The Paladins took down the Samford Bulldogs in one of the most highly anticipated matches of the 2024-2025 basketball season on Wednesday at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. Prior to the game, the Bulldogs boasted a 7-1 Conference record, the strongest in the Southern Conference.
Although Furman dominated the first half of the contest and never lost the lead, the second quarter would see a Samford comeback to tie the game with approximately six minutes left. For six nail-biting minutes, both teams traded baskets until Furman finally outlasted Samford.
The Dins’ offensive performance was mixed. Furman found success in the paint through lay-ups and dunks, however they made only 29.2% of their three-point shots. Furman was also not able to fully take advantage of Samford’s numerous fouls as they converted 52.4% of their 21 free throw opportunities.
Furman’s key players for this match-up featured senior guard Nick Anderson with 24 points and sophomore forward Cooper Bowser with 21 points and three blocks. Junior forwardBen VanderWal contributed nine rebounds and six assists.
The Paladins’ thrilling victory over Samford improves their conference record to 5-4 and overall record to 17-5. Furman will face off against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers (12-10, 5-4 SoCon) in an away game on Feb. 2 at 2 p.m.. The game will stream on CBSSN.