Furman's Narrow Loss to UNCG is its Most at Timmons Arena Since 2014-15
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| Furman junior forward Cooper Bowser (photo courtesy of Furman athletics) |
GREENVILLE, S.C.—Justin Neely was once again the dominant force in the paint for UNCG, as he posted 24 points and 13 rebounds, as the Spartans led for 31:42 of the game and didn't trail at all during the second half, despite Furman cutting it to a single point twice inside the final five minutes, as UNCG held on for the 67-64 road upset Sunday afternoon before an announced crowd of 2,497 fans on-hand at Timmons Arena.
With the win, UNCG improved to 10-15 overall and 6-6 in SoCon play, while Furman fell for the second-straight outing, dropping to 16-9 overall and 7-5 in SoCon play and stayed in a tie for third in the league standings along with Mercer (15-10, 7-5 SoCon), as the two will face each other at Hawkins Arena Wednesday night where the Bears are a perfect 11-0 this season.
Neely was sensational Sunday, as he finished 8-for-14 from the field and 2-for-2 from three-point range, which were just his 11th and 12th made triples of the season. He also finished 6-for-10 from the free throw line.
Neely's overall game hearkens back to a Spartans player from almost two decades ago, in Kyle Hines (2004-08), who was a walking double-double. For Neely, it marked his 16th double-double of the season, which leads the SoCon and ranks second in all of NCAA Division I.
Noah Norgaard and Donald Whitehead Jr. rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Spartans, adding 11 points apiece.
The Paladins got another strong effort from Cooper Bowser, who led Furman with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, while adding six rebounds, two assists, one steal and a block.
Furman freshman phenom Alex Wilkins was the only other Paladin player to finish in double figures, posting 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the field and a 5-for-6 effort at the line. He finished the game 0-for-3 from long-range, and after posting a 13-for-19 effort from three-point range during a three-game winning streak for the Paladins, he is just 1-for-8 in each of the past two games.
With his 15 points on Sunday, however, Wilkins moved into second place in Furman history when it comes to points in a season scored by a freshman, as he surpassed former Furman great and 2,000-point scorer Karim Souchu (1999-2003), who posted 459 points in his freshman season of 1999-2000.
Wilkins now has 463 points in his freshman season, which is 99 points away from setting a new school record, surpassing 561 points scored by Jonathan Moore (1976-80). He also added five assists, two steals and blocked a shot.
The Paladins, who won 89-66 a couple of weeks ago over UNCG with only seven scholarship players, were without Collin O'Neal due to illness, however, were as close to full strength as they have been since Dec. 18, and that included having all top three scorers in the lineup Sunday afternoon, with Asa Thomas the latest to return to the Furman lineup.
In his first game since Jan. 10, the Clemson transfer added nine points, five rebounds and three rebounds in 31 minutes of work. He connected on three of the team's five three-pointers in the loss.
The loss sees Furman settle for the season split with the Spartans, as the Paladins have not swept UNCG in a season since the 2015-16 season.
The Paladins have now dropped consecutive league games for the second time this season and it marks the first time Furman has lost four games in a season at Timmons Arena since the 2014-15 season, when the Paladins finished 7-7 overall at Timmons, including a 4-5 record against SoCon foes. The three conference losses are now also the most since 2014-15.
Unlike last year's home setback to UNCG, Furman actually played decently enough, and for the second-straight game won key categories that are usually included in any formula for winning a basketball game. The Paladins dominated the points in the paint (32-18), second-chance points (8-5) and total rebounds (36-32), yet its inability to both make threes (Furman went 5-of-19/26.3%) and defend the three in key moments (UNCG went 10-of-19/52.6%).
One concerning trend is the fact that both ETSU and UNCG have combined to shoot 47.2% (17-of-36) from three-point range in each of the past two games. Meanwhile, Furman has connected on just 26.6% (12-of-45) from long-range in each of the past two games. Furman has shot 13.3% (2-of-15) from three-point range in its past two outings against the Bucs and Spartans.
