UNCG Halts Furman's Winning Streak in Demonstrative Fashion

GREENSBORO, N.C.—UNC Greensboro claimed its fifth win in its past six games against Furman, as the Spartans got a game-high 25 points from Kenyon Giles and claimed what was an 84-67 win over the Paladins Saturday afternoon at the First Horizon Coliseum.

With the win, the Spartans improve to 9-6 overall and 2-0 in SoCon play, while the Paladins saw their six-game winning streak come to an end, falling to 13-2 overall and 1-1 in league action. It was UNCG’s third-straight win over the Paladins, as the Spartans claimed wins of 79-68 (In Greensboro) and 89-87 (In Greenville). 

The Spartans improved to 6-0 at the First Horizon Coliseum this season and moved to a 26-21 lead in the all-time series between the two SoCon rivals. The win ties the Spartans atop the league standings with both Samford (11-3, 2-0 SoCon) and Mercer (9-6, 2-0), who both won road league tilts earlier in the day.

For Furman, which has won 211 games since the start of the 2015-16 season, Saturday evening’s 17-point loss to the Spartans marked its 100th overall defeat in that span. It was UNCG’s 207th win over that same span, including its league-standard 118th SoCon win over the past nine years.

Giles powered a UNCG offense that shot the ball at a 57.4% (31-of-54) clip for the game, which included a 52.2% effort from three-point range (12-of-23), as well as outscoring the Paladins 36-27 from beyond the arc—a stat that Furman rarely if ever loses in a game. The Paladins have given up 80 or more points this season on two occasions this season, with both of those resulting in losses. The 84 points scored by UNCG were a season-high against an NCAA Division I foe. 

Individually for Giles, he showed why he is one of the SoCon’s top players and newcomers, as he finished the connecting on 10-of-13 shots from the field, including making 5-of-6 from three-point range. He also added five rebounds, dished out four assists and recorded a steal.

Giles was joined in double figures by fellow transfer portal addition Ronald Polite III, who contributed 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 shooting from long range. In addition, Polite III knocked down 5-of-7 shots from the charity stripe. All told, Giles and Polite combined to go 8-of-10 from three-point range, while the rest of the team connected on 4-for-13 from long range.

For a second-straight season, Joryam Saizonou came off the bench to provide the Spartans with 11 points, as he posted a season-high 13 points against Furman last season in UNCG’s early-January 11-point win over the Paladins at the First Horizon Coliseum.

The Paladins had just one player reach double figures in the contest, as senior guard PJay Smith Jr. notched his sixth 20-plus scoring performance of the season, as well as his 10th double-figure scoring outing in 13 games so far this season, finishing with 24 points. In the loss, Smith Jr. connected 8-of-16 shots from the field and went 4-for-11 from three-point land. He made all four of his free throws and contributed a rebound and an assist.

While for much of the night it seemed like the Spartans couldn’t miss open looks, and even made some contested ones, the Paladins struggled to find their shooting rhythm from any range, as the Paladins finished the contest connecting on just 39.3% (22-of-56) from the field for the game, while making only 25.7% (9-of-35) from three-point range. The Paladins finished the evening a solid 77.8% (14-of-18) from the charity stripe.

While UNCG had the major advantage in shooting accuracy from both two-point and three-point range, other categories in the game, somewhat surprisingly, were much closer. The Spartans held advantages in points from turnovers (16-9), points in the paint (26-22), second-chance points (14-12), fast-break points (6-3), and total assists (12-11).  Furman had a narrow edge in bench points (18-17), while both teams were deadlocked, 30-30, on the backboards.

How It Happened:

For much of the season, Furman has had answers in games when it seemingly shouldn’t have, however, on Saturday evening when it needed answers, it couldn’t find the ammo to load its guns effectively. In the first half, Furman got the shots it wanted, however, the problem was when they fired them, they were blanks.

The second half saw UNCG step up its defensive grit and effort, however, even at that, the Paladins trimmed it to eight points on two but failed on four attempts to cut into that deficit even further, however. The Paladins came away only with empty possessions with chances to cut into that UNCG lead and make things interesting. Mike Jones’ teams have a knack for holding their own in those moments, never letting the hard-charging foe faced with a deficit get completely back into the game, and in those moments, UNCG’s defensive acumen was top-notch.

In the opening few minutes, it appeared that both PJay Smith Jr and Kenyon Giles were playing with each other one-on-one, as Smith scored Furman’s first eight, while Giles would tally UNCG’s first four. From there, others would settle into the scoring for the Spartans, while Furman, which has found scoring from a lot of different places this season, couldn’t find that scoring outside of Smith all evening.

In fact, Furman, which came into the game with 11 different double-figure scorers this season, had only one in a game for the first time season, and finished a game with only one. Even in its loss at Kansas earlier this season, both Eddrin Bronson (14 pts) and Garrett Hien (12 pts) both scratched out double-figure scoring performances.  In stark contrast to its second SoCon game, the Paladins had six players finish in double figures in their 29-point road-opening win at Western Carolina.

The Paladins were leading 9-7 after a Garrett Hien made foul shot before the Spartans would commence a 10-0 run to completely take control of the game, with the scoring run beginning with a pair of Malik Henry foul shots and end with a Giles three-pointer at the 13:09 mark of the opening frame to prompt a Bob Richey timeout.

The Spartans would eventually head into the halftime locker room with a 43-32, marking the third time the Paladins had trailed by 11 this season. The Paladins trailed games to both Kansas and Florida Gulf-Coast by 11 points at the half, going 1-1 in those games. This game would trend towards the Kansas game rather than the FGCU contest.

Early in the second half, the Paladins sliced the UNCG lead to eight after Hien converted a layup in the paint, however, while the Spartans’ response was not immediate, it was a swift and decisive and just over a minute later a Giles layup in the paint extended the UNCG lead back to double digits, at 49-39, at the 15:39 mark. From there, the Spartans would fatten their lead to 19 points over roughly the next three minutes, with a Saizonou layup in the paint extending the UNCG lead to 19, at 61-42, with 12:41 remaining in the game.

The Paladins would never get closer than 12 points the rest of the way, with the Spartans extending their lead to as many as 21 points on two occasions, with the latest of those coming following a Roland Polite III three-pointer with 4:16 remaining, which gave the Blue and Gold a 78-57 lead.

Quotable: “They were more aggressive to the paint than we were and they put the ball down harder on the deck than we did and they were aggressive finishing at the rim than we were and like I said usually this game goes to the aggressor and a lot of times when you’re not aggressive you play on your heels a bit and all the sudden you get those shots and you feel like they have to go down and they don’t.”—Furman head coach Bob Richey on Saturday’s loss to UNCG

Up Next: Furman will be on the road for the third-straight game to open SoCon play, taking on The Citadel (5-8, 0-2 SoCon), with tip-off set for 7 p.m. EST at McAlister Field House.  UNCG returns to action on Thursday, Jan. 9, taking on Chattanooga (9-6, 1-1 SoCon) at McKenzie Arena in a key league tilt, which will be televised by CBS Sports Network. Tip-off for that contest is set for 5 p.m. EST.

Furman heads to UNC Greensboro Saturday for Blockbuster SoCon Clash

SoCon Two Most Successful Programs Over The Past Decade:

Over the past decade, there have been no two more successful Southern Conference basketball programs other than Furman (13-1, 1-0 SoCon) and UNC Greensboro (8-6, 1-0 SoCon) in terms of both total wins and conference wins. The Paladins, who are off to their first 13-1 start since the 1931-32 season, have won 211 games (211-99) since the start of the 2015-16 season, which is most among SoCon programs over that span. UNCG isn't far behind in the total wins category, having won 206 games (206-106) to rank in second place in total wins.

As of Friday, Furman's 13 wins are tied with Oklahoma and Florida for most in all of college basketball this season, while the Paladins five true road wins trails only UC Irvine, which currently has six.

With its 68-66 win over Wofford to open Southern Conference play on the road this past Wednesday, the Spartans notched their 117th (117-46) Southern Conference win since the start of the 2015-16 season, which is most among current league members over that span. With Furman's 90-61 win on the road at Western Carolina, the Paladins notched their 114th league win over that same span (114-46).

It could also be argued that during non-conference play, both UNCG and Furman picked up the two most impressive wins by any of the other league members, with the Spartans taking down High Point, 72-68, last month at their on-campus facility of Fleming Gym, while Furman took down Princeton, 69-63, in its home away from home at the moment--Bon Secours Wellness Arena. 

The Spartans are unbeaten at home so far this season (5-0) and have posted an impressive 113-29 record on their home floor since the start of the 2015-16 season. Furman has won 70 road games since the start of the 2016-17 season, which ranks third-most in all of NCAA Division I College Basketball. 

