On Friday, Jan. 23, in a game moved up to avoid inclement weather, Furman pulled away to win 89-66 in a heated offensive battle against the University of North Carolina Greensboro, bouncing back after two losses in conference play.
Previously, the Paladins held a 13 point lead at home against Wofford and a 19 point lead at The Citadel, both with 10 minutes remaining in the second half. Furman would go on to lose both games, 74-70 and 77-75, respectively, dropping out of first place in the Southern Conference standings.
Furman has been facing significant pressure due to injuries, playing with just seven active players in the contest against UNCG. This road win marks an important turnaround in conference play as the team hopes to see many key players return to action soon.
The team’s offensive performance demonstrated significant improvements in shooting percentages. In the two games prior, the Paladins averaged 44% FG, 25% 3PT, and 81% FT against Wofford and The Citadel. Against UNCG, Furman shot far more accurately, with a 55% FG, 52% 3PT, and 92% FT performance.
This hot shooting, despite a limited roster, was driven by a standout performance from senior guard Tom House, making 7-of-10 three-point attempts with 25 points overall. Star freshman guard Alex Wilkins led the team with 27 points, continuing his remarkable season.
The Spartans brought the game within one point, 53-52, with just under 10 minutes to play in the second half. However, the Paladins didn’t allow another opposing scoring run, while also outscoring UNCG by 22 points in the time remaining. Continuing to build off this momentum could allow Furman to regain its position on top of the conference, with two critical games against the current leader, ETSU (7-1 SoCon), and a rematch against Wofford (6-2 SoCon) yet to be played.
As it stands, Furman has improved to third in the SoCon with a 5-3 conference record and is 14-7 overall. Barring prohibitive weather conditions, they will host the Samford Bulldogs (3-5 SoCon) on Thursday, Jan. 27, with tip-off set for 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network. Furman will meet the UNCG Spartans (4-4 SoCon) again at home on Feb. 8 (ESPN2).
