Postgame Press Conference: Coach/Players

Greenville, S.C. – Furman limited ETSU to 5-of-23 shooting behind the arc and posted a 41-28 edge on the glass against the Southern Conference's top rebounding team to down the league's preseason favorites, 65-56, Saturday afternoon at Timmons Arena.
 
The victory improved Furman to 13-3 overall and 3-0 in the league as the Paladins captured their sixth consecutive win. The Buccaneers, who saw their five-game winning streak snapped, dropped to 13-3 overall and 2-1 in SoCon play.
 
Senior Jordan Lyons scored 14 points to pace five Paladins in double figures and keyed a pair of crucial runs that helped Furman claim victory in its SoCon home opener. In the first half, Lyons netted eight points in a 13-0 run that erased a 20-14 deficit and gave the Paladins a 27-20 advantage on Jalen Slawson's triple with 3:46 left in the half. After Furman carried a 35-28 lead into halftime, ETSU opened the second half on a 6-0 run to trim the margin to one.
 
The Paladins held a 41-38 lead with under 13:30 remaining when Tre Clark's dunk ignited a 14-2 run while Furman held ETSU to just one basket over a stretch of over six minutes to build a 55-40 advantage. The Bucs trimmed the lead back to eight points, but Lyons drained back-to-back threes to put the game out of reach.
 
Lyons hit 4-of-8 triples while adding six rebounds and two steals to go with his game-high 14 points. Noah Gurley, Clay Mounce and Clark each added 10 points as Furman shot 46.2% from the field and converted on 10-of-12 trips to the foul line. Gurley added a career-high 12 rebounds to post his second double-double of the season and Alex Hunter recorded a season-best seven assists.
 
Bo Hodges led ETSU with 12 points, but was the only Buc to reach double figures. ETSU shot 40% from the field, however, the Bucs connected on just 21.7% of their three-point attempts and 3-of-9 trips to the foul line.
 
Furman visits Chattanooga on Wednesday night before hosting UNCG as part of a men's and women's Weekends at the Well doubleheader presented by Ingles and Healthy Blue at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Saturday January 11. The women's team will take on Samford at 4:30 p.m. before the men entertain the Spartans at 7 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets for Saturday's game 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.