, whereas mentioned above, they were completely equipped and comfortable being the entire night.

The Keydets dominated the paint, outscoring the Paladins 40-20 inside the painted area, while defending them well all over the court for a majority of the night, as VMI held the Paladins to just 37.4% (26-of-70) from the field, while Furman did manage to connect on a solid 36.4% (16-of-44) of its three-point attempts. 

Furman's poor defensive effort was noticeable in the opening half and even worse in the second, as the Paladins allowed VMI to connect on a sizzling 56.8% in the latter 20 minutes after allowing the Keydets to connect on 48.4% in the opening half of play. 

All told, in each of the past two games, the Paladins have been outscored 74-42 in the paint alone, and the Mocs and Keydets combined to go 49-of-55 from the charity stripe, while Furman has connected on 31-of-56 from the line. Those are two margins that no matter how well you excel in the others, which hence the 36.4% shooting effort from beyond the arc for Furman, is rare to see them lose a game when connecting on 10 or more at 35% or better. 

Making the stat line even more bizarre in this game for the Paladins was the fact that after Garrett Hien's layup to open the scoring on the night for the Paladins, the next 34 points of the opening half would come from non-starters, meaning the Paladins posted 34 of its 36 first-half points from the bench, as well as 34 of its total 47 bench points for the game in the opening half of play. 

Bench scoring was another of the few bright spots in the contest for the Paladins, as Furman owned the category by a 47-21 margin. The Paladins also held a 20-12 advantage in total assists and took 14 more shots (70-56) than VMI. 

Kiudulas finished off his sixth 20-point game of the season by connecting on 5-of-12 shots from the field and was 2-for-3 from long range, while highlighting the stellar performance at the free throw line by connecting on 10-of-11 shots from the charity stripe. Additionally, the talented sophomore transfer from Indiana State added six rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal to his overall well-rounded performance. 

Kiudulas was joined in double figures by reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week Rickey Bradley, who added 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal to highlight another strong evening. The junior guard, who returned to Lexington this season after a year hiatus at Georgia State, connected on 6-of-10 from the field, which included a 1-of-2 effort from three-point land and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the line. 

TJ Johnson added 12 points on some timely shooting from the perimeter, giving the Keydets all the momentum going into the half with a buzzer-beating triple to stake the Keydets to a seven-point, 43-36, halftime edge. All told, he connected on 4-of-12 shots from long range in the contest to account for his scoring total, while also adding three rebounds.

The Keydets would also get 11 points from freshman guard Tan Yildizoglu, while Swedish national team guard and true freshman guard Linus Holmstrom added 10 points off the bench for VMI.

AJ Clark, who was the lone Keydets player to score in this season's game against Furman as a holdover from the team that dropped a 75-62 contest in Greenville last season, added 10 points to go with last season's game against the Paladins in Greenville, added six points, three rebounds and three blocks. His block of an early Cooper Bowser dunk attempt helped set the tone for the night for the Keydets defensively. 

Clark's steal and dunk at the 15:39 mark of the second half of another Furman live-ball turnover--another area that must be cleaned up for head coach Bob Richey's Paladins--helped give the Keydets their first double-digit lead of the game, and it would be one that VMI would manage for most of the second half. 

Furman would be led by three players in double figures, with both Charles Johnston and PJay Smith Jr. leading the way with 18 points, while Ben VanderWal added 15 points and 12 rebounds, accounting for the near identical stat line he recorded in Furman's 13-point win over VMI last February, finishing that contest with 15 points and 13 boards. Johnston also added a double-double, with 11 boards to go with his 18 points. It was both VanderWal and Johnston's first double-doubles of the season.

Johnston scored 12 of his 18 points in the opening half of play, finishing the contest by connecting on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, including 5-for-10 from three-point land was 1-for-2 at the line. The Cal State Monterey Bay transfer and native of Sydney, Australia added four of the team's 20 assists and also added a steal. 

Like Johnston, VanderWal also posted 12 of his points in the opening half, finishing the contest by connecting on 5-of-9 shots from the field and was a solid 5-for-6 from the stripe. VanderWal also added three assists. 

After failing to score in the opening half, Smith, a senior point guard from LaVergne, TN, posted all 18 of his points in the second half, with many of those coming late, as the Paladins tried to mount a rally. Smith connected on 6-of-13 shots from the field and was 6-for-11 from long range. He added four rebounds and four assists to Furman's cause.

