The University of North Carolina Greensboro Spartans pulled off a dominant defensive victory against the Furman Paladins on Feb. 15, pulling Furman to rank sixth in the Southern Conference. Furman struggled offensively throughout the game, only making 26.8% of their field goals and 26.7%from three. The Paladins committed 12 turnovers compared to the Spartans’ eight, and they shot 70.6% of free throws to UNCG’s 83.3%.
Junior guard PJay Smith Jr. once again led the team with 17 points, followed by graduate guard Nick Anderson with 16 points. Junior guard Tom House was the most critical supporting player of the game, contributing 10 points and six rebounds. Furman’s successful offensive drives were conducted by just a few players — only House, Anderson, Smith, and senior forward Tyrese Hughey scored field goals.
With four games left in the regular Southern Conference season, the window for the Paladins to take a top seed in the Southern Conference tournament is rapidly closing. If the Paladins can score within the top six ranks of the conference, they’ll receive a crucial bye and skip the first round of the tournament.
The loss to UNCG brings Furman’s overall record to 19-8 for the season. The Paladins will face off against the Samford Bulldogs on the road on Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.