The Series:

Last season, UNCG claimed the extremely rare season sweep between the two, as the Spartans picked up a 79-68 win over an injury-plagued Paladin team to open SoCon play in early January of 2024, and then came to Furman's Timmons Arena a month later to claim a thrilling 89-87 win over the Paladins. 

With that season-sweep of Furman last season, the Spartans assumed a 25-21 all-time lead in the series that has been one of the best in the SoCon over the past decade. UNCG has owned the proceedings as of late, having won four of the past five meetings between the two.

The Matchup:

Saturday afternoon's matchup inside the First Horizon Coliseum will pit the SoCon's top two defensive teams, with UNCG coming into the contest leading the SoCon in both scoring defense (63.4 PPG) and field goal percentage defense (38.5%). 

As for the Paladins, they rank second in both scoring defense (63.8 PPG) and field goal percentage defense (39.4%), while ranking tops in the SoCon and second in the nation, holding opponents to just 25.2% shooting from long-range so far in the 2025-26 season.  The Spartans rank 10th nationally and second in the SoCon defending the three, holding foes to just 27.4% shooting from three-point range this season. 

By contrast, the Paladins enter the contest leading the SoCon in field goal percentage (48.1%) and ranking third in three-point field goal percentage (36.7%). The Paladins also rank second in the league in three-pointers made (153) and rank third in the SoCon in scoring offense (79.7 PPG).

As for UNCG, the Spartans enter the contest ranking ninth in team field goal percentage (43.4%), but by contrast rank second in the SoCon in three-point field goal percentage (37.1%) and fourth in the league in three-point field goals made (136). 

Scouting the Spartans:

Like Furman, UNCG has had to look to the transfer portal to replace a huge portion of its outgoing talent, with both Kobe and Keyshaun Langley having both graduated, as well as Mikeal Brown-Jones having moved on via the transfer portal to Ole Miss. 

Head coach Mike Jones is not a big fan of the transfer portal, as he would be more in favor of player development. However, though he might be against the process itself and how its affecting college basketball as a whole, he has managed to procure some pretty good talent from the portal. The additions of guys like Kenyon Giles (16.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG), who is one of seven newcomers, has helped stabilize the UNCG program and helped it sustain its standing as a viable SoCon Title contender once again this season.

Like Furman, UNCG was picked much lower than the high expectations that should go along with a program that has won more than 200 games over the past nine years, as the Spartans were picked to finish sixth by the league's head coaches at SoCon Media Day back in October.

Giles was one of the real difference-makers that Jones was able to get from the portal, and he's making a strong bid for SoCon Newcomer of the Year honors. So far this season, the 5-9 junior guard, who transferred into the UNCG program from Radford, is off to a nice start in the Blue and Gold of UNCG. He has posted 13 double-figure scoring games in 14 outings for the Spartans so far and is coming off a 12-point performance last time out in what was a 68-66 UNCG win at Wofford.

In that contest, Giles knocked down 3-of-10 shots from the field and went 1-for-4 from three-point land. Giles currently ranks seventh in the SoCon and leads the Spartans in scoring so far this season, averaging 16.0 PPG. He comes into UNCG's SoCon home opener against the Paladins shooting 45.1% (82-of-182) from the field through the early portions of the season and is also connecting at a 42.7% (41-of-96) from beyond the arc this season, which ranks him as one of the better perimeter shooters in the SoCon. 

Giles is the kind of explosive scorer that can easily go for 20-25 points on a given night, and he enters Saturday afternoon's contest having already posted five games this season in which he has totaled 20 or more points, including a pair of 25-point efforts, which came against High Point and at North Carolina A&T, which both resulted in Spartan wins. Giles has also been a key component on the defensive end of the floor for UNCG this season, having posted a team-best 22 steals. 

Backcourt mates Donovan Atwell (13.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG) and Ronald Polite III (12.9 PPG, 1.9 RPG) have helped the Spartans boast one of the more solid backcourts in the SoCon so far this season. Atwell was a preseason All-SoCon selection and was one of the SoCon's top three-point shooter's last season, connecting a blistering 41.7% (88-of-211) from long-range last season. In Greensboro against the Paladins last season, Atwell was on fire in last season's 79-68 win over the Paladins, finishing as one of four Spartans in double figures in the game, as he posted 17 points.

Atwell finished his night against the 'Dins going 6-of-12 from the field, including making 5-of-9 shots from three-point land to finish with a team-high tying 17 points. This season, Atwell is just behind the pace at which he was last season at this time, as he is shooting 38.9% from long-range (42-of-108), with his 42 triples so far this season leading the club. 

Through the first 14 games this season, Atwell has posted double-figure scoring efforts in nine games, which includes scoring 20 or more points on two occasions, with his season-high of 21 points coming in a lopsided win over Virginia University Lynchburg. Of his 60 made field goals this season, only 18 are not three-pointers. He posted nine points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field and 1-for-5 from three-point range in the Spartans' win at Wofford last time out. 

Roland Polite III rounds out the UNCG starters in the backcourt and he has started nine out of the 10 games he's seen action in this season. It was Polite that knocked down what proved to be the game-winning three-pointer in UNCG's last outing against Wofford, as his three swished through with just under 10 seconds remaining to give the Spartans a huge 68-66 road win. 

Polite III's three was part of a day which would see the see him tie for the team lead in scoring, posting 16 points. Polite hasn't connected on many threes this season, however, when he has shot them he has been especially effective, having knocked down 41.4% (12-for-29) from long range this season. From the field this season, Polite III is connecting on 47.7% (41-of-86) from the field so far in 2024-25. 

Set to start in the paint for the Spartans in Saturday's league showdown are Demetrius Davis (4.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG) and Jalen Breath (7.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG). Breath has been an efficient and consistent scorer in most games this season for UNCG, and he comes into Saturday's contest connecting on 41.0% (32-of-78) from the field through the first 14 games this season for the Spartans. 

The 6-8 redshirt junior forward has three games in which he has finished in double figures this season, all of which resulted in double-doubles. His best effort to date in scoring and on the boards came in the home win over High Point, which saw him provide the Spartans with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the win. That helped push the Spartans to their biggest win of the season, and it was probably the SoCon's top win of the season.

Davis is a former player at Chattanooga, and he showed his ability to be a streaky scorer with the Mocs, which included a 19-point effort in his first game with the Mocs against the College of Charleston back in November of 2022. Davis' performances have been spotty since, however, he does have that potential to have one of those games.

He's an outstanding athlete and has scored in double figures twice in his time with the Spartans, including the last time out against the Terriers, matching for team-high honors with a season-high 16 points. So far this season, he's shooting 40.3% (25-of-62) from the field and just 29.0% (9-of-31) from three-point land. 

The top players coming off the bench for the Spartans include forward Malik Henry (6.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG), and guard Joryam Saizonou (4.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG). Henry gives the Spartans another physical body underneath the basket, and he leads the team with 11 blocks so far this season. 

Henry, a transfer from George Mason, has seen action in all 14 games this season, including having made two starts. Henry also boasts the team's best field goal percentage this season, connecting on 60.4% (32-of-53) shooting from the field. He leads the team with 12 dunks.

Saizonou is normally a three-point specialist off the bench for the Spartans but has struggled this season having connected on just 25.0% (7-of-28) from long-range. He torched Furman off the bench for a season-high 13 points in UNCG's win in Greensboro last season. 

Noting The Paladins:

-- Shooting guard Nick Anderson (12.0 PPG, 2.4 RPG) led the Paladins in scoring for the third time this season last time out against Western Carolina, notching his second 20-point game of the season, as he connected on 7-of-11 shots from the field and 4-for-5 from three-point range. He has shot an impressive 39.6% (36-of-91) from three-point land this season. 

--Point guard PJay Smith Jr. (16.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.7 APG) has scored in double figures in nine of the 12 games he's seen action in this season and currently ranks ninth nationally in three-point field goal percentage, having connected on 47.7% (42-of-88) from downtown this season, as well as ranking 11th in three-pointers made per game (3.50). He has scored 20 or more points on five out of his 12 games so far this season for the Paladins, including scoring 29 points on two occasions. 

--Forward Ben VanderWal (6.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG) has been Furman's "glue guy" and high energy guy all season. That has translated big-time during Furman's six-game winning streak, as the Elmhurst, Ill., product has averaged 9.0 PPG and 6.2 RPG over that span, while shooting 51.4% from the field. 

--Forward Cooper Bowser (8.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG) has had several notable performances this season, with the best of those coming in a 17-point, 12-rebound performance in Furman's 61-56 win over Seattle in Las Vegas. Bowser leads the Paladins in field goal percentage this season, connecting on 64.3% (45-of-70) so far this season. Bowser's 26 blocks lead the SoCon. 

--Forward Garrett Hien (8.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG) has found his way into double figures in seven out of Furman's 14 games this season, including each of the last two. Hien posted 12 points on a 5-of-9 shooting performance from the field, which included a 1-of-3 effort from three-point range last time out against the Catamounts. In helping the Paladins to the 90-61 win, Hien notched his 90th win as a Paladin player.