The 91 points surrendered by the Paladins are the most given up this season, and most surrendered against a SoCon foe since giving up 91 points in a 2021 SoCon Tournament Quarterfinal loss to VMI, as the Paladins dropped a 91-90 contest in overtime at the Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville. By contrast, the 91 points by VMI are its most against an NCAA Division I foe this season.

How It Happened: 

Augustinas Kiudulas got VMI off to a fast start, as the Keydets were crisp early and looking like a team that had won consecutive games, as the native of Vilnius, Lithuania scored nine of VMI's first 11 points to get the Keydets out to an early 11-7 lead.

After a Tom House three cut the Keydets lead to one with just under 14 minutes remaining in the half, TJ Johnson hit back with a three to five VMI a 14-10 lead. Furman responded with a nice drive down the lane and layup from Ben VanderWal to get back within two before Linus Holmstrom's layup off the left window extended the VMI lead back to four, at 16-12. 

After Charles Johnston missed a wide-open three against the Keydets zone, VanderWal was Johnny on the Spot once again with the offensive rebound and putback to make it a 16-14 VMI lead as the two teams headed to the second media timeout. VanderWal would be fouled just before the second media timeout on a drive to the rack, and he would go to the line to tie the game, 16-16 with 11:33 remaining. 

The Keydets eventually pushed their lead back to six, at 23-17 before Davis Molnar converted a three-point play the old-fashioned way to slice VMI's lead to 23-20 by the third media timeout of the half with 7:50 remaining in the opening 20 minutes of basketball. 

Tan Yildizoglu would convert a layup out of the media timeout for VMI before Furman true freshman sharp-shooter found room for a three-pointer, getting the Paladins to within a deuce with seven minutes left in the half. Following Rickey Bradley's three, which gave VMI a five-point lead, at 28-23, however, Johnston connected on back-to-back threes to give Furman its first lead of the night, at 29-28, with 4:59 remaining in the opening half. 

Furman's one-point lead would be short-lived, as Holmstrom's triple put the Keydets ahead 31-29, and that's how it would remain as the two teams headed to their respective benches for the final media timeout of the opening frame. 

Kiudulas was fouled on a rebound going into the timeout, and he would go to the line for 1-and-1 out of the timeout, making both shots to extend VMI's lead back to four, at 33-29, but a pair of VanderWal free throws after he was fouled on an offensive rebound of a Mason Smith missed three with 3:07 left got the Paladins back to within two with 3:07 left in the half. 

After another Johnston three gave Furman its second lead of the game, at 36-35, the Keydets ended the half on a flurry, getting an 8-0 run to close over the final 90 seconds, as Yildizogolu converted a layup in the paint and then back-to-back threes following missed threes from Furman gave the Keydets a 43-36 halftime lead. The seven-point lead for the Keydets was their largest of the opening half.

Thirty-four of Furman's 36 first half points were bench points, as PJay Smith Jr., Eddrin Bronson, Nick Anderson and Cooper Bowser did not score in the opening 20 minutes, however, the Paladins got 12 points from Ben VanderWal and Charles Johnston in the opening half of play. 

Furman shot just 31.6% (12-of-38) and 27.3% (6-of-22) from three-point land in the opening half, however, the Paladins stayed in the game with a 13-2 edge in second chance points, as Furman had 12 offensive rebounds in the opening frame. As a result, the Paladins were ahead 26-15 advantage on the backboards at the half.

VMI connected on 48.4% (15-of-31) from the field in the opening 20 minutes, which included 42.9% (6-of-14) from three-point range. Kiudulas had a game-high 14 points at the break. 

In the second half, the Keydets assumed a double-digit lead immediately on a three-point play the old-fashioned way to give the Keydets a 46-36 lead almost immediately. They would sustain that until the first media and extend it by one at the first media timeout of the second half having increased their lead by four, at 55-44, with 14:30 left. 

As close as the game had been in the opening half, however, the Paladins would trail by double digits for a majority of the second. After a Davis Molnar turnover and subsequent dunk off a steal by AJ Clark gave VMI a 53-42 lead, the Paladins were able to trim the deficit to nine twice and eight once before VMI a timely TJ Johnson triple at the 13:07 mark of the second half to push VMI's lead back to 11, at 58-47, and the Keydets would push the lead to as much as 16 on four occasions with the latest of those margins coming with just 2:04 remaining after Bradley connected on his lone three of the game, giving the Keydets the 87-71 lead.

