Furman Decimates The Citadel; Hien Hits 1,000-Point Career Milestone

Furman Senior Forward Garrett Hien

GREENVILLE, S.C.--The old cliche' is it's how you start and not how you finish. Furman started its home Southern Conference journey inauspiciously, suffering its largest margin of defeat at home in a league game since Feb. 24, 2014 (L, Elon, 49-78), but when the Paladins lost an 81-62 contest against Wofford at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Jan. 13, it signaled the first bit of adversity the Furman basketball program would truly encounter during the 2024-25. 

Nineteen-point home conference losses didn't happen under head coach Bob Richey just didn't happen no matter what arena Furman called home within the limits of Greenville County. At least that was the thought anyway. 

In what was the last game for a while in the Well, Furman finished off its home league slate a lot better than it started it, posting a 43-point, 85-42, win over The Citadel Wednesday night at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. 

With the win, Furman improved to 22-8 on the season and 10-7 in league action, securing a top six finish and a berth through to the Southern Conference Tournament, which is set to take place in Asheville March 7-10 at the Harrah's Cherokee Center. Furman has now won three-straight league games and seven out of its last 10 heading into its road regular-season finale on Saturday.

The Citadel, which dropped its 20th-straight, despite a narrow one-point loss to SoCon leader Chattanooga (L, 75-76) in its previous outing, remained winless in SoCon play with one game remaining in the regular-season, falling to 5-23 overall and 0-17 in league play.

The Paladins are set to return to Timmons Arena in 2025-26 following a 40-million dollar upgrade and finished out their one season in their home away from home with a 10-3 record inside the 2017 and '26 NCAA Tournament venue, and 13-3 overall on one of three home floors they played on during the 2024-25 season.

On its best day, The Well is a magnificent, NCAA Tournament-ready venue. However, it's no Timmons Arena, but the minor inconvenience of having to travel to three different home venues for Furman this season has been all part of another 20-win journey, as the Paladins travel to Wofford to play the Terriers in the final regular-season game of the 2024-25 season, bringing everything full-circle. 

Not only did Furman's 43-point win represent the SoCon's largest margin of victory so far in SoCon play this season, the 42 points allowed were the fewest in Richey's ninth season as head coach, and the fewest since allowing just 37 points to Western Carolina during the 2016-17 season in what was an 85-37 Furman win. 

The 45-point margin of victory is Furman's third largest win ever against a Southern Conference foe, bested only by the that win over WCU in 2016-17 and a whopping 77-point win over The Citadel (W, 154-67) during the 1954-55 season. 

With its third-straight win, Furman has its best run of success since beginning SoCon play at Western Carolina back on New Year's Day. The Paladins had a seven-game winning streak to start the season before losing at No. 1 Kansas (L, 51-86) and then closed out non-conference play with five-straight wins and it's win 90-61 win at Western Carolina on New Year's Day to begin SoCon play made it six before UNC Greensboro ended that streak, with an 84-67 win over the Paladins on Jan. 4. 

The Paladins have had a bit of a roller-coaster ride in the brutal conference battles that highlight one of the best mid-major conferences in the country but appear to be playing their best basketball at just the right time. 

A big reason for Furman starting to present the best version of itself at just the right time has been what its been able to do on the defensive end over the past four games. Furman is surrendering an average of just 60.4 PPG over its last four outings, which is 14 PPG less than it had given up in its 13 previous SoCon games prior to the 58-50 loss to UNC Greensboro a week-and-a-half ago. The Paladins went into that loss against the Spartans surrendering 74.8 PPG. 

The Paladins are holding foes to just 36.7% (89-of-242) from the field over the past four games, after SoCon opponents had been shooting 43.0% from the field from in the previous 13 league games. The Paladins have also been stingy opposition when it comes to defending the perimeter in its last four games. Furman is allowing foes to shoot just 29.1% (28-of-96) from three-point range over the last four games. Prior to the UNCG game on Feb. 15, the Paladins had been allowing the previous 13 conference foes to shoot at a 36.0% clip from three-point range for the season.