 

Furman Opens SoCon Play by Making a Strong Statement at Western Carolina

CULLOWHEE, N.C.—Furman got 20 points from Nick Anderson, as six Paladins reached double figures, claiming a 90-61 win over Western Carolina in the hardwood version of the Battle of Purple Supremacy in what was the Southern Conference opener for both teams Wednesday afternoon at the Liston B. Ramsey Center.

With the win, which was Furman’s sixth in succession, the Paladins improved to 13-1 overall and 1-0 in league play. Western Carolina fell to 4-8 overall and 0-1 in league play. With the win, the Paladins have now won 13 out of their first 14 games to start a season since 1931-32. The Paladins started 15-1 that season, which also turned out to be the team’s final record for the season. 

The win was also the 211th overall as a program since the start of the 2015-16 season, which is the most total wins in the SoCon. The win also marked Furman's fifth true road win of the season and sixth win away from Greenville, while also marking the Paladins' 70th road win since the start of the 2016-17 season, which is the third most of any NCAA Division I program during that span. The 29-point margin of victory for Furman in Cullowhee was the largest road win in the series (41 meetings in Cullowhee) for a Paladin team at Western Carolina. 

Anderson his afternoon with his 20 points coming on a 7-for-11 shooting performance from the field, including a 4-for-5 effort from three-point land and was also 2-for-2 from the charity stripe. He also finished up with four rebounds, three assists and a steal.

It was also a strong outing for Cal State Monterey Bay transfer Charles Johnston, who finished his afternoon with 17 points off the bench, as the Paladins held a 29-18 advantage in bench scoring. Johnston was able to connect on 4-of-7 shots from the field and was 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range in the game. The big man from Sydney, Australia also connected on 6-of-8 shots from the charity stripe. He also led the Paladins with seven rebounds. It was a season-high for Johnston for rebounds.

Anderson and Johnston were both joined in double figures by Eddrin Bronson, Garrett Hien and Cooper Bowser, who each added 12 points while reigning SoCon Player of the Week PJay Smith Jr. added 10 points for his ninth double-figure scoring performance in 12 outings this season.  Bronson was impressive all afternoon, logging 24 minutes of court time, as he added four assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals to go with his points total.

Hien’s 12 points came on 5-for-9 shooting from the field, including going 1-for-3 from long range and was 1-of-2 from the free throw line. It was Hien’s seventh double figure scoring game in 14 games this season, and he also added three rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Bowser was efficient as usual, finishing his afternoon going 3-of-5 from the field and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. The sophomore from Woodbridge, VA., also added two rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal in what was a solid 24 minutes of court time.

Smith Jr. finished 4-of-12 from the field and was 1-for-7 from three-point range, with his lone three of the half coming as the buzzer sounded of the opening 20 minutes of basketball, as he triple banked in off the glass to give the Paladins a 43-23 lead at the break. Smith also 1-of-2 from the charity stripe, while adding three assists, two rebounds and a steal.

The Catamounts finished the contest being led by three players in double figures, with Bernard Pelote adding another strong performance against the Paladins in Cullowhee, as he posted his second double-double of the season, finishing with 17 points and 12 boards. The senior forward finished the night connecting on 7-of-19 shots from the field and 2-for-7 from three-point range. Brandon Morgan added 14 points and four assists, while Ice Emery finished with 11. 

Furman finished the afternoon connecting on 45.3% (29-of-64) from the field, including shooting 37.9% (11-of-29) three-point range and finished shooting 72.4% (21-of-29) from the charity stripe. 

Western Carolina finished the day connecting on just 33.9% (19-of-56) for the game, which included just a 24.0% (6-of-25) from three-point range and shot 81.0% (17-of-21) from the free throw line. 

Furman finished the contest owning advantages in total rebounds (42-38), total assists (17-9), bench points (29-18), fast-break points (11-2), points in the paint (34-24), and points off turnovers (13-0). Western Carolina's lone advantage came in second-chance points (8-7). 

Furman's win was its 20th in the past 23 meetings with WCU, and it snapped a two-game losing streak for the 'Dins in the Liston B. Ramsey Center. 

How It Happened:

Furman raced out of the gates with a 13-0 start to the contest and never looked back, leading by double digits for nearly the entire contest, as the closest the Catamounts would come on the scoreboard the entire afternoon was following a Marcus Kell layup with 14:38 remaining in the opening half, which got the Catamounts within nine points (13-4).

The Catamounts would then trim the Paladin lead to 10, at 25-15, when Ice Emery connected on a three with 7:43 remaining in the opening half. However, Furman would close the opening 20 minutes by going on an 18-8 run to take a 20-point, 43-23, lead into the halftime locker room after PJay Smith Jr. banked in a three at the buzzer to stake the Paladins to the big halftime advantage. 

The Paladins, which shot just 39.3% in the opening half of play, used a strong defensive effort, which forced 11 first-half turnovers from the Catamounts, and included holding WCU to just 30% shooting from the field on its home floor in the opening 20 minutes of basketball. 

In the second half, Furman would lose by as much as 30 points and the Paladins turned the ball over just four times over the 40 minutes of basketball, marking a season-low.

Furman will return to action Saturday afternoon as it will continue on the road at the SoCon's top defensive team, in UNC Greensboro (8-6, 1-0 SoCon), as the Paladins and Spartans will tip it up at 4 p.m. EST at First Horizon Coliseum. Western Carolina (4-8, 0-1 SoCon) will be back at home to host Samford (11-3, 1-0 SoCon) in a tip-off slated for 3 p.m. EST.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furman Ready To Start League Play at Western Carolina

The Hardwood Battle for Purple Supremacy

Furman (12-1) at Western Carolina (4-7)

Series: Furman and Western Carolina will be meeting for the 88th time in series history, with the Paladins holding the commanding 56-31 series edge, including having won 17 of the past 19 tilts between the two programs. Furman won two out of the three meetings between the two last season, including a 79-76 overtime win over the Catamounts in Asheville, which brought an end to the Catamounts' season and tournament title hopes in Asheville. Furman's lone two losses in the series in the past 19 games have both come in Cullowhee each of the past two seasons. The Paladins last won at the Ramsey Center back in 2021, with the Catamounts claiming each of the past two clashes between the two at the RAC, including an 85-77 contest last season. 

Stat To Know: Furman has connected on 2,452 three-pointers under eighth year head coach Bob Richey, including having connected on 142 triples this season, shooting 36.6% from long-range through the first 13 games this season. In Richey's eight seasons as the head coach, the Paladins are shooting 37% (2,452-of-6,633) from three-point range. The Paladins set a Southern Conference single-season record with 401 three-pointers in a season back in the 2021-22 campaign, and through 13 games in that season, the Paladins had connected on 10 more three-pointers (152) than this year's Paladin team. 

Did You Know: Both Furman and Western Carolina have both faced two different No. 1 teams in college basketball this season, with Furman's lone loss coming at Top-ranked Kansas (L, 86-51) on the final day of November, while the Catamounts battled No. 1 Tennessee (L, 84-36) back on Dec. 17. 

Overview and Background

When Furman takes the court for its next game, it will be the real deal, as the Paladins will commence league play in the "Battle For Purple Supremacy" as the Paladins and Catamounts will renew their rivalry on the Southern Conference hardwood.

When Furman handed Western Carolina a 79-76 overtime setback in Asheville last March, it would mark the end of one era of hoops in Cullowhee and the beginning of another, as Justin Gray coached his final game for the Purple and Gold, while Southern Conference Player of the Year Vonterius Woolbright had played his final game in a Catamount uniform. That would also be the case for most of the Catamounts, who either graduated or headed for the transfer portal, knowing their coach was getting ready to bolt for Conway and the head coaching post at Coastal Carolina.

All told, only three players would return from that Western Carolina team of a year ago, with only forward Bernard Pelote, who initially entered the transfer portal returning of those players that saw any kind of significant playing time for the Catamounts.

The other three to return off of last season's roster are sophomore forward Marcus Kell, redshirt sophomore wing Cinque Lemon, and redshirt freshman guard Kamari Jones are the lone holdovers for a team that tied an NCAA Division I school record with 22 wins last season.

While Furman's 2023-24 season was one that was forgettable in the way in transpired for the Paladins, finishing a very mediocre 17-16 season with a 10-8 record in SoCon play, that was not the case for the Catamounts last season, who were starting to become a perennial title contender in what was just Gray's third season at the helm of the program.

So when he left to take the Coastal Carolina job in a Sun Belt Conference that has consistently ranked behind the SoCon over the past four or five years no matter the metric you look at, it came as a bit of a shock for Catamount hoops fan. It was the second-straight coach to leave them jilted at the altar, with Mark Prosser spending a three-year honeymoon in Cullowhee before moving on to Winthrop to become the head coach.