Furman would out-score the Keydets 11-4 the rest of the way, making things somewhat interesting, however, would only close to within double digits with the game already having been decided, as freshman guard Eddrin Bronson connected on a three with 42 seconds left to set the final margin at nine--91-82. 

Furman returns to action on Saturday afternoon, traveling to Hawkins Arena to take on suddenly upstart Mercer (10-10, 3-4 SoCon), who overcame a 23-point deficit to hand UNC Greensboro its first loss, downing the Spartans, 79-78, Wednesday evening at First Horizon Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. EST between the Paladins and Bears.

VMI also returns to the hardwood on Saturday, as the Keydets will host those same UNCG Spartans (12-8, 5-2 SoCon) in a 1 p.m. tip-off time set for Cameron Hall.

Furman Heads to VMI For Key Road SoCon Tilt

After dropping two out of three home games, Furman takes back to the conference road slate, and faces a pair of tricky road tests, facing both VMI (8-11, 2-4 SoCon) and Mercer (9-10, 2-4 SoCon) in a pair of key league tilts.

First up is a trip to Lexington, VA., to face a VMI team that has been able to string together back-to-back SoCon wins under third-year head coach Andrew Wilson. It's the first time the Keydets had been able to win back-to-back SoCon games under Wilson, as the Keydets went on the road and took down arch-rival The Citadel, 75-70, on Saturday afternoon at McAlister Field House.

VMI is a much-improved team from the one the Paladins beat by 40 (100-60) in Cameron Hall last season, in what saw the return of Marcus Foster to the Paladin roster after having missed a month-and-a-half with a knee injury. 

Wilson has nearly overhauled the entire roster each of his first two seasons as head coach, making it tough to create any kind of continuity within the program. However, the one major difference ahead of his third year as the head coach is that he was able to use the transfer portal, and that has paid off big time for VMI in his third season at the helm, as the Keydets have already won eight games this season, which eclipses each of the previous two seasons win totals. 

VMI's win at The Citadel this past Saturday saw the Keydets notch their second road win of the season, which is already more road wins than either of Wilson's first two seasons combined, as VMI went just 1-29 away from Cameron Hall in Wilson's first two campaigns at the helm of the Keydets basketball program. 

The other part of the two-game winning streak came in VMI's last home game against Western Carolina, as VMI was able to take a 66-50 win over Western Carolina last week. 

Furman has had a roller-coaster week of hoops, dropping a 19-point contest to begin a three-game homestand last Monday night against Wofford (L, 62-81) before knocking off East Tennessee State (W, 73-70) last Wednesday night and then this past Saturday, the Paladins dropped a heartbreaking, 75-71 contest to Chattanooga, who came from a 16-point deficit in the first half and as much as a 13-point margin in the second half to capture a key SoCon road win, which dropped Furman to just 15-4 overall, but 3-3 in league action. 

The Paladins can take solace in the fact that they have played pretty well away from Greenville this season, as the Paladins have won six true road wins this season. The Paladins also have registered one neutral court win, which came in a hard-fought, 61-56, win over Seattle in the Terry's Chocolate Vegas Showdown. Furman's 6-2 road record ranks just behind UC Irvine (8 true road wins), Central Connecticut State (7 true road wins), and Southeastern Louisiana (7 true road wins), and it's 71 true road wins since the start of the 2016-17 season ranks the Paladins fifth nationally in that span. 

Former Furman guard Jordan Lyons (2016-20)

As for the series, Furman and VMI will be meeting on the hardwood for the 109th time, as the Paladins hold what is a commanding 71-37 all-time series edge, however, despite the overall dominance in the series by the Paladins, there have been some really good games between the two programs. 

The Paladins have won each of the past five meetings between the two, and hold a 24-23 all-time lead in the series in games played in Lexington. The Paladins swept the series between the two last season, winning 100-60 in Lexington, playing arguably maybe its best game of the season and faced a VMI team without some key performers due to injury and a case of the flu, which was affecting even some of those who played in that contest at Cameron Hall last season.

The Paladins were powered by a big night from Ben VanderWal in the meeting in Greenville, as he posted 15 points and 13 rebounds to help the Paladins to a 75-62 win at Timmons Arena. 