The other statistical differences in the game were very miniscule one way or the other. The Spartans held advantages in free throw attempts (19-17), and both teams ended tied in free throw points (13-13), as well as fast-break points (5-5). The Paladins also held a 13-11 advantage in total assists.
The Paladins trimmed their turnovers down to 11 from 21 against ETSU Wednesday night, however, the Spartans were able to turn those miscues into 16 points. Furman forced nine UNCG turnovers but could only muster 10 points from those Spartans mistakes. The Spartans held a slight 17-11 edge in bench scoring.
Furman made one more field goal than the Spartans (23-22) while both teams attempted the exact same number of field goals (53-53), with Furman shoot a slightly better percentage for the game, as the Paladins connected at a 43.4% clip, while UNCG went 41.5% from the field for the game.
How It Happened:
Furman took a 12-11 lead into the first media timeout of the game, which was highlighted by threes from Charles Johnston and Tom House, while UNCG made its first three shots of the game, with two of those coming from Justin Neely.
Asa Thomas also returned to the Furman lineup for the first time since Jan. 10 early in the first half against VMI, when he suffered a lower body injury and did not return. His return completes the trifecta, as the Paladins now have all three of their top three scorers back in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 18, 2025.
The two teams headed to the second media timeout tied, 17-17, with Clifton Efinda giving the Spartans a brief 14-12 before Thomas scored his first points since returning from injury on a corner pocket three-pointer, making it a 15-14 lead for the Paladins. After a UNCG turnover, Ben Vander Wal’s layup extended the Paladin lead to three, at 17-14, but Neely connected on a left wing three to tie it 17-17 with a little over 11 minutes remaining in the opening half.
Out of the media timeout, the Spartans gained a bit of a foothold in the game, using a 9-2 run to take a seven-point lead following a three-pointer in transition from the top of the key from Lillian Marville to take a 26-19 lead with 8:55 left in the half and forced a Furman timeout. Furman got a bucket from Cooper Bowser to trim the lead to five, at 26-21 by the next media timeout.
Both UNCG and Furman struggled for find their rhythm over the next four minutes, however, the Spartans maintained their advantage, thanks to offensive aggression from Neely and a three from Norgaard, as the Spartans extended the advantage back out to six on a free throw by KJ Younger, which made it 32-26, and that’s how the two teams would head to the final media of the half at the 3:50 mark. The lead could have been more substantial, however, UNCG missed four-straight foul shots before Younger’s make.
Eventually, Neely’s two 1-and-1 foul shots extended the Spartans lead to eight at 34-26, but Wilkins alley-ooped Cooper Bowser for two and cut it back to six almost immediately to cut the deficit to four.
The two teams headed to the second media timeout tied, 17-17, with Clifton Efinda giving the Spartans a brief 14-12 before Thomas scored his first points since returning from injury on a corner pocket three-pointer, making it a 15-14 lead for the Paladins. After a UNCG turnover, Ben Vander Wal’s layup extended the Paladin lead to three, at 17-14, but Neely connected on a left wing three to tie it 17-17 with a little over 11 minutes remaining in the opening half.
Out of the media timeout, the Spartans gained a bit of a foothold in the game, using a 9-2 run to take a seven-point lead following a three-pointer in transition from the top of the key from Lillian Marville to take a 26-19 lead with 8:55 left in the half and forced a Furman timeout. Furman got a bucket from Cooper Bowser to trim the lead to five, at 26-21 by the next media timeout.
Both UNCG and Furman struggled for find their rhythm over the next four minutes, however, the Spartans maintained their advantage, thanks to offensive aggression from Neely and a three from Norgaard, as the Spartans extended the advantage back out to six on a free throw by KJ Younger, which made it 32-26, and that’s how the two teams would head to the final media of the half at the 3:50 mark. The lead could have been more substantial, however, UNCG missed four-straight foul shots before Younger’s make.