Furman was led in the win over the Bulldogs by Tom House and PJay Smith Jr., who scored 19 points apiece in the win, while Hien added 14 points, seven rebounds and dished out four assists in his final home game of his Paladin career, reaching 1,000 points for his career in the process.

As for House, he became just the third Furman player in program history to record a perfect night from beyond the arch on five or more made three-pointers. The junior transfer from Florida State finished the contest connecting on all six of his three-point attempts and was 6-for-7 from the field.

Smith finished out his final regular-season home game by connecting on 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from distance, while dishing out four assists. 

Nick Anderson was solid in Furman's 22nd win of the season, finishing with seven points, a team-best six assists and posted three steals. 

The Citadel was led by Brody Fox, as he finished with 14 points and six rebounds. The UW-Stoudt transfer went 4-of-13 from the field and 6-of-11 from the charity stripe.

The Paladins finished the contest connecting on 52.5% (31-of-69) from the field, which includes a 50% (15-of-30) effort from three-point range. The Paladins posted a huge advantage in assists (23-8) and won the battle of the boards by 10 (45-35). 

Furman's defense was elite for much of the night, utilizing a 1-3-1 zone for much of the night, which threw the Bulldogs out of sorts from the outset and allowed the Paladins to get out to a big lead early. The Paladins held the Bulldogs to just 25.0% (13-of-52) shooting for the game and just 20.8% (5-of-24) from long range in the win. 

Hien's flair for the Dramatic

If you didn't know better, you'd probably think that Furman's 6-9 senior big man Garrett Hien was a theatre/drama major, as it has been a fitting personal narrative written over his now 156-game career. 

Hien has made a habit of showing up big at just the right time for the Paladins during his five-year journey with the Furman basketball program, facing adversity at times, while experiencing a lot more joy for work put in during his time in a purple, white and sometimes grey uniform in his career. 

The big red head from Charlotte, N.C., has stood out both on the court and off it with his jovial personality and all-around good nature over the past five years and his ability to navigate his own personal trials and adversity has a larger message to each of us. 

It's been a career based on loyalty and getting back up after getting knocked to the mat multiple times, but his personal message is that he got up every time and has come out on the winning side far more than a losing one. 

As I recall legendary former head coach Bob McKillop telling the media at the 2008 SoCon Tournament during Davidson's 2007-08 season and eventual trip to the Elite Eight, "It's not how many times you get knocked to the mat in a season or in anything in life for that matter, it's your response that ultimately produces the winning formula in basketball and ultimately in life." Those words have stuck with me ever since, I felt those words are appropriate to share for Hien in this an individual milestone moment in a winning career.

He's been a loyal piece, as well as an important one for Bob Richey over the past five years. For Furman to have visions of cutting down the nets in Asheville for a second time in three years on a Monday night at the Harrah's Cherokee Center, Hien's impact as a part of that is non-negotiable. 

Furman can't win it without him finishing strong, and he's made himself that important of a piece to the overall winning metric for the Paladins in his career. He's made himself that. A winner and a part of the winning formula.

Then there are the stories we don't ever hear or aren't ever written about in what kind of teammate he's been. It was most evident after Furman's 81-62 loss to current No. 1 Auburn in a charity exhibition game, as he found time to converse and trade smiles with former teammate, roommate JP Pegues, who made the biggest shot in Furman hoops history, however, if it wasn't for Hien's quick thinking and two free throws that preceded, Pegues' shot couldn't have happened, and without the two made free throws from a career 46% shooter at the stripe, the shot from Pegues would have also been null and void. 

The two will forever be linked in Furman basketball lore, and as for Hien's journey, it will be remembered for how many ways he contributed to Furman's program more than even his huge impact on the Paladins' biggest win in program history--a 68-67 opening round win over No. 4 Virginia in the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Orlando--as he's made an even bigger impact as a teammate and for his loyalty and dedication to Furman basketball. 