The Paladins have had some great performances in Lexington in recent seasons, both as a team and individually. The 40-point win over the Keydets in Cameron Hall last season marked Furman's largest margin of victory over an NCAA Division I foe all season. 

While Furman won in Cameron Hall by 40 last season, in the 89-73 win over VMI on New Year's Day 2020, the Paladins had a player go for 40, as Jordan Lyons went off against the Keydets, becoming the first Furman player to record multiple 40-point scoring games in a career since Darrell Floyd (1952-56).

The senior guard scored his 40 points on just 15 shots, connecting on 11-of-15 from the field, including scorching the nets for 10-of-12 from three-point range. He also was also 10-for-12 from the charity stripe to equal his 40 points. He also dished out a career-high four assists.

Lyons’ 10 treys tied a Cameron Hall record by an opponent, as it matching former Marshall guard Shawn Moore’s 10 triples established back on Jan. 16, 1995.

The performance by Lyons marked the first time a Paladin player has scored 40 or more points against a Division I opponent since former star guard Stephen Croone posted a 40-point effort vs Liberty back on Dec. 13, 2013. Lyons is the fourth Paladin to record multiple 40-point games in a career and first to do so in 64 years.

A year earlier in Lexington, Furman recorded another lopsided win in Lexington, taking over the game in the middle portion of the opening 20 minutes of basketball to go on and get what was an 89-57 win over the Dan Earl-led Keydets. 

Furman held VMI to 37% shooting and the SoCon’s leading scorer Bubba Parham to just six points, as the Paladins defeated the Keydets going away, 89-57, in Southern Conference action Thursday night at Cameron Hall.

VMI has also had some recent success against the Paladins in Lexington, handing the Paladins a 74-73 setback in the 2020-21 season, as reigning SoCon Player of the Week Greg Parham scored 24 points, which included 22 in the second half, as VMI snapped a 10-game losing streak against Furman in the series, and handed the Paladins their first Southern Conference loss of the season, as the Keydets held on for a one-point win at Cameron Hall.

In the 2021-22 season, Furman was led by head coach Jeremy Growe, as Bob Richey was with his wife awaiting the birth of his son and fourth child, Jax Berner Richey, and the Paladins would see the Keydets rebound from a halftime deficit to come away with what was a 76-67 win over the Paladins on that particular occasion. 

Previewing the Keydets:

Keydets head coach Andrew Wilson needed something to make the Keydets competitive with the rest of the SoCon, and when VMI started to allow transfers, he had just the thing to make the Keydets a team to be recokoned with among its SoCon brethren, as the Keydets went out and procured some talent with ties to good programs, and some of that talent starring internationally.

As a team, like Chattanooga, the Keydets excel as a free throw shooting team, posting the second-highest team shooting clip in the SoCon this season, shooting 74.6% from the stripe on the season. The Keydets are also averaging a higher scoring clip this season, posting an average of 76.3 PPG and the Keydets do that by averaging 11.7 offensive rebounds-per-game, which makes the Keydets one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the SoCon--an area of supreme struggle for Furman over the past three games. VMI also averages a league-best 8.2 steals-per-game. 

For VMI, it all starts with forward Augustinas Kiudulas (15.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG) and reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week and junior guard Rickey Bradley Jr. (15.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG). Kiudulas is a 6-8, 215-lb forward, who came to VMI from Indiana State, and he recently logged his third-career double-double in VMI's lopsided road loss at Chattanooga.

Kiudulas posted 20 points and 10 rebounds in what was a 91-66 setback against the Mocs last week. Kiudulas originally hails from Vilnius, Lithuania and spent one season with the Sycamores before opting to transfer to VMI. He's had such a successful start to his career for the Keydets this season that it might be tough for head coach Andrew Wilson to hold on to from the meat market that has become the transfer portal these days, especially for good Southern Conference talent. 

Prior to signing with Indiana State, Kiudulas played professionally in Lithuania for Vilnius Rytkas 2 in the NKL National Basketball League in Lithuania. He averaged 11.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG and dished out 2.1 APG while shooting 38.2% from three-point land. He is also a member of the Lithuanian National Team.

So far this season, Kiudulas has seen action in 17 games for the Keydets, including having made 16 starts, and he's shooting a solid 50.3% (90-of-179) from the field and 45.5% (25-of-55) from three-point range. As you might expect, with his European background, he brings a high-level of skill to the collegiate game. He's also been a strong free throw shooter for the Keydets this season, knocking down 80.7% (67-of-83) from the charity stripe this season.  He ranks fifth in the league in offensive rebounds-per-game, averaging 2.2 per outing. 

