The Paladins kicked off the 2022-2023 college basketball season with their traditional first game of the season against the North Greenville Crusaders on Nov. 7. This opening game started a much-anticipated season after the Paladins narrowly missed a spot in the NCAA March Madness due to a decisive 63-64 loss against the Chattanooga Mocs last year. The lucky half-court three-pointer thrown by Chattanooga at the last second of the game was heartbreaking. However, Furman used last year’s heartbreak as fuel: the Paladins had the chance to debut their team in action for the first time for the season, and the ending results of the game did not disappoint.
The first half of the game ended with Furman leading 37-19. The Paladins demonstrated a bit of rusty offense from the fresh start of the season, as seen with several missed three-pointers, after which the Dins mostly resorted to lay-ups and dunks. At both ends of the court, the Dins also showed excellent defense and recovered many rebounds. Halfway through the first half, Jalen Slawson (forward) received an injury to his finger and did not re-appear on the court.
By the second half of the game, it was obvious to all viewing that the Paladins had finished their warm-up, with the Paladin defense keeping strong throughout the second half and the offense roaring to life. This solid second-half performance brought Furman a widening lead of 54 points scored in the second half, concluding the game at 91-55 with a victory for the Paladins.
Two new additions to the team, Carter Whitt (guard), a transfer sophomore from Wake Forest University, and first-year Ben Vanderwal (forward) made their first appearance. They demonstrated enormous potential as well as excellent coordination with other returning players, such as Joe Anderson (guard), Mike Bothwell (guard), and Garrett Hien (forward). Overall, the Furman Paladins showed vast promise, and their hard work has earned them the impressive number six ranking from The College Insider Mid-Major Poll. Go Paladins!
