Greenville, S.C. – The Furman men's basketball team goes for its sixth consecutive victory on Saturday when the Paladins host ETSU in the Southern Conference home opener at Timmons Arena.
Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN3. Tickets for Saturday's clash, sponsored by Southern Recognition, are available at the Timmons Arena Box Office and online at FurmanPaladins.com. Prior to tip-off, America's Got Talent star and Easley, S.C., native Ansley Burns will sing the national anthem.
The Paladins enter the weekend at 12-3 overall and 2-0 in the SoCon after an 89-73 victory at VMI on Wednesday afternoon. Senior
Jordan Lyons, who leads the Paladins averaging 17.6 points per game, connected on 10-of-12 three-point attempts to tally 40 points against the Keydets. The Peachtree City, Ga., native finished 11-for-15 from the floor and converted on all eight of his free throw attempts en route to becoming the first Furman player since Darrell Floyd (1954-56) to notch two games of 40 or more points in a career. Lyons' 10 triples ranked second in school history behind his NCAA record-tying 15 three-point baskets in a 54-point performance versus North Greenville last season.
Sophomore
Jalen Slawson notched his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds versus the Keydets, while
Clay Mounce and
Noah Gurley added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Saturday's game marks the 60
th all-time meeting between Furman and ETSU with the Buccaneers holding a 31-28 series advantage. The Paladins and Bucs have split the regular season home-and-home series each season since ETSU rejoined the league prior to the 2014-15 campaign. Last season, ETSU claimed a 79-56 decision in Johnson City, Tenn., before the Paladins rolled to a 91-61 victory in Greenville in the last meeting on February 9, 2019, by shooting better than 67% from the field and 64% behind the arc.
The Bucs, 13-2 overall and 2-0 in league play, were the preseason pick of the coaches and media to win the SoCon title. ETSU improved to 2-0 in the SoCon with a 49-48 victory over Wofford on Wednesday afternoon at Freedom Hall in Johnson City.
The Paladins and Bucs both enter Saturday's game ranked in the top 10 in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 and in the top 75 in the latest Pomeroy Ratings (KenPom.com).
Fans can purchase tickets for Saturday's game and the January 11 Weekends at the Well doubleheader presented by Ingles and Healthy Blue by logging onto
FurmanPaladins.com or by visiting the Timmons Arena Box Office. Fans can also find out all information about the "Downtown Dins" on the
Weekends at the Well page.
Furman vs. ETSU Game Notes