Kiudulas has found his way into double figures in 13 out of the 17 games he's seen action in this season for the Keydets, and that includes scoring 20 or more points in a game five times this season. He posted a season-high 27 points in the season-opener against Washington College, while finishing most recently with a 26-point effort in an 81-68 road loss to Samford in SoCon play. 

Bradley Jr. is one of the neater transfer portal stories for the Keydets. The 6-2 junior guard garnered SoCon all-freshman honors two years ago before transferring out to Georgia State. Things didn't go well for Bradley in his one season with the Panthers, so he decided to return to the coach that recruited him originally, in Andrew Wilson and VMI. 

In his most recent outing for VMI, he posted 29 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, and was an impressive 4-for-5 from three-point range in the 75-70 win over The Citadel in Charleston. He was also 13-for-15 from the charity stripe in the big road win. 

Bradley Jr. posted an average of 21.5 PPG on the week, highlighted in wins over Western Carolina (W, 66-50) and The Citadel (W, 75-70). Earlier in conference play, Bradley Jr. scored a career-high 30 points in a narrow home floor loss to Mercer. He has scored in double figures 14 times in 20 games this season, including having started all 20 games for the Keydets this season. 

Bradley Jr. has a streak of 13-straight double-figure scoring games, including having hit the 20 or more scoring mark five times this season, and the 30-point plateau once this season. He is shooting 43.3% (91-of-210) from the field this season and has connected on an impressive 41.3% (31-of-75) from three-point land so far in 2024-25. 

Set to team with Bradley Jr. in the backcourt on Wednesday night for VMI will be sophomore guard AJ Clark (4.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG) and Tan Yildizoglu (7.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 76 Assists). Clark gives the Keydets some defensive bite on the perimter, and saw action in 21 games least season, posting a solid performance in VMI's 13-point loss in Greenville last season, as he grabbed seven rebounds. He helped establish himself as VMI's top on-ball defender last season, and will likely draw the assignment of shadowing Furman sharp-shooting guard PJay Smith Jr. on Wednesday evening. 

Earlier this season, Clark registered his first-career double-double in the loss to Mercer, as he finished the contest with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Clark ranks fifth in the league in steals-per-game so far in his sophomore season, while ranking fifth in the league in assist/turnover ratio (2.7). The Suffolk, VA., native has a pair of double-figure scoring games this season, including last time out against The Citadel, as he posted 10 points in VMI's win in Charleston. He is shooting 57.7% (30-of-52) from the field this season, and has logged five starts in the 18 games he's seen action in so far in 2024-25.

Yildizoglu is another successful addition from the transfer portal.  The 6-4 transfer guard from Pacific has added even more to the Keydets international mix in 2024-25. He gives the Keydets another outstanding skilled European, who brings great shooting ability, along with being technically gifted as both a passer and ball-handler.

Yildizoglu played in 28 games for the Tigers last season, which included making a pair of starts and one of those came in the WCC Tournament against Pepperdine. Yildizoglu is also a member of the Turkish National Team, and paced his team with 20 points and eight assists in Turkey's historic win over Team USA for the bronze medal in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in 2023. 

His skill-level has been most apparent in his distribution of the basketball and the ability to get others involved offensively, as he enters the midweek tilt with 76 assists, averaging 4.5 helpers-per-game, which ranks him third in the league in assists-per-game average. 

In his first season with VMI, Yildizoglu can also be an effective offensive weapon for VMI, as he has posted five double-figure scoring performances this season, posting a career-high of 17 points on two occasions against both Charleston Southern and Richmond.  His most-recent game in double figures was in his last home game against Western Carolina, as Yildizoglu posted 14 points in VMI's 66-50 triumph over the Catamounts. He has seen action in 18 games this season, logging 17 starts.

Rounding out the projected starting five for VMI on Wednesday night will be forward TJ Johnson (12.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG), who was Wilson's first addition from the transfer portal coming into the season.  Johnson made the move from Lipscomb-to-VMI with three years of eligibility remaining, and he's given the Keydets 6-6, athletic small forward that has logged more minutes than any of the other incoming Keydets transfers this season, proving to be a workhorse. He comes in averaging 31.6 MPG, which ranks fifth overall in the league and he has started all 19 games he's been a part of for the Keydets this season. 

