Paladins Rally in Second Half to Defeat FGCU 76-73

Furman men’s basketball fought its way out of a 13-point deficit with nine minutes left in the game to take down Florida Gulf Coast on the road.

Photo curtesy of Furman Athletics

Jack Quinn

December 13, 2024

The Paladins flew down to Fort Myers, Fla. on Wednesday, Dec. 4 to take on the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles as part of the Southern Conference/Atlantic Sun challenge. This game was the second leg of the challenge for the Dins after a home win over Jacksonville. Head coach Bob Richey stuck with his typical starting lineup of senior guards PJay Smith Jr. and Nick Anderson, junior forward Ben VanderWal, sophomore forward Cooper Bowser, and senior forward Garrett Hein.

The Dins found themselves in an early battle, going back and forth with the Eagles in scoring. Furman was cold from three-point range, whereas FGCU moved the ball efficiently and scored in the paint. It was clear that the Eagles’ defense was focused on denying Anderson the ball and doubling Hein inside.

The score was 32-32 before FGCU ended the first half on a 12-1 run, capped off by a Zavian McLean three-pointer. In his post-first-half interview, FGCU head coach Pat Chambers praised his team for holding the Dins to just 33 points and taking away their ability to shoot the three.

Despite the poor shooting in the first half of the game, the Dins came out firing in the second half. Anderson and VanderWal connected on two early threes to cut the lead to five. However, FGCU held the Dins at bay, scoring at the other end and taking advantage of Furman turnovers.

With about seven minutes left in the game and the Dins down 11, head coach Bob Richey implemented a full-court press, which caught the Eagles off guard and fueled a Furman comeback. Just three minutes later, the Dins had the lead thanks to two free throws from junior forward Charlie Johnston.

There were two more lead changes in the final few minutes before FGCU proceeded to foul the Dins to extend the game. Furman was 12-16 from the stripe, including a perfect 6-6 in the final four minutes. This clutch shooting sealed the win as FGCU’s half-court heave at the buzzer fell short, giving Furman the 76-73 victory.

Smith Jr. led the team in scoring with 18 points on 4-6 shooting from three. VanderWal also totaled a season-high 10 points on 60% from the field.

The Paladins are next in action back at home at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

men's basketball

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About the Contributor

Jack Quinn, Print Designer

Jack is a senior Communications Studies major on the media studies track, and a minor in Visual Strategy. In addition to being the Print Designer for The Paladin Newspaper, he also writes various articles as well. He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and is a part of the Furman Club Golf team. He enjoys playing and watching college and professional sports, particularly football, basketball, and golf. Jack is from Dallas, Texas but is hoping to stay in the Greenville area post-graduation.