The Dins competed in one of this season’s biggest non-conference away basketball games on Nov. 29 against the Appalachian State Mountaineers who were attempting to avenge their 73-65 loss against Furman from the 2021-2022 season. The ending win of 65-61 resulted in Furman gaining five wins for the season so far, making their record 5-2. 

The game had a slow start, with both teams warming up and missing most of their three-pointer shots. Most commentators agreed that Furman was carrying the vast majority of the momentum as Furman tended to perform much better in the second half as shown in every game Furman has played so far (North Greenville, Belmont, Penn State, and Old Dominion). This is due to Furman generally scoring far more points and having a better accuracy rating on three-pointers in the second half in comparison to the first. 

The App State Mountaineers, on the other hand, managed to wrench momentum away from the Paladins in the second half, even leading the scoreboard with roughly nine minutes to go in the second half at 56-57. The Mountaineers concluded the second half having outscored Furman 33-42, but despite their best efforts, Furman still maintained its lead and triumphed with a final score of 65-61. It remains to be seen whether the Furman Paladins can display better defense to continue their reputation as a strong second half team in the next three home games (SC State on Dec. 3, High Point on Dec. 6, and Winthrop on Dec. 10). The following weeks will be an extremely active schedule for the Paladins to follow; this coincides with finals season for Furman students and may be a welcome distraction from the avalanche of projects and exams.