Last season for the Bisons, Johnson averaged 3.7 PPG and 1.8 RPG and shot 34.7% from three-point land. He's seen his scoring and rebounding numbers almost triple this season, as he has flourished offensively in his first season at VMI, as he is having a campaign worthy of All-SoCon consideration. He is shooting 43% (78-of-182) from the field and is shooting 37.2% (48-of-129) from three-point range so far this season. Johnson has posted double-figure scoring performances in 14 games this season, and has scored 20 or more points twice this season. 

The Keydets have some solid contributors off the bench, including guard Linus Holmstrom (7.3 PPG, 1.2 RPG) and forwards Kaden Stuckey (4.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG) and Cal Liston (1.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG). Holmstrom hails from Stockholm, Sweden, where he captained the U16 and U18 Swedish National Teams and has been the top producer off the bench for the Keydets this season. He's started five of the 19 games he's been a part of this season, and sports as a strength his ability as a perimeter shooter, connecting on 35.9% (33-of-92) of his long-range attempts this season. 

Holmstrom's top performance of the season came against Regent, as he posted 17 points, while scoring 15 in a road loss at Pittsburgh. He has found his way into double figures in eight times this season. Stuckey spent his time as a prep at Orangeville Prep in Canada. 

The 6-8, 227-power forward has a 7-1 wingspan and is the son of former Missouri State Hall of Fame and former pro Kelby Stuckey.  Stuckey is an athletic forward that like Holmstrom, is a true freshman. Stuckey has logged action in 18 games this season for VMI, including having made 13 starts. He gives the Keydets a nice athletic boost off the bench and on the offensive glass. 

Furman senior guard PJay Smith Jr.

Noting The Paladins:

--Furman is coming off a tough week, which saw the Paladins drop two out of their three home games from last week, as the Paladins suffered a 75-71 last Saturday against Chattanooga and were an 81-62 loser to Wofford on Monday. The Paladins sandwiched those two setbacks with an impressive 73-70 result against SoCon title contender East Tennessee State. 

--The Paladins ran through the non-conference portion of the slate with an impressive 12-1 record, however, have hit the skids a little since entering league play, spitting the first six. Furman has seen its offensive numbers take a bit of a dip, and that's more a result of struggling from both the field and three-point range in the first six league contests. After averaging 78.9 PPG through the first 13 non-conference games this season, the Paladins have seen their overall team scoring average dip to 71.6 PPG. The Paladins also shot 48.3% from the field through non-conference play as a team but are shooting just 40.1% from the field since entering league play. Finally, the Paladins shot at an impressive 36.6% and made 142 three-pointers (10.9 3pt FGs per game) through non-conference play. However, in the first six league games this season, the Paladins has made 53 three-pointers over a six-game span (8.8 3pt FGs per game). The Paladins have connected on just 31.0% (53-of-171) through their first six league games. That ranks ninth out of 10 teams in shooting the three since the start of SoCon play.

--Furman has also seen a decline in its defensive numbers, and after allowing just 63.8 PPG to rank 31st nationally in scoring defense through non-conference play, the Paladins are now surrendering 72.3 PPG. Furman has also seen a decline in both its field goal percentage defense, which ranked second in the league through non-conference league, holding foes to just 39.8% from the field. In league games, the Paladins are allowing foes to shoot 44.2% from the field. Furman finished non-conference play second nationally in three-point field goal percentage, holding its first 13 opponents of the season to a frigid 25.3% shooting from long range and did not allow a team to hit double digit makes from three-point range in the first 13 games. However, in league play, Furman is allowing the opposition to shoot 36.2% from long-range and allowed both UNCG and Wofford to shoot better than 40% from long-range, as both connected on double-digit totals from long-range in two of the Paladins' three league losses. 

--Furman's most alarming trend, however, has been its lack of attention to detail on the defensive glass through the first six league games, as the Paladins rank ninth out of 10 teams in defensive rebounds (22.0) and last in defensive rebound percentage (63.5%). The Paladins currently rank eighth in the 10-team SoCon in rebounding margin (-3.50) through the first six league games. 

--Despite the struggles in the early portions of league play, the Paladins still find themselves in the thick of the Southern Conference title race in a league rated by KenPom as the most competitive in all of NCAA Division I College Basketball. 

