The in-conference clash began with a slow first quarter, both teams dominating defensively. Samford took the lead towards the end of the quarter and never trailed again, though the Dins kept it close until the final buzzer.

After an 8-0 scoring run by Samford in the first quarter, Furman’s sophomore guard Jaelyn Acker hit a three-pointer with 41 seconds left to trim Samford’s lead to three points. Following a Samford layup, the Dins trailed by five after the first.

Junior guard Tate Walters encountered foul trouble early in the second quarter as the Bulldogs intensified their full-court press. Down by seven early in the second quarter, senior forward Sydney James’ three-pointer helped Furman cut the lead down to one. Samford answered right back with a three from Sadie Stetson. James ended the first half with another three-pointer at the buzzer, as the Paladins entered the half trailing 29-24.

Furman showed renewed energy at the beginning of the second half. Sophomore Niveya Henley hit a jump shot in the paint, then junior center Kate Johnson made a layup to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to one before another Samford rally pushed the lead back up to double-digits.
Down 55-41 with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Furman mounted a comeback. Sophomore guard Sydney Ryan fouled on a three-pointer and made all three free throws, helping the Paladins reach 62-58. After Walters fouled out, Samford made four more free throws to secure a 66-60 victory.
Henley led the team with 13 points, while Ryan scored 11. Junior forward Jada Session posted nine points and team-high 10 rebounds. Johnson finished with eight points and eight boards.

Furman was 14-of-19 from the line and made just 35.1% of their shots. Unfortunately, early turnovers, from which Samford capitalized for 19 points, were challenging to overcome.
Following the loss, the Paladins drop to 11-9 (1-3 SoCon) and Samford moves to 11-9 (3-2 SoCon).

The Paladins next face Chattanooga (18-3, 6-0 SoCon) in Chattanooga at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3.