Furman hasn't had much success against the Catamounts in recent times in games played in Cullowhee, having lost its last two to the Ramsey Center, however, it's been the Paladins that have effectively ended each of WCU's past two campaigns in Asheville in the most heartbreaking of fashions, as the Paladins handed the Catamounts an 83-80 loss at the Harrah's Cherokee Center in the 2023 SoCon Tournament, while the Paladins waited until overtime to give a final twist to the knife in the 2024 SoCon Tournament, posting a 79-76 overtime win in Asheville last season. 

It's tough to say which loss was more heartbreaking for Catamount fans, but last year there was a feeling that the Catamounts might be the dark horse pick to win the tournament if they could somehow find a way past Samford in the semifinals. The problem was, the Catamounts couldn't make it past Furman and that would be that.

The 2023-24 Catamounts will be forever be remembered for the season that Woolbright had--one of the best in both program and SoCon history--as he scored 635 points in a single season (sixth-most in school history) and posted three triple-doubles, while also helping the Catamounts to wins over Vanderbilt and Notre Dame in the non-conference. The 22 wins were second to only Samford's 29 wins last season. 

But that was last year, and there is a new coach and a new brand of basketball being played in Cullowhee this season, and it's an exciting style, however, it's been a steep learning curve and the Catamounts have taken on maybe the league's most challenging non-league slate. 

New Year's Day starts a new year and a new season in a sense for the 10 teams in the Southern Conference, and the Catamounts have the opportunity to "right" a lot of "wrongs" if they can pull of the upset over the Paladins in the league opener.

Previewing the 2024-25 Catamounts:

However, if Furman thought it lost a lot when it didn't return 71% of its scoring a year ago, try losing 92% of your scoring, which is essentially what the Catamounts had to replace coming into the 2024-25 season under its new head coach.

That new head coach is Tim Craft, and he's gone about installing a new system of basketball in the 'Whee, and it's a style that looks more like an actual team rather than the iso/NBA style of basketball the Catamounts featured last season under Gray. It was understandable why the Catamounts employed such a style, with a player that featured such a unique skill-set such as Woolbright did, however, in the SoCon Tournament against the Paladins, the iso-ball style ended up backfiring, as Furman head coach Bob Richey and staff devised as good of a plan to shut down that iso game and Woolbright as any foe did during the 2023-24 season.

One of the reason the Paladins were able to win in Asheville is the fact they used a combination of Marcus Foster and Alex Williams to guard Woolbright out top, preventing him from using his physical and size and powerful first step to get that first step in the lane towards the basket, which allowed him to either get started towards the basket or get fouled. 

By cutting that off before Woolbright could take that step and use his body to either draw fouls or get started towards the basket, it basically shut down a lot of what made the Catamounts so successful for much of the 2023-24 season, with everything running through Woolbright. 

That iso-style of offense also helped mask much of the problem the Catamounts had for the entire season, which was getting points in the post. The Catamounts essentially had the same problems as other teams in the SoCon last season, which is missing on their portal additions in the post. The Catamounts got by better than most because they had an elite four-guard backcourt, led by Woolbright, while Russell Jones Jr., Tre Jackson and DJ Campbell were all three-point threats and could score in a variety of different ways.

So how exactly is this Craft-led Catamounts team different than the one that won 22 games a year ago? Well, for one the Catamounts play at a much faster tempo, as according to KenPom, the Catamounts rank 23rd in all of college basketball and tops in the SoCon in adjusted offensive tempo, averaging just 15.6 seconds per offensive possession, and that's much faster than the Catamounts played under Gray.

The Catamounts come into their New Year's Day lid-lifter against the Paladins having played two less non-conference games than most teams in the SoCon, yet it's evident the Catamounts like to put up the three-ball with some propensity, as WCU enters its SoCon opener ranking eighth in the nation in overall adjusted offensive tempo.

The Catamounts are off to a 4-7 start so far in the 2024-25 season, having posted wins over Bob Jones (W, 100-61), Truett McConnell (W, 99-64), Bellarmine (W, 86-74) and Milligan (W, 78-69). With so much turnover from one year to the next, it's not hard to see why the Catamounts have struggled during the non-conference. 

Last season, the Catamounts entered Southern Conference play after having won 11 of their 13 games in the non-conference, however, the Catamounts have played a much tougher non-conference slate this season under a new head coach and a team assembled largely from the transfer portal. It has led to a rough start. According to several different metrics, Western Carolina has played the toughest slate in the Southern Conference to this point and one that currently ranks as the 30th toughest slate in all of college basketball. 

The non-conference schedule for the Catamounts has featured the following teams: Florida State (L, 57-91), No. 10 Marquette (L, 62-94), No. 1 Tennessee (L, 36-84) and Wake Forest (L, 69-82). In three of those four games, the Catamounts have been out of the game long before halftime. Against Wake Forest--a team picked to finish third in the ACC--the Catamounts played one of their best games of the non-conference slate, managing to only lose by 13.  The Catamounts also dropped contests against USC Upstate (L, 68-74) and at UNC Asheville (L, 61-78)

The Catamounts would hang tough for three quarters of the game before finally succumbing to the overall talent and depth of the Demon Deacons over the final eight minutes of regulation. In that game, the Catamounts went to half facing just a 10-point deficit, at 44-34. 

As a team, Western Carolina has been a team that has at times almost become solely reliant upon the three-point shot. The Catamounts enter Wednesday's contest having already shot 347 threes in 11 games, which averages out to 31.5 attempts-per-game. The problem is WCU has only made 103 of those three-point attempts, which averages out to a 29.7% clip from long-range this season, which ranks 323rd of 350 ranked teams in all of NCAA Division I. 

The Catamounts are good on the boards, leading the league in team rebounding average (40.5 RPG) and defensive rebounding average (28.7). The Catamounts also lead the league in turnovers, averaging 17.8 miscues per game. Western Carolina is averaging 70.0 PPG while surrendering 76.2 PPG. 

In Western Carolina's last time out before the Christmas break, the Catamounts shot the ball a little better against a non-Division I foe, connecting on 9-of-24 shots from long range, which converts to 37.5% from long range in the game. As you might expect, the Catamounts are shooting the ball at a much higher clip against non-Division I foes from the perimeter this season, connecting on 36.3% (32-of-88) from long-range against non-Division I foes this season, while the Catamounts are shooting just 26.6% (65-of-244) against NCAA Division I competition this season.

The Catamounts' 103 made three-pointers are the second-lowest total in the SoCon this season, ranking only six more makes ahead of the The Citadel's 97 made triples. The 27.6% shooting clip from long range this season ranks as the lowest shooting percentage from three-point range in the SoCon this season.

By contrast, Furman has not only shot the ball well from long-range, but they have also done a nice job of defending the three this season, as the Paladins enter their Southern Conference opener with the Catamounts second in the nation in three-point field goal percentage, having limited foes to 73 made threes and just a 25.3% (73-of-289) shooting clip from beyond the three-point line in the non-conference slate. Only top-ranked Tennessee, which has held teams to 24.9% shooting from long range this season ranks as a better team defending the three this season to this point. 

The Catamounts have several threats from long-range that the Paladins must be aware of at all times, and those are Chevalier "Ice" Emery (10.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG) and Cord Stansberry (11.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG) being the two best.

Emery is a 6-0 junior guard that has two seasons of eligibility remaining and has gotten off to a fast start in his first season with the Catamounts, and he is one of three Catamounts averaging in double figures this season, ranking third on the team in scoring production. Emery enjoyed his best outing of the season in WCU's lopsided win over Truett-McConnell, as he posted 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, which included a 5-for-11 effort from three-point range in the win. Though he came off the bench in WCU's win over Milligan last time out, Emery has logged nine starts in 11 games for the Purple and Gold this season. 

Emery made it back-to-back 20-point performances against Wake Forest, as he posted 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field and 3-for-11 shooting from three-point land. The Appleton, WI native came to WCU from Dodge City CC and before that, Merrimack in New Jersey. During the 2023-24 season, Emery shot 44.3% from three-point range, knocking down 80 three-pointers. This season, Emery has struggled from long range, however, connecting on just 24.0% (18-of-75) from three-point range, and his 18 made threes ranks second on the team. 

The team's leader in perimeter shooting this season has been Cord Stansberry, who has knocked down 22 threes this season and is shooting a little better from three-point range than Emery, connecting on 31.0% (22-of-71) from three-point range this season. Stansberry came to WCU all the way from Bermuda Dunes, CA., by way of UC Irvine where he spent one season before opting to transfer. The 6-4 redshirt sophomore has scored in double figures in seven of WCU's 11 games this season, including posting two performances of 20 or more points, which came against Bellarmine and at Wake Forest, respectively. Stansberry is coming off a 14-point effort in his last game out against Milligan.

