Game 9: Furman (5-3, 0-0 SoCon) vs. South Carolina State (0-9, 0-0 MEAC)
Monday, December 21, 2020 – 4:00 p.m.
Timmons Arena | Greenville, S.C.
TV: ESPN+
Radio: ESPN Upstate (97.7 FM/1330 AM Greenville, 97.1 FM/950 AM Spartanburg, Radio.com)
Live Stats: FurmanPaladins.com
 
FURMAN NOTABLES

• Furman goes for its 17^th consecutive home victory at Timmons Arena when it closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a Monday matinee versus South Carolina State.
• Entering Monday, Furman has won 19 straight non-conference games on campus and 32 of its last 34 games overall at Timmons Arena.
• The Paladins look to bounce back after suffering back-to-back road losses this past week to Alabama (80-83) and Winthrop (71-87).
• Last time out, Winthrop shot 66% from the field in the opening 20 minutes to build a 56-36 halftime lead and cruised past Furman, 87-71, on Saturday in a battle of top five mid-major programs at the Winthrop Coliseum.
• Junior Mike Bothwell, who netted a team-high 16 points and grabbed a career-best eight rebounds versus the Eagles, leads the Paladins averaging 18.1 points per game. The Cleveland Height, Ohio, product has also contributed 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, while notching a team-best 15 steals on the season.
• Fifth-year senior Clay Mounce (14.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg) grabbed two rebounds in last week's loss at Alabama to reach 500 for his career and become just the 10^th player in school history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 150 assists in a career.
• Head coach Bob Richey (78-29, 4^th Yr), now in his fourth year, in the top 15 among active NCAA Division I coaches with a .729 winning percentage.
• The Paladins boast one of the most experienced starting lineups in the country with two seniors and three juniors. The lineup of senior Alex Hunter, junior Mike Bothwell, fifth-year senior Clay Mounce, redshirt-junior Noah Gurley and junior Jalen Slawson have combined to appear in 416 games and record 259 starts in the purple and white.

 
Furman vs. South Carolina State Series

• Saturday's contest marks the 18^th all-time meeting between Furman and South Carolina State with the Paladins holding a 12-5 series advantage
• In the last meeting between the schools on December 9, 2017, at Timmons Arena, Devin Sibley scored 24 points and John Davis III added 21 as Furman downed the Bulldogs, 101-72.
• Alex Hunter and Clay Mounce were the only current Paladins to face the Bulldogs during the 2017-18 meeting. Hunter netted six points, while Mounce added five.
• S.C. State's last win over the Paladins, a 69-67 decision, came on Dec. 16, 2016, at Timmons Arena.
• Furman is 13-5 all-time versus MEAC members with its lone contest versus a MEAC opponent other than the Bulldogs being a victory over Howard in Moraga, Calif., during the 2007-08 campaign.

 
Paladins Add Four Televised Games During SoCon Schedule
Furman will make three appearances on ESPNU and will face off versus Wofford on Feb. 6 in the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week on Nexstar affiliates throughout the southeast, it was announced in December. The Paladins will host ETSU on ESPNU on Jan. 16 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Greenville before entertaining co-SoCon favorite UNCG on ESPNU Jan. 25 at Timmons Arena. The Paladins and Spartans will battle on ESPNU at the Greensboro Coliseum on Feb. 10 in Furman's third appearance on the year on the ESPN family of networks.
 
Furman's "Weekends at the Well" Series Returns In 2021
Furman basketball returns to downtown Greenville once again during the 2020-21 season with four "Weekends at the Well"! The Paladins host SoCon rival ETSU at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on January 16 before entertaining the Chattanooga Mocs at the Well on January 30. On February 6, Wofford and Furman will stage a rematch of last season's thrilling showdown at the Well. The final trip to BSW in 2021 takes place on February 13 versus Western Carolina. Get your tickets now for all four "Weekends at the Well"!
 
 
Up Next:
Furman at Chattanooga
Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020 – 1:00 p.m.
McKenzie Arena | Chattanooga, Tenn.
TV: ESPN+