Furman Falls to Top SoCon Seed ETSU, 78-69

In a close home game against the Buccaneers, the Paladins stayed neck and neck with ETSU until their opponent’s three-point shooting pushed them ahead.

Photo courtesy of Furman Athletics

Walker Smith, Staff Writer

February 21, 2026

Furman lost its second matchup this season against ETSU at home on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and Furman now sits with a 8-7 Southern Conference record.

The first game against ETSU (12-3 SoCon) on Feb. 4 saw a dominant Paladin first-half performance. The Paladins held strong until a late ETSU comeback sent the game into overtime, with ETSU winning 75-71.

Before this rematch, Furman hoped to build on the momentum from the recent win against Virginia Military Institute, or VMI, (1-14 SoCon) 90-72 on Feb. 14. In this game, Furman outscored the Keydets 45-27 in the first half. While VMI scored a respectable 45 points in the second half, Furman scored another 45 to maintain an 18-point win margin. Furman out-rebounded VMI 42 to 30 with strong leading performances by senior forwards Ben Vander Wal and Charles Johnston. Overall, the team shot well, with redshirt sophomore guard Asa Thomas making six three-point shots, and senior guard Tom House making three.

However, this second game against ETSU told a different shooting story. The Paladins shot just 18% on 33 three-point attempts, while the Buccaneers shot 50% on 24.

With the first half of the game ending at a 34-34 tie, the game remained close until ETSU made five consecutive 3-pointers nearly halfway through the second half. This gave ETSU a 12 point lead that was mostly maintained, resulting in a final score of 78-69 Even with ETSU’s hot shooting provoking a deflated Paladin team, more is needed to secure wins in future regular and post-season games.

Although shooting was lacking in the Paladin offense, Furman’s rebound ability continues to be a highlight. Vander Wal and Johnston led the team in rebounds with 11 and 10, respectively, outrebounding the top SoCon seed for the second time. Johnston and Thomas scored 13 points, and freshman guard Alex Wilkins scored 21.

Despite this loss, the Paladins remain focused on finishing the year strong to secure a first round tournament bye. Only two games currently separate the second seed from the ninth (second to last), meaning that each remaining game is critical in the regular season conclusion.

Furman next will travel to Spartanburg, SC to take on archrival Wofford (10-5 SoCon) on Feb. 21 with tip-off set for 7 p.m. live on ESPN+. Wofford won the last matchup on Jan 17. with a late-game comeback of 74-70, leaving the Paladins hungry for more.

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About the Contributor

Walker Smith, News Editor

Walker is a junior Politics and International Affairs major. Having been Assistant News Editor and then News Editor for a combined year and a half, he loves helping keep the student body in the know about important issues. Aside from class and work on The Paladin, Walker is a chess enthusiast and President of the club at Furman, as well as a piano player taking studio classes. Movies are his go-to pastime with an emphasis on Star Wars.