All told, both Emery and Stansberry account for 40 of the team's 103 made three-pointers this season, which converts to almost 40% (38.8%) of the team's made three-pointers this season. 

The third scorer to keep an eye on is Bernard Pelote (10.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG), who is of course the veteran of the last two Catamount teams and is coming off a final game of the non-conference slate against Milligan that was a most memorable outing, as he posted a season-high 24 points in WCU's last game before the Christmas Break, as he the 6-8, 224-lb forward connected on 8-of-12 shots from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range in the win. He also made all four of his foul shots and just missed a double-double by adding nine rebounds. Pelote's 7.5 RPG ranks second to only Wofford's Kyler Filewich in rebounding average. 

Pelote has found his way in double figures in the scoring column in five out of the past six games. The senior forward also has one double-double this season, as he finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds in WCU's loss at Queens. Pelote is connecting on 45.4% (44-of-97) of his shots from the field so far this season, which includes a 35.7% (15-of-42) effort from three-point range this season. He has started all 11 games for the Catamounts this season.

Point guard CJ Hyland (5.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG), and big men Chase McKey (4.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG) and Vernon Collins (5.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG) have also been regulars in the starting rotation at one point or another this season for head coach Tim Craft. Hyland is a 6-1 freshman point guard that Craft really likes, and he has started to gain footing as an NCAA Division I college basketball player, having started the past five games for the Catamounts, playing 20-plus minutes in four of those games. 

Hyland's 22 assists ranks second-best on the team this season, and he is the only player on the WCU roster to have more assists than turnovers this season, having dished out 22 assists, while having turned it over only 19 times this season. Hyland and Emery essentially have split time running the point guard spot for the Catamounts this season. Hyland has one double-figure scoring performance this season, posting 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and was 2-for-3 from three-point land in the win over Bellarmine. 

McKey and Collins are both transfers and have started in the previous game before the break against Milligan, and along with the 6-8 Pelote, gives the Catamounts some size in the paint. McKey, a 6-10 junior forward, came to WCU after spending a couple of years at Princeton. 

The junior from Chocowinity, N.C., has started seven of 11 games for the Catamounts this season, with a pair of double-figure scoring outings, posting a season-high 12 points and seven rebounds in a loss at Queens in the second game of the season. Collins also posted 10 points in WCU's loss at Blue Ridge Mountain rival UNC Asheville back on Dec. 14. Collins is shooting an impressive 61% (28-of-46) from the field this season, with his best outing coming in the road loss to the Bulldogs last month, connecting on 88.3% (5-for-6) of his shots from the field. 

McKey, a 6-10 transfer from Marshall, has seen action all 11 games, with starts coming against Truett-McConnell and Milligan this season. He isn't going to give the Catamounts much in the way of scoring, however, he does provide size and and extra long body to try and shoot over at the rim if he is in the game with Collins. McKey scored in double figures in the season opener against Bob Jones, as he contributed 13 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the field. Like Collins, McKey has been efficient when looking to score underneath this season, as he is shooting 62.1% (18-for-29) from the field so far this season. 

Junior guard Brandon Morgan (5.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG) and forward Marcus Kell (7.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG) have also seen starting minutes for the Catamounts this season. Both Morgan and Kell have had their moments for the Catamounts this season, with both having contributed double-figure scoring performances. Kell actually started the first four games of the season for the Catamounts and posted his two double figure scoring performances against both Bob Jones (16 pts) and most recently against UNC Asheville (14 pts). 

Kell is shooting 47.4% (27-of-57) from the field so far this season and is a 38.5% (10-of-26) from three-point land this season. 

Morgan also started four games during the non-conference slate and has three double-figure scoring performances in non-conference play, including the last time out against Milligan. He also posted double-figure scoring efforts against Florida State (13 pts) and Bob Jones (12 pts). Morgan, a 6-4 junior guard, is in his first season with the Catamounts' basketball program, having transferred in from Caldwell Community College. 

Noting The Paladin Team Averages Entering SoCon Play

--As a team, the Paladins enter their Southern Conference opener ranking fourth in the SoCon in scoring average (78.9 PPG), second in scoring defense (63.8 PPG), first in field goal percentage (48.3%), second in field goal percentage defense (39.8%), third in three-point field goal percentage (36.6%), first in three-point field goal percentage defense (25.3%), and third in assists-per-game (18.2).  The Paladins rank second nationally in three-point field goal percentage defense, 16th in total assists-per-game, and 31st in scoring defense. 

PJay's Dynamic Start 

--The Paladins have a well-balanced attack, led by PJay Smith Jr. (17.3 PPG), who is likely the frontrunner for Southern Conference Player of the Year after non-conference play. He played in 11 of 13 games for the Paladins, missing two starts with injury. He currently ranks second in the SoCon in scoring average (17.3 PPG), fifth in field goal percentage (51.6%), first in three-pointers made (41), second in three-point field goal percentage (50.6%), fifth in assists (3.7 APG), and tied for sixth in steals (1.6 SPG).

--Smith was named SoCon Player of the Week on three different occasions and has scored 20 or more points in five of his first 11 games this season, including season highs and Furman career highs of 29 points vs. Tulane and Ogelthorpe. He has eight double-figure scoring efforts in the 11 games he has played in this season for the Paladins. 

--The Paladins have had a much deeper unit this season as opposed to previous campaigns, as evidenced by 11 different Paladins having posted double-figure scoring performances so far this season. 

Transfer Translation

--Furman added three players from the transfer portal, with Nick Anderson (Barry University), Tom House (Florida State), and Charles Johnston (Cal State Monterey Bay), with all three having led the Paladins in scoring in a game during the non-conference.  Anderson led the Paladins in scoring against Montreat (21 pts) and vs. Charleston Southern (14 pts), while Charles Johnston went 8-of-9 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range in Furman's 78-69 win over Jacksonville, finishing with 25 points. Finally, House led the Paladins in scoring in the season-opener against Columbia International, with 21 points in the 104-46 win.

Leading Acts

--Furman has had six different leading scorers this season, with PJay Smith Jr. owning the most leading scoring efforts with six, while Cooper Bowser has led the Paladins twice and the aforementioned trio of transfers all having leading scoring efforts in at least one game, with Anderson's two leading scoring efforts tying with Bowser for the second-most on the team behind PJay Smith Jr. Eddrin Bronson led the Paladins with 14 points in their lone loss at No.1 Kansas, and the redshirt freshman has scored in double figures five times in 13 games. 

PJay Powers Paladins Past Crimson in Non-Conference Finale

Furman's bench celebrates historic start to close out non-conference play (photo courtesy of Furman Athletics)

CAMBRIDGE, MA--PJay Smith Jr.'s return to the Furman lineup was not subtle, as he posted a game-high 25 points, to go with a team-leading seven rebounds, dished five assists, recorded two steals and one block, leading the Paladins to their school-record 12th non-conference win with a 77-63 win over Ivy League member Harvard Saturday afternoon at Lavietes Pavilion.

With the win, Furman improved to 12-1 overall, which matches the best start in program history in the 2018-19 season and the 12 non-conference wins are a program record. 

The 2018-19 season would see the Paladins finish out the non-conference slate with a 12-1 mark and would go on to achieve the school's first-ever Top 25 ranking, including wins over both No. 6 and defending national champion Villanova and defending Final Four qualifier Loyola Chicago during the non-league slate. The Paladins had an overtime SoCon win over Western Carolina, which saw them win 11 non-conference games and one league contest.

That team six years ago was somewhat of a breakthrough team for head coach Bob Richey and Furman basketball, as it would go on to a 25-win season, which included a 13-5 league record and a third-place finish in the league standings. The Paladins would end the season with a No. 48 NET Ranking and were invited to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), where they garnered the No. 3 seed and hosted a game against Wichita State at Timmons Arena.

Saturday's game against Harvard marked Furman's furthest trip north since taking on UConn in November of 2015, and was only the second all-time clash with the Crimson with the only other coming on Jan. 1, 1960, with the Paladins able to come away with an 87-69 win at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium on that occasion. The 14-point triumph this time around sees Furman improve to 2-0 all-time against Harvard. 

Furman won't take the floor again until 2025, which will see the Paladins begin Southern Conference on Jan. 1 at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, N.C., against the Western Carolina Catamounts. The loss sees Harvard fall to 3-8 on the young season. The Paladins finished the 2024 calendar year with a 23-10 overall record, which includes a 14-2 on one of four homecourt venues, including have going 7-0 in three home venues this season. 

The win at Harvard also marked Furman's fifth win away from Greenville this season, including their fourth true road win of the season. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, the Paladins now have 69 true road wins, which is fifth-most in NCAA Division I College Basketball over that span.

After missing the most of the previous two games with a shoulder dislocation, Smith Jr., a senior guard from LaVerne, TN., connected on 8-of-11 shots from the field and was 5-of-7 from three-point land. He also went a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe in the win. 