Eventually, Neely’s two 1-and-1 foul shots extended the Spartans lead to eight at 34-26, but Wilkins alley-ooped Cooper Bowser for two and cut it back to six almost immediately to cut the deficit to four.
Then following a head-fake and layup to lose a defender by Wilkins, Furman got within four, at 34-30, however, Neely responded with a desperation three at the shot-clock buzzer to push the lead back to seven. Cooper Bowser answered on Furman's next possession when he caught another alley-oop from Wilkins to get the ‘Dins back to within five, at 37-32.
A Lillian Marville layup pushed UNCG’s lead back to seven, at 39-32, and after Thomas missed a three in the waning seconds, Whitehead's 36-foot heave at the halftime buzzer kept the margin at seven at the half.
Both teams shot 50% in the opening half, with Justin Neely scoring 15 of UNCG’s 39 points, while both teams shot 50% from the field on 13-of-26 shooting, the Spartans connected on 70% (7-of-10) from three-point range in the opening half, while the Furman made shot 40% (4-of-10).
A Lillian Marville layup pushed UNCG’s lead back to seven, at 39-32, and after Thomas missed a three in the waning seconds, Whitehead's 36-foot heave at the halftime buzzer kept the margin at seven at the half.
Both teams shot 50% in the opening half, with Justin Neely scoring 15 of UNCG’s 39 points, while both teams shot 50% from the field on 13-of-26 shooting, the Spartans connected on 70% (7-of-10) from three-point range in the opening half, while the Furman made shot 40% (4-of-10).
The Spartans also attempted nine more free throws than the Paladins in the opening half (11-2), outscoring the Paladins (6-2) Furman the charity stripe. Furman owned a substantial 16-8 advantage in the opening half. UNCG’s lead, while impressive, felt a little like fool’s gold.
In the second half, UNCG extended its lead immediately to double digits on a three-point play the old-fashioned way by Younger. The Paladins cut it back to seven thanks to some strong play from Cooper Bowser and Tom House, who eclipsed the number of free throws shot in the entire opening 20 minutes in the first five minutes.
In the second half, UNCG extended its lead immediately to double digits on a three-point play the old-fashioned way by Younger. The Paladins cut it back to seven thanks to some strong play from Cooper Bowser and Tom House, who eclipsed the number of free throws shot in the entire opening 20 minutes in the first five minutes.
Cooper Bowser scored on a three-point play the old-fashioned way and then Tom House connected on a pair of three throws after Valentino Pinedo picked up his third foul, getting the Paladins to within 42-37, however, a Norgaard jumper from about 15 feet out extended UNCG’s lead back to seven, at 44-37.
A dunk and a layup by Cooper Bowser gave the Paladins some life and got the deficit back to five. An Alex Wilkins driving layup cut Furman’s deficit to three, but Wlkins picked up his fourth foul on the next trip down the floor, and UNCG’s lead remained three, at 46-43, as the two teams headed to their respective sidelines for the second media timeout of the game at the 11:53 mark of the second half.
Out of the timeout, A three by White Jr. and a foul by Eddrin Bronson allowed the Spartans to push their lead back to seven, at 50-43. Thanks to the four-point play. Bronson answered with a layup and Cooper Bowser had one too, as Furman cut it to three. A pair of free throws by Whitehead following a foul by Bronson and a well-guarded three-pointer by Chane Bynum pushed it back to eight, at 55-47.
A dunk and a layup by Cooper Bowser gave the Paladins some life and got the deficit back to five. An Alex Wilkins driving layup cut Furman’s deficit to three, but Wlkins picked up his fourth foul on the next trip down the floor, and UNCG’s lead remained three, at 46-43, as the two teams headed to their respective sidelines for the second media timeout of the game at the 11:53 mark of the second half.
Out of the timeout, A three by White Jr. and a foul by Eddrin Bronson allowed the Spartans to push their lead back to seven, at 50-43. Thanks to the four-point play. Bronson answered with a layup and Cooper Bowser had one too, as Furman cut it to three. A pair of free throws by Whitehead following a foul by Bronson and a well-guarded three-pointer by Chane Bynum pushed it back to eight, at 55-47.