In his final home game in an unfamiliar arena, it was another just in the nick of time performance for a player that now sports 105 wins over five seasons suiting up as a starter for the Paladins, as Hien's final shot-of the evening--a long, high-arching three-pointer--put him at exactly 1,000 points for his career. 

He finished the contest with 14 points and four assists on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 2-for-4 from three-point range. It was Hien's 11th double-figure scoring effort of the season and the Paladins are 9-2 in those games. 

In his final home game in his Furman career, Hien was once again rewarded for his perseverance and loyalty to the program and not a second too late, but just on time, as the clock wound down in his final home game. Hien's three-pointer with 4:43 remaining put him at exactly 1,000 points for his career, joining an elite class of Furman basketball players to have achieved that milestone in their careers.  

Heading into his final regular-season game for Furman, Hien now has 1,000 points, 560 rebounds, 287 assists, 100 steals and 46 blocks in 156-career games. The most important stat to know, however, is that he ranks third in program history in career wins, which is now up to 105 over five seasons.

Hien's winning presence and his ability as one of the best passers of the basketball among big men in the SoCon are a major ingredient in the secret sauce that has made him a major part of the winning formula for the Paladins over the past five seasons. 

He will no doubt look for a strong finish to his career, and his teammates will need him to make more winning plays just in the nick of time, as the Paladins face their final regular-season challenge at Wofford and the ultimate challenge in a little over a week at the 2025 Southern Conference Tournament in Asheville. Hien wouldn't want it any other way. 

How It Happened:

Furman came out and took initiative of the game early, taking an 11-0 lead three-and-a-half minutes into the game, using two Bulldogs turnovers converted into five points, while PJay Smith Jr. and Nick Anderson knocked down a pair of threes to stake the Paladins to the early 11-0 lead and prompted an Ed Conroy timeout at the 16:28 mark of the opening half. 

Brody Fox finally got The Citadel on the board with a pair of free throws, which is probably the least likely way most would have figured one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the country would get on the board first at the 12:19 mark of the first half. Tom House answered with a three to put Furman up 14-2 before Sola Adebisi scored the first points from the field for the Bulldogs to make it 16-4 heading into the second media timeout. 

Following a Tom House alley-oop to Cooper Bowser, which looked like it was going to be too high and out of bounds before the 6-11 sophomore from Woodbridge, VA., skied high to put it home with two hands and give the Paladins a three-touchdown advantage, at 28-7, heading into the third media timeout of the half with 6:40 left. Three-quarters of the way through the half and the Paladins had held the Bulldogs to 2-of-19 shooting from the field and 10.5% shooting from the field. 

Eventually, the Paladins took a 44-11 to the break. It had held an opponent to its lowest first half total since leading Virginia Intermont 69-8 at the half over two decades ago (Dec. 28, 2004). Tom House led all scorers at the break, including The Citadel on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 effort from three-point range. 

About the only drama in the second half was whether or not Furman senior big man Garrett Hien would reach the 1,000-point milestone for his career, and with 4:43 left, he connected on his second three of the night to give him exactly 1,000 points for his career bringing a loud roar from the 2,137 fans in attendance. 

Furman would lead by as much as 49 in the second half following a step-back three from Smith with 2:33 left, giving the Paladins their final points of the night, staking the 'Dins to an 85-36 lead. 

Up Next:

Furman will close out its regular-season with plenty at stake and could finish as high as fourth or as low as sixth in the league depending on how results end up Thursday night and on Saturday, and more importantly and directly, how the Paladins do in their final regular-season test at Wofford (16-14, 10-7 SoCon). While the Paladins and Terriers remain tied in the standings, the Terriers gained an edge with an 81-62 win at The Well earlier this season. Saturday's winner gets the higher seed next week in Asheville. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. EST at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.

Postgame Press Conference:

 Furman head coach Bob Richey

Furman players Tom House and Garrett Hien

Notes: 

--Furman has now won 220 games overall (first overall in the league) and now have 123 SoCon wins (second overall in the league) since the start of the 2015-16 season.

--The Paladins finish out the season 13-3 in home games, including 10-3 in games at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, which takes Furman's all-time record in the facility to 19-12.