For Smith, it was his fifth game of the 11 he played in during non-conference play that he posted 20 or more points in a game. He has scored in double figures in eight out of 11 games for the Paladins this season. He's shooting 50.6% (41-of-81) from three-point range through the first 13 games of the 2024-25 season. 

Another attribute of having Smith back in the lineup is his defensive presence, as he usually guards the other team's top guard. That would be the case once again on Saturday afternoon, guarding the much taller Robert Hinton, as the 6-5 talented freshman guard came in averaging a team-leading 16.0 PPG, however, Smith would lock down the talented Crimson guard holding Hinton to a season and career-low four points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field in 23 minutes of action.

Joining Smith in double figures in the win was Nick Anderson, who added 16 points, three rebounds and two assists, while Garrett Hien added 10 points, including playing one of the best games he has played on the defensive end of the floor in a Furman uniform. Hien added three rebounds, two blocks, a steal and an assist in 22 minutes of work. It was Hien's sixth double-figure effort in 13 non-conference games. 

Hien now has 31 double figure scoring games in this his fifth season for the Paladins, with nine each of the previous two seasons. Hien is easily on pace to eclipse that career-best total of nine double-figure scoring performances achieved in each of the two previous two seasons. 

Harvard finished the contest with four in double figures, led by Chandler Pigge's 16 points, nine rebounds, three steals, two assists, and one block to fill out a nice stat sheet performance in 36 minutes of action. Thomas Batties II finished the game with 14 points and six boards, while Evan Nelson and Louis Lesmond finished with 11 points apiece.

Furman finished the game connecting on 51.9% (28-of-54) from the field, including 42.8% (10-of-24) from beyond the three-point arc. The Paladins also shot the ball well from the free throw line, connecting on 11-of-14 shots from the charity stripe.

The Crimson finished shooting just 37.9% (22-of-58) from the field and just 32.0% (8-of-25) from three-point range. Harvard was an impressive 91.7% (11-of-12) from the line.

Furman finished with 17 assists on 28 made baskets, holding a 17-13 advantage in total assists. The Paladins also held advantages in total rebounds (32-30), points in the paint (30-20), bench points (13-7) and second-chance points (13-6). Harvard held a slight lead in points off turnovers (16-15) and both teams tied in fast-break points (7-7).   

How It Happened:

The opening nine minutes of action was fast and frenetic, as there wasn't a media timeout until the 11:25 mark of the opening frame, and by the time the first timeout, and the Paladins held a 20-18 lead, with PJay Smith Jr., who missed the previous game with a separated shoulder, scored eight of Furman's first 20 points to help the Paladins to that early two-point lead.

Off the first two media timeouts, which were in consecutive fashion due to their not being a break in the first eight-plus minutes of basketball, the Paladins asserted some control of the game with an 8-0 to take a 26-18 following a Tom House jumper in the lane, which saw him fouled in the process, and it bounced around and dropped through with exactly eight minutes remaining in the opening 20 minutes to give the Paladins the eight-point lead following the missed charity shot. 

The Paladins maintained that eight-point advantage until the final media timeout of the opening half, as a Cooper Bowser dunk and a PJay Smith's fourth made field goal of the opening half gave the Paladins a 30-22 lead heading into the final timeout of the opening half with 3:29 remaining. A Ben VanderWal foul shot out of the time gave the Paladins their largest lead of the afternoon, at 31-22.

Harvard responded in the remaining portion of the opening half, utilizing a 10-0 run to close the half to take a 32-31 lead into the half, holding the Paladins scoreless for the final 3:29. A Thomas Batties triple with 33 seconds left in the opening 20 minutes saw the Crimson take their first lead since the early going in the contest.  

While Harvard finished the half with a 9-0 run, the Paladins would start the second with nine-straight points and by the first media timeout of the second half, had started with a 12-3 spurt following another PJay Smith Jr. three and a Ben VanderWal dunk to take a 43-34 lead into the first media timeout of the second half.

Just as it had done in the opening half, however, the Crimson responded with a big run to take the lead, using an 11-0 to take a 45-43 lead following a Batties jumper and a Chandler Pigge three with 13:21 left. The Paladins then reeled off 10-straight points to take control of the game, as Charles Johnston connected on the go-ahead three-pointer and then Nick Anderson converted a baseline jumper before getting fouled on a three the next time down the floor and converted all three foul shots to give the Paladins a 53-45 lead with under ten-and-a-half minutes remaining. 

Harvard would get within a possession on three different occasions down the stretch, with of the third of those three occasions seeing the Crimson cut the Paladin lead to 59-56 with 7:08 remaining when Robert Hinton converted a layup. 

However, Smith answered with a three-pointer and the Paladins forced turnovers on Harvard's next three of four possessions. Smith then drove to the basket and was fouled on a layup and went to the line and followed by knocking down both free throws and a baseline jumper by Anderson extended Furman's lead to double digits for the first time all afternoon, at 66-56, with 4:09 remaining. 

Furman would take as much as 16-point lead, at 77-61, when Ben VanderWal connected on a pair of free throws with 45 seconds left, as the Paladins locked down Harvard over the final four minutes, holding the home team to just two field goals over that final duration to come away with their 12th win in 13 games to start the 2024-25 season. 

Furman Shakes Off Rust and Feisty Montreat For 11th Win

Furman guard Nick Anderson posted a team-high 21 points

GREENVILLE, S.C.--Furman shook off some rust midway through the first half and would take control of the game after falling behind by as many as nine points midway through the frame, as the Paladins played in their third different home venue of the 2024-25 campaign, getting a 100-75 win over NAIA Montreat Wednesday night at Bob Jones University's Davis Field House.

With the win, Furman improved to 11-1 on the season, which is its best start since the 2018-19 campaign when the Paladins started the season with a 12-0 record before suffering a loss in its final non-conference game at LSU. 

Furman can match that start on Saturday in its final non-conference in Boston when it takes on its second Ivy League foe in the non-conference, taking on the Harvard Crimson (3-7). The win marked the fifth time in program history that the Paladins have started a season 11-1 or better, as the Paladins joined the 2018-19, 1978-79, 1929-30, and the 1931-32 Furman teams to start a season as well. Furman is in its 113th season sponsoring men's basketball as a sport. 

Furman's 100-point game marked the 18th time in the Bob Richey era in which the 'Dins have reached the century mark, with five players reaching double figures en route to garnering its 11th win in 12 games to start the 2024-25 season. 

Despite playing without leading scorer and point guard PJay Smith Jr., the Paladins finished the night with only eight turnovers, despite the Cavaliers employing full-court pressure the entire game. Smith, which suffered a dislocated shoulder in Saturday's win over South Carolina State, could return to the lineup as soon as Saturday's contest against Harvard and remains day-to-day. 

The Paladins used a 23-6 run to close out the first half and 11 second-half three-pointers to help power through to the win in its final home outing of the non-conference slate, as the Paladins improved to 7-0 on its home floor to finish out the 2024 calendar year. Including the end of the last season at Timmons Arena, the Paladins have posted a 14-2 overall mark, with the only setbacks coming last season at home against both UNC Greensboro (L, 89-87) and Mercer (L, 82-75).

Nick Anderson led Furman's scoring efforts with 21 points, as he connected on 7-of-14 shots from the field, including posting a 5-for-12 effort from three-point range in the contest, and was 2-for-2 from the charity stripe. Anderson also dished out five assists, blocked two shots, corralled two rebounds and registered one steal in 29 minutes of work to finish out another solid night at the office. 

For Anderson, it was seventh time he reached double figures, including his second-straight contest to end the game in double figures, as he also posted 11 points last time out in Furman's win over South Carolina State this past Saturday at The Well. His 21 points marked his best scoring performance in a Paladin uniform in his first 12 games as a graduate transfer from Barry University.

Tom House teamed with Anderson in the backcourt to post another strong scoring performance for the Paladins, finishing the contest with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and blocked a shot with only one turnover in 29 minutes of action. House, a 6-7 junior guard, finished the night 6-of-12 shooting from the field, which included a 5-for-12 effort from three-point range, while also going 2-for-4 from the charity stripe. 

Joining Anderson in double figures for Furman was Ben VanderWal, who added a career-high 16 points, finished off his second game in double figures in 2024-25 by connecting on 6-of-9 shots from the field, which included going 1-for-3 from long-range and 3-of-5 at the free throw line to equal his point total. The junior forward from Elmhurst, Ill, also added eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and blocked to once again stuff the stats sheet in multiple columns. 

Eddrin Bronson and Cooper Bowser rounded out the Paladins in double figures in the game, adding 15 and 10 points, respectively. Bronson joined VanderWal in establishing a new career-high scoring performance, with his 15-point effort off the bench eclipsing his previous career-high of 14 points, which he established at Kansas in Furman's only loss last month. 