The Paladins got it back to six on a Ben Vander Wal layup and after the timeout cut it to three, at 55-52, following a Thomas three. Layups by Norgaard and Neely pushed it back to seven with just over six minutes remaining, at 59-52.
A pair of Alex Wilkins free throws got it back to five with 5:58 remaining. The Paladins cut it three again on a pair of Johnston free throws and after Valentino Pinedo missed free throw, Furman’s Bob Richey called timeout with 4:41 remaining and the Paladins trailing 59-56 with possession of the basketball.
A pair of Alex Wilkins free throws got it back to five with 5:58 remaining. The Paladins cut it three again on a pair of Johnston free throws and after Valentino Pinedo missed free throw, Furman’s Bob Richey called timeout with 4:41 remaining and the Paladins trailing 59-56 with possession of the basketball.
Furman and UNCG exchanged turnovers before Thomas’ right wing three missed the mark in transition, giving the Spartans the ball back with a three-point lead going the other way, however, Wilkins tipped away a UNCG pass and it appeared to go off UNCG’s Neely, however, and the Paladins were awarded the ball with 3:47 left.
UNCG's bench opted to challenge the call, but the call was upheld and Furman maintained possession. On that crucial possession, Wilkins go the Paladins even closer with a driving layup to make it 59-58, with 3:35 left but UNCG converted a layup and Neely was fouled on the other end to push the lead back to two possessions, at 62-58, with 3:13 remaining.
A Wilkins fade-a-way jumper got Furman to within a bucket, at 62-60, and then Wilkins was fouled on the next trip down going to the hole by Younger to go to the line for two shots with 2:01 remaining.
A Wilkins fade-a-way jumper got Furman to within a bucket, at 62-60, and then Wilkins was fouled on the next trip down going to the hole by Younger to go to the line for two shots with 2:01 remaining.
The freshman would make 1-of-2 foul shots to get the Paladins back to within a point for the second time in the final five minutes. After Furman rebounded a Norgaard missed jumper, Bronson took it across the timeline and Furman used a timeout trailing 62-61 with 1:32 remaining.
After Furman turned it over on the ensuing possession, UNCG ran the shot clock down to 15 and burned a timeout with exactly one minute to play. Norgaard connected on a three to put the Spartans back up four, at 65-61, with 47 seconds remaining. The Paladins took their final timeout with 43.6 remaining. UNCG fouls Wilkins off the ball with 41.9 remaining for two free throw opportunities.
Neely would make both, getting the Paladins back to within two with 41.9 remaining. UNCG’s Neely missed a layup on the other end and Wilkins raced up the floor and found Cooper Bowser and he would be fouled before he could get a shot up with 8.9 remaining. He went 1-of-2 from the line to make it a 65-64, missing the second.
After Furman turned it over on the ensuing possession, UNCG ran the shot clock down to 15 and burned a timeout with exactly one minute to play. Norgaard connected on a three to put the Spartans back up four, at 65-61, with 47 seconds remaining. The Paladins took their final timeout with 43.6 remaining. UNCG fouls Wilkins off the ball with 41.9 remaining for two free throw opportunities.
Neely would make both, getting the Paladins back to within two with 41.9 remaining. UNCG’s Neely missed a layup on the other end and Wilkins raced up the floor and found Cooper Bowser and he would be fouled before he could get a shot up with 8.9 remaining. He went 1-of-2 from the line to make it a 65-64, missing the second.
Neely got the rebound and was fouled with 6.2 remaining to go to line for two free throws and he made both to increase UNCG’s lead to three and the Spartans would hold on for the 67-64 win.
The Paladins return to action on Wednesday night to take on Mercer (15-10, 7-5 SoCon) at Hawkins Arena, with tip-off for that contest set for 7 p.m. EST. UNCG will host VMI (6-19, 1-11 SoCon) at First Horizon Coliseum in a 7 p.m. EST contest.
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