Furman took their 5-0 record on the road on Saturday, Nov. 23 to Buccaneer Fieldhouse in North Charleston, S.C. to take on a struggling Charleston Southern team. The Dins put on a defensive clinic, forcing 14 turnovers and holding CSU to 17% shooting from three-point range. On the offensive end, senior transfer guard Nick Anderson led the way with 14 points on six-of-nine shooting. The Dins took care of business 67-46 and were given two votes in the AP poll the following Monday.
The Paladins then flew to Las Vegas to take on Seattle U on Tuesday, Nov. 26 in the Terry’s Chocolate Vegas Showdown at T-Mobile Arena. The event included a matchup between Kansas and Duke as well, with an agreement that both the Jayhawks and Blue Devils would host Furman and Seattle U respectively later in the week.
The game against Seattle U was tightly contested for the entire first half, with both teams struggling to find their rhythm. The Dins opened the game up on an 11-2 run midway through the second half and held Seattle U at bay from there, claiming a 61-56 victory in the end.
As per their agreement, Furman traveled to Lawrence, Kan. to take on the top-ranked Jayhawks on Saturday, Nov. 30. In front of a sellout crowd in historic Allen Fieldhouse, the Dins came out showing that they were not phased by the moment. Both senior guard PJay Smith Jr. and senior forward Garrett Hein knocked down a pair of 3-pointers each in the first seven minutes of the game.
As halftime neared, Kansas found rhythm, using their size and athletic ability to exploit the Dins’ interior defense. The Jayhawks went up eleven at the half and continued to build their lead in the second half. Kansas rode a 30-9 run that covered the last couple minutes of the first half and extended into the first part of the second half.
By the midway point of the second half, it was clear that the game would go Kansas’ way. The Dins were outrebounded 42-26 on top of only shooting 30% from the field compared to Kansas’ 61%. Some bright spots for the Dins were a 14-point outing from redshirt freshman guard Eddrin Bronson as well as Hein’s 12 points and seven assists. The final score read 86-51.
Non-conference play rolls on for the Paladins as they prepare to host SC State at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 on ESPN+.