--The Paladins have seemingly been most comfortable in coming from behind in the second halves of nine of its 15 wins thus far in the 2024-25 season, which made Saturday's home setback to Chattanooga particularly uncanny in the way it happened, as it was the Mocs that came from behind to finish off Furman. The Paladins had been 4-0 in games decided by four points or less previously this season. Furman's biggest second half deficit overcome this season was a 13-point deficit in the final nine minutes vs. Florida Gulf Coast.

--A win over VMI would give the Paladins a 16-4 start to the season, marking its best-ever start under eighth-year head coach Bob Richey. The Paladins have scored 100 or more points 18 times under head coach Bob Richey, including posting 100 in Furman's 40-point win at Cameron Hall last season. 

--The Paladins have won a league-best 213 games since the start of the 2015-16 season, including having won 116 SoCon games, which ranks second to only UNCG's 121 league wins over that same span. 

--The Paladins continue to be led by PJay Smith Jr., who is averaging 16.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.2 RPG. He recently crossed the 1,000-point plateau for his career in Furman's recent road win at The Citadel.  The senior point guard from LaVergne, TN., ranks among the Top 10 in the SoCon in steals per game, points per game, assists per game, three-point field goal percentage, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and assist-turnover-ratio.

--Furman guard Eddrin Bronson is slated to make his third-straight start for the Paladins on Wednesday at VMI. Bronson is averaging 6.0 PPG and 1.4 RPG through his first 19 games for Furman. The 6-4 athletic guard from Tampa, FL has scored in double figures in seven games this season, including posting 14 points in the 86-51 loss at Kansas and posted a career-high 15 points in Furman's 100-75 win over Montreat. 

--Nick Anderson rounds out the starters in the backcourt for the Paladins. He has been a nice addition from Barry University, which is coached by former Paladin head coach Butch Estes (1986-94). Anderson has averaged 12.6 PPG and is shooting 38.5% from three-point range (47-of-122) and is one of the league's top free throw shooters, posting an 89.1% clip (41-of-46) from the charity stripe this season. 

--Cooper Bowser has started all 19 games for the Paladins this season and comes in averaging 8.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG. Bowser, a 6-11 sophomore from Woodbridge, VA., has six double-figure scoring efforts this season and also has two double-double performances, with his most notable performance of the season coming against Seattle, as he posted 17 points, 12 boards and four assists in the 61-56 win over the Redhawks in Las Vegas earlier this season. Bowser currently leads the SoCon with 29 blocks on the season, averaging 1.53 blocks-per-game. 

--Garrett Hien rounds out the projected starters for the Paladins entering Wednesday night's tilt and he comes in averaging 7.8 PPG and 5.0 RPG and also ranks Furman's most-skilled passer and is one of the most-skilled passing big men in the SoCon. He has dished out 53 assists this season, which ranks second on the team behind only point guard PJay Smith Jr. Hien has scored in double figures in seven games this season, which includes a season-high 15 points in Furman's win at Belmont. Hien, a native of Charlotte, N.C., also posted 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in Furman's early win over Jacksonville. Hien has contributed to 98 wins in his five seasons at Furman, ranking fourth in program history. 

Off The Bench:

--Ben VanderWal has been Furman's "glue guy" this season and posted a 15-point, 13-rebound effort in Furman's 75-62 win over VMI at Timmons Arena last season. VanderWal has logged 17 starts in 19 games this season, averaging 5.8 PPG and 4.6 RPG. 

--Charles Johnston has been another key addition from the transfer portal for head coach Bob Richey this season, and the 6-11 forward/center has been a key player off the bench for Furman this season, and showed what he could do as a shooter in Furman's home win over Jacksonville, going 8-of-9 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range to finish off a 25-point scoring effort. He's seen action in 15 of 19 games for the Paladins, having been somewhat limited by some nagging injuries, but is averaging 6.9 PPG and 3.0 RPG.  He grew up playing cricket in his native homeland of Sydney, Australia, and has only five years of experience playing organized basketball. 

--Davis Molnar has proven to be a real asset to Furman off the bench this season, playing some of his best basketball since entering Southern Conference play. Molnar is averaging 3.8 PPG and 3.1 RPG and the 6-6 redshirt sophomore has contributed seven and nine points in the past two games, respectively. His nine points in a 73-70 win over ETSU marked a seaosn-high offensively for the native of Fayetteville, N.C.