Greenville, S.C. – Furman established a new school record for assists in a game, matched its school record with 21 three-point baskets as a team, and six players posted career scoring highs as the Paladins cruised to a 118-52 win over South Carolina State Monday afternoon inside Timmons Arena.
Leading 40-27 with under four minutes to go in the opening half, Furman scored the final 16 points of the period as part of a 21-0 run to open up a 61-27 lead on
Noah Gurley's layup with 17:18 to play. The Paladins (6-3) outscored the Bulldogs 62-25 over the final 20 minutes by shooting 78.6% from the field in the second half and connecting on their final 13 shots of the game. The 118 points marked the most by a Paladin team versus a Division I opponent since a 120-91 win over St. Peters on Jan. 9, 1974.
Furman's 66-point margin of victory was its second largest ever versus an NCAA Division I opponent, and the Paladins' 70% (42-60) shooting effort versus the Bulldogs represented a Timmons Arena record and the second highest field goal percentage in school history behind a 71.4% performance at James Madison on Dec. 1, 1984. In recording its 17
th consecutive win at Timmons Arena, Furman totaled a school-record 33 assists with all 13 players dishing out at least one. The Paladins 21 three-point baskets were the most versus a Division I foe in school history and matched the overall school record, which was previously set versus Virginia Intermont during the 2004-05 season and equaled against North Greenville on November 15, 2018.
Gurley finished 7-of-10 from the floor to pace the Paladins with 19 points in just 22 minutes of action. Sophomore
Colin Kenney came off of the bench to tally a career-best 16 points and redshirt-freshman
Jonny Lawrence drained 5-of-6 shots behind the arc to post a career-high 15 points.
Clay Mounce totaled 14 points, while
Mike Bothwell and
Alex Hunter rounded out Furman's six double-figure scorers with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Sophomore
Ben Beeker (9), junior
Robert Swanson (7), freshman
Joe Anderson (6) and sophomore
Rett Lister (3) also posted career-high performances for the Paladins.
Tariq Simmons scored a team-high 16 for South Carolina State, while Rashaan Edwards added 11 points. The Bulldogs (0-10) shot just 31.7% from the field, including 4-for-18 from three-point range.
Furman is idle until Wednesday, December 30, when it opens Southern Conference play with a 1 p.m. contest versus the Chattanooga Mocs in Chattanooga, Tenn. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and fans can listen to the "Voice of the Paladins",
Dan Scott, on ESPN Upstate at 97.7 FM/1330 AM in Greenville, 97.1 FM/ 950 AM in Spartanburg, and thru the Radio.com app. Links for the video live stream and ESPN Upstate broadcast will be posted at FurmanPaladins.com.
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"!
