Greenville, S.C. – Senior Amu Saaka notched a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead three Paladins in double figures as Furman pulled away from North Greenville to claim a 72-54 season opening victory over the Crusaders before a crowd of 2,289 on Friday night at Timmons Arena.

Furman (1-0) held just a 29-25 edge at intermission, but shot 46.7% (14-30) from the field in the second half, including connecting on seven of its 12 three-pointers on the night after the break, to outscore NGU 43-29 over the final 20 minutes..  Saaka was 6-of-13 from the floor and made four of his six free throw attempts for a game-high 18 points.  The Decatur, Ga., native added 10 boards, two blocked shots and three steals.  

Darryl Evans added 17 points, four boards and three assists while fellow senior Noah States chipped in with 15 points, six rebounds and a game-high seven assists.  Sophomore Colin Reddick pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds for Furman.

North Greenville's Drew Ridlen connected on a three-pointer with 5:36 left to trim Furman's lead to 57-50, but Saaka scored nine points to key a 12-0 run as Furman opened up a 69-50 lead on the senior's tip-in with 3:23 remaining and cruised to the 18-point win.  Saaka started the spurt with a three-pointer from the wing and converted on four consecutive trips to the charity stripe following a three-point play by junior Chris Toler.  After Justin Dehm missed on a trey, Saaka tipped the rebound in over the front iron at 3:23 to up the margin to a game-high 19 points.

Furman led from wire-to-wire, but the Crusaders, who were led by Zack Shields team-high 14 points, kept the margin in single digits until Saaka capped a 7-0 Furman run with a layup with 16:37 left to turn a 32-29 lead into a 39-29 Paladin advantage.  North Greenville's hot shooting beyond the arc, connecting on 7-of-14 treys, kept them in the game until the decisive 12-0 Furman run in the final five minutes.

The Paladins finished 26-of-61 (42.6%) from the field, including 12-of-30 (40.0%) beyond the arc.  Furman made 8-of-12 free throws, all in the second half, and managed a 43-29 margin on the boards.  States swatted three shots as Furman totaled 10 rejections on the night while committing just 11 turnovers.

Paul Harrison finished with nine points and eight rebounds for the Crusaders while Luke Lattimer netted nine points on 3-of-7 shooting.

The Paladins continue their homestand hosting Big South Conference member UNC Asheville on Tuesday, November 16, at 7 p.m.  The game has been designated as a "Blackout" with all fans encouraged to wear black to Timmons Arena.