Furman Men's Basketball Vs. Mars Hill Highlights

Post Game Interview With Coach Niko Medved

Greenville, S.C. – Guard Devonte Williams led five Lions in double figures with 20 points and added 10 assists to propel NCAA Division II Mars Hill to a 97-93 upset victory over Furman in non-conference men's basketball action Tuesday evening on YP Court at Timmons Arena.

The loss snapped Furman's 36-game winning streak against non-NCAA Division I foes and marked its first setback against a non-division I team since a 70-69 loss to Newberry at the Lay Physical Activities Center on November 15, 1997.

Furman led 59-54 with 14:22 remaining when the Lions embarked on a 13-3 run to take control.  Williams drained a pair of free throws on either side of a Carter Wright layup to give Mars Hill the lead and Thomas Anderson answered a Larry Wideman trey with back-to-back baskets.  Will White came off of the bench to knock down a three-pointer with 10:22 left to cap the run and give the Lions a 67-62 lead that they would not relinquish.

Furman (4-5) cut the margin down to three points and trailed by just four at 70-66 on Dominic Early's free throw with 7:35 to play, but the Lions let the Paladins no closer than four points the rest of the way as they connected on 13 of their next 15 free throw attempts to extend the lead to 87-77 with 2:13 to go.  The Paladins cut the lead to two possessions on several occasions in the final minutes, but a 14-for-28 effort at the foul line by Furman in the second half helped Mars Hill (2-6) hold on for the victory.

Williams made 12-of-18 free throw attempts to pace the Lions, who hit 32-of-49 shots from the charity stripe.  Wright and Jalen Witherspoon buried four treys apiece to score 18 and 17 points, respectively, while Anderson and Kevin Haynes added 14 points apiece.

Mars Hill shot 52.9% from the field, including 11-of-22 from three-point range.

Wideman drained five triples to pace the Paladins with 20 points, and Stephen Croone reached double figures for the ninth straight game this season by scoring 16.  William Gates Jr. tallied 14 points, Kris Acox contributed 13 points and eight rebounds, and Charlie Reddick chipped in with 11 points to round out Furman's double-digit scorers.

The Paladins shot 47.8% from the field and connected on 8-of-25 three-point attempts, but the SoCon's leading free throw shooting club converted just 19-of-35 trips to the foul line.  Furman managed a 40-38 edge on the glass, outscored the Lions 42-26 in the paint and totaled 17 second chance points on 17 offensive rebounds.

The teams traded the lead four times in the opening half before Furman carried a 45-44 lead into the locker room.  Mars Hill tied the game at 49-49 prior to a 10-5 run that gave the Paladins their largest lead of the game.

Mars Hill's 97 points was the most ever scored by a Paladin opponent at Timmons Arena and most scored against Furman since Cal State Fullerton downed the Paladins 103-72 on December 28, 2007.  Furman's 93 points were its most since a 99-69 win over Sewanee at Timmons Arena on December 15, 2005.

The Paladins return to action on Saturday at 7 p.m. when they travel to Littlejohn Coliseum to face the Clemson Tigers.

Saturday's game can be heard live on WGOG FM 96.3, Fox Sports 1440 AM and through StretchAudio at www.FurmanPaladins.com.  Fans can access live in-game updates on Twitter by following @FurmanHoops.