Bowser's 10-point effort marked his second-straight double-figure scoring game, which included his third-straight game of going 100% from the field, as he finished the night 4-of-4 against the Cavaliers. Bowser has connected on his last 12 shots from the field, which dates back to a missed dunk with 8:21 remaining in the 76-73 win at Florida Gulf Coast. The sophomore center from Woodbridge, VA., went 7-for-7 against South Carolina State and was 1-for-1 in the win over Princeton. 

The Cavaliers were led in the game by Jarden Maze, who scored a game-high 22 points, which included 20 of those in the first 12 minutes of the game. He finished connecting on 7-of-10 shots from the field, including 4-for-7 from three-point range and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the line. He also added one assists and one steal in the loss. 

Maze was joined in double figures by guards AJ Baskerville and Jack Keller, who added 13 points apiece in the losing effort. Baskerville rounded out his impressive performance with a team-leading 11 rebounds to finish the night with a double-double. 

All told, the Paladins finished the game with its second-highest assists total of the 2024-25 season, posting 26 helpers on 35 made field goals. The Paladins shot an impressive 50% (35-of-70) for the game, including a 36.4% (16-of-44) effort from three-point range. The Paladins struggled from the charity stripe, connecting on just 60.9% (14-of-23) from the line for the game. 

The Cavaliers finished the contest by connecting on 40.3% (29-of-72) from the field, including shooting 30% (9-of-30) from three-point range. 

Furman finished the night holding advantages in total assists (26-12), total rebounds (46-37), second-chance points (20-15), bench scoring (31-13), and points from turnovers (18-11). Montreat owned advantages in fast-break points (15-14) and points in the paint (40-38).

 How It Happened:

Furman found itself trailing 16-11 at the first media timeout, as Montreat connected on four of its first six triples and took a 16-11 lead. The Cavaliers would lead by as many as nine (20-12) points in the opening eight minutes of play before the Paladins settled into the game. The Paladins responded to the eight-point deficit with a run of their own, using a 7-0 run to get within a point.

However, the Cavaliers and Jarden Maze responded with a run of his own, scoring nine of the next 11 points to help Montreat to its largest lead of the night, with a three from the top of the key midway through the first half to make it a 30-21 Montreat lead for the Cavaliers largest of the night in the opening 20 minutes of basketball. 

Maze was nothing short of amazing in the game’s opening 12 minutes, hitting seven of his first nine shots, including going 4-of-6 from three-point land to score 20 of Montreat’s 30 points to open the game. Maze, who came into the game averaging 18.1 PPG, finished the opening 20 minutes with 20 of his game-high 22 points.

Following the largest lead of the night for Montreat, the Paladins went on a quick 9-0 run to tie the game, 30-30, with the final five coming from Nick Anderson, who knocked down a three, recorded a steal and then converted a layup to prompt a Montreat timeout with just under six minutes left in the opening half.

Two minutes later, Ben VanderWal's second three of the season, and then a block by Cooper Bowser, which led to a VanderWal dunk on the other end, saw Furman assume a 35-30 lead to cap a 14-0 spurt by the ‘Dins.

Just before the final media timeout of the opening half, however, Montreat’s Elijah Carson converted a layup and was fouled by Bowser to stop the bleeding momentarily. He would miss the free throw, however, leaving the Paladins ahead by three. After VanderWal was fouled cutting to the hoop again, he would convert 1-of-2 from the line to extend Furman’s lead to four (36-32).

A missed shot by Montreat and a three by Tom House from the top of the key with two minutes left extended Furman’s lead to seven, at 39-32.  Furman found its rhythm on both ends after falling behind by as many as nine points with nine minutes left in the half, closing the half on a 23-6 run to take a 44-36 lead to the break.

The Paladins would continue that run into the second half, as it increased its lead to 21 points less than four minutes into the second half, as Anderson had his own personal flurry of eight-straight points, which included back-to-back threes and a steal and dunk on a clear breakaway to give the Paladins a 62-41 lead with 16:20 left. 

After the Cavaliers assumed a 30-21 lead with nine minutes to play in the first half, the Paladins took control of the game over the next 14:40 of game time, using a 41-11 run to assume the 21-point advantage and never were again seriously threatened the rest of the game. Furman would lead by as many as 33 points when Tommie Humphries runner in the lane gave the Paladins an 89-56 lead with 8:29 left.

With just under seven minutes left, Eddrin Bronson provided the highlight of the night, as he took a pass from Anderson on the baseline and proceeded to tomahawk home a one-handed slam for his most-exciting two points of what was a career-high 15-point evening. Bronson's feat of athleticism put an exclamation point on what was the final home game of 2024 with 6:53 left, giving Furman a 91-60 lead. 

The final points of the night would be cause for celebration, as walk-on Clyde Mauldin's corner three-pointer with 18 seconds remaining gave Furman its 18th 100-point game under eighth-year head coach Bob Richey, finishing off the 25-point win.

Furman closes out its non-conference slate Saturday in Boston with a trip to take on perennial Ivy League power Harvard (3-7), as it will be the second meeting all-time between the two programs. The only other clash between the Paladins and Crimson came during the 1959-60 season, with the Paladins picking up what was an 87-69 win in Greenville in that only other meeting. Tip-off between the Paladins and Crimson is set for 3 p.m. EST at Lavietes Pavilion. 

Postgame:

Furman guard Nick Anderson

Furman guard Tom House

Furman Head Coach Bob Richey

 

Montreat Head Basketball Coach Anthony Barringer

Furman Finds a Way Without PJay; Dunks on SC State for Win No. 10

Furman junior forward Ben VanderWal had two of the Paladins' eight dunks in Saturday's win

Furman had faced this type of situation before against UNC Asheville and Auburn in preseason scrimmages and then were without him in the season-opening win over Columbia International, however, Saturday's game was a bit different, as the Paladins saw their leader on both ends of the floor leave the game with just under five minutes to play in the opening half, and wouldn't return suffering an apparent shoulder injury. 

However, as it had already learned to play against good teams without Smith this season, the Paladins were once again without their floor leader, however, despite turning the ball over 14 times and surrendering 16 offensive rebounds to visiting South Carolina State, the Paladins simply found a way to overcome its own deficiencies and mistakes to post a 68-64 non-conference win over the Bulldogs in what was the 21st all-time meeting between the two Palmetto State programs.

The win saw the Paladins claim their fifth-straight win in the series, improving to 16-5 overall in the series and 10-1 overall to start the 2024-25 season. South Carolina State falls to 5-7. The Paladins, who have had a week off due to final exams, returned to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena and improved to 6-0 on its temporary homecourt this season. The win also marked Furman's 208th since the start of 2015-16 season, which is the most of any current Southern Conference member over that same span. 

The Paladins got a big afternoon from Cooper Bowser, who scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and didn't miss a shot the entire afternoon, connecting on a perfect 7-of-7 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line. Six of Bowser's seven field goals were dunks and the performance marked his third double-figure scoring effort of the season, scoring at least 16 points in all three. Bowser posted a career-best 17 points and 12 rebounds in Furman's 61-56 win over Seattle in Las Vegas. 

In addition to his 16 points, Bowser was absolutely huge on the defensive end of the floor, where he posted four blocks and had three steals. Bowser also played turnover free basketball in almost 21 minutes of floor time, as well as playing within himself and defending well without fouling

Bowser was joined in double figures in the contest by Eddrin Bronson and Nick Anderson, as the duo added 11  points apiece. Bronson's 11-point effort is part of a strong string of games of late, as he has recorded three double-figure scoring contests in his last five outings and it marks his fourth overall of the season. Bronson scored a career-best 14 points earlier this season in Furman's lone loss of the season at Kansas. 

Ben VanderWal was a big factor in the win once again for the 'Dins finishing with seven points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and only one turnover. He finished the game going 2-of-4 from the field and was 3-for-5 from the line. VanderWal was absolutely huge on the offensive glass, grabbing three in the game, including one at a critical point in the game with Furman trailing 58-54. 

Tom House missed the second shot on a two-shot foul, but VanderWal came up with the ball and then passed the ball back to House, who attempted a three and it was blocked by Omar Croskey, however, before that he fouled House in the act of his perimeter jumper. That would put House at the line for three free throws and he would nail all three foul shots to get the Paladins to within a point (58-57) with 3:25 remaining. From there, Furman would have the momentum for most of the remainder of the game, going on to the thrilling four-point win. 

The Bulldogs finished the game with three players in double figures, with Drayton Jones leading the way with 15 points, while Omar Croskey added 13 off the bench. Davion Everett rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures, adding a double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The veteran guard also added three steals and two assists.

After starting slow offensively, as Furman shot the ball at just a 38.9% (7-of-18) shots in the opening half of play, as the Paladins went to the half trailing 33-26, failing to score for the final 3:25 of the opening half of play. 

In the second half, the Paladins warmed up considerably, connecting on 60% (15-of-25) shots from the field, which included a 13-of-17 effort from two-point range, which included seven dunks, including six of seven accounting for the first 12 of 14 points to start the second half. The 13-of-17 shots made from two-point range in the second half account for a sizzling 76.4% shooting clip inside the arc.

Furman's performance from beyond the arc in the contest, however, was a forgettable one, as the Paladins connected on just 4-of-17 shots (23.5%) from downtown for the game.  Furman's 60% shooting effort from the field in the second half resulted in the Paladins finishing the contest connecting on an impressive 51.2% (22-of-43). Furman finished off a strong offensive performance for the afternoon by connecting on 20-of-24 free throws (83.3%), which proved especially key in the four-point win. 

Meanwhile, while the Paladins salvaged the offensive side of things in the second half, the defense was consistently good all afternoon, as Furman limited South Carolina State to just 38.3% (23-of-60) from the field, which included a 33.3% (6-of-18) shooting clip from three-point land. While the Paladins were strong from the charity stripe stripe, the Bulldogs shot just 66.7% (12-of-18) for the game. 

Furman finished the game holding advantages in total rebounds (34-30), points off turnovers (16-15), points in the paint (36-28), bench scoring (27-23), and fast-break points (10-4). South Carolina State held advantages in total assists (14-12) and second-chance points (14-11). The Paladins turned the ball over 14 times on Saturday, while the Bulldogs finished the game with nine miscues. 

South Carolina State ended the game holding a lead for 27:34 of the game, while the Paladins held the lead for just 7:53. 

How It Happened:

The game between Furman and South Carolina State was one of contrasts, in that Furman was a program that had to replace 71% of its scoring, while South Carolina State is a program that returned 72% of its scoring.

For much of the opening half, it was the team that returned 71% of its scoring and not the one that still had some left over NCAA Tournament experience from two years ago that seemingly had control of the game. The Paladins were met with a pressing style for much of the afternoon, as South Carolina State could have cared less whether or not the team was coming off of its most important week of the semester academically--final exam week--and so many times in the past it's been this game that has proven to be a major hurdle for so many Furman basketball team.

Some nine years ago, Furman lost one of its rare non-conference home games at Timmons Arena, as Gardner-Webb handed Furman a 73-53 setback during this very same weekend. The Paladins would meet with some real adversity in the opening half of play, when with 4:39 remaining in the opening half of play leading scorer and preseason all-conference guard PJay Smith collided with South Carolina State's Caleb McCarty and after a lengthy review, it was whistled as a common foul. 

Smith would go immediately to the locker room, grasping his shoulder and would later emerge with his arm in a sling. He was out for the remainder of the afternoon and no timetable has been provided on his return, as conclusive tests will be conducted in the coming days. Eddrin Bronson, Tom House and Nick Anderson would help manage the point guard responsibilities against the gritty Bulldogs for the remainder of the game. 

A minute-and-a-half prior to Smith leaving with the concerning injury, of equal concern for head coach Bob Richey's team was the fact that South Carolina State looked like Gardner-Webb did some nine years ago, taking a nine-point lead following a Davion Everett jumper in the paint to make it a 26-17 SC State lead. The Bulldogs would end up settling for a seven-point halftime lead, scoring the final six points of the half after Furman had sliced the lead down to three, taking a 33-26 lead into the half.

Furman opened the second half by getting the crowd to its feet following a three-pointer from Eddrin Bronson, which got the 'Dins back to within four, at 33-29. The next 12 points from the Paladins would come on dunks from both Cooper Bowser and Ben VanderWal, as the Paladins scored 12 of their first 18 points of the second half on dunks, which would immediately enhance the 38.9% field goal clip the Paladins garbled together in the opening half.

Bowser caught a lob from Anderson to keep the crowd enthralled in the opening seven minutes of the half, and then on South Carolina State's next possession, VanderWal perfectly anticipated a South Carolina State pass, picking it off and racing the other way for a sixth-straight dunk, cutting the Bulldogs' lead to just one, at 43-42, with 11:10 left. 

Michael Teal missed a shot on the other end, and the ball was rebounded by Furman's Davis Molnar, which was followed by a media timeout. Off the timeout, a badly thrown alley-oop on an inbounds pass was coralled by Bowser, who converted the rare layup off the glass and it resulted in the rarer lead, 44-43, with 10:21 left. 

It had been Furman's first lead since a Davis Molnar three-point play the old-fashioned way had given the Paladins a 12-8 lead at the 13:06 mark of the first half.  Eight-straight points would see the Bulldogs regain the lead at the 11:45 mark of the opening half, and it wouldn't be one they would relinquish until the 10:21 mark of the second. 

Over the next four minutes, the lead would change hands six times until South Carolina State assumed what was a 53-51 lead following a pair of Drayton Jones foul shots with 6:08 remaining. Croskey made a rainbow three from the elbow with 5:28 left to extend the Bulldogs' lead to five, at 56-51, and after an Anderson jumper cut the lead to three once again, the Bulldogs went back ahead by five when Croskey converted a contested, twisting one-handed shot off glass in the lane to put the Bulldogs back up five, at 58-53, with 4:45 left.

At that point, it seemed like it was going to that 'Dogs day, as every time Furman seemingly threatened the game, the Bulldogs had an answer. The game would change on a subtlety, however, as Tom House was fouled hard by South Carolina State's Omar Croskey in the lane with 3:29 left, eliciting a two-shot trip to the charity stripe. 

House made the first to get the Paladins to within four, however, he missed his second free throw, but the good news for him would be Ben VanderWal came to rescue, much like he had on the defensive end of the floor in Furman's recent win at Florida Gulf Coast when he chased down an Eagles player to block the ball against the backboard to ultimately provide that game-changing moment. 

This time VanderWal timed the house miss perfectly, grabbed the offensive rebound, but instead of going straight back up, kicked it to the wing where House, who by this time had made it to the right wing where he spotted up for three and VanderWal found him with an alert pass for an apparent wide-open shot, however, Croskey lunged and blocked the potential three-ball but also fouled House in the process, putting the Florida State transfer back at the stripe. He would knock down all three to get the Paladins to within 58-57 with 3:25 left. The crowd to its feet in support and Furman had turned the game in an instant much like it had a week earlier in a second half come-from-behind win over Princeton. 

After Croskey traveled on South Carolina State's next possession, the Paladins would then commit a turnover following a Bowser rebound and in haste to get the ball up the floor, Anderson turned the ball over, as South Carolina State's Michael Teal picked off the pass in Furman's backcourt. Croskey then looked to answer with a quick three from the top of the key, however, it was no good. Davion Everett came up with the Bulldogs 16th offensive rebound of the day, however, when the ball found its way back to Croskey, good defense on a double-team by Bronson and House forced Croskey to travel. 

On the ensuing possession, Furman got a rare easy basket, as Anderson raced past Croskey who fell down at the top of the key and he went in for the uncontested layup to give the Paladins the lead once again, at 59-58, with 2:18 left. 

Mitchell Taylor missed a three on South Carolina's next possession, however, after the Paladins grabbed the seemingly rare defensive rebound, House threw a bad pass and this time the Bulldogs would make Furman pay by turning the turnover into points, as Croskey converted the layup in the paint to make it a 60-59 South Carolina State lead with 1:43 left.

Anderson continued his strong play down the stretch, connecting on the Paladins most important three-pointer of the day, as the ball found its way to him on the left wing and his three hit was nothing but net, bringing the crowd to a roar in unison and giving the Paladins the 62-60 lead with 1:24 left. 

Everett answered with a layup on the other end to tie the game, 62-62, with just under a minute left before Tom House knocked down a jumper in the paint to give the Paladins a 64-62 lead with 35 seconds left. 

The Bulldogs then took a timeout to set up a play, however, Colin McKenzie's contested three-pointer was off the mark and Anderson chased down the rebound, lobbing the ball ahead to Davis Molnar, who was then immediately fouled by McKenzie with 11 seconds left. Molnar connected on both to put Furman up by four, 66-62.

Furman then allowed Drayton Jones to go in for the uncontested dunk to trim the Furman lead back to two, with four seconds left, and then the Bulldogs were forced to foul Anderson, who was a perfect 14-for-14 from the charity stripe on the season. Anderson calmly made both charity shots and the Paladins went ahead 68-64, which would ultimately go in the books as the final score on win number 10 in game number 11 to open the 2024-25 season for Furman's Men's Basketball Team. 

The Paladins will return to the floor on Wednesday, Dec. 18, facing Montreat in what will be its final game against non-Division I competition of the season. Tip-off for that game is set for 7 p.m. and will be played on campus at Bob Jones University's Davis Field House. 

South Carolina State returns to the hardwood on Wednesday night, taking on USC Upstate in Spartanburg at the Hodge Center. Tip-off for that contest is also set for 7 p.m. EST.

Post-game Press Conferences: