Game 11: Furman (7-3, 1-0 SoCon) vs. Mercer (7-2, 0-1 SoCon)
Saturday, January 2, 2021 – 2:00 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

• Ranked No. 5 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25, Furman enters Saturday's Southern Conference home opener at 7-3 overall and 1-0 in league play after a 77-73 triumph at previously unbeaten Chattanooga on Wednesday afternoon.
• Junior Mike Bothwell went 9-for-15 from the floor and drained four free throws in the final 30 seconds to score a game-high 22 points in Wednesday's win at Chattanooga (9-1) while Jalen Slawson and Noah Gurley added 16 and 13 points, respectively.
• Furman used a 33-26 rebounding advantage to post a 14-2 margin in second chance points and outscored the Mocs, 50-18, in the paint on Wednesday.
• With its victory over Chattanooga, Furman has now claimed a win in each of its last seven SoCon openers.
• The Paladins enter Saturday's game versus Mercer having claimed 17 straight home victories at Timmons Arena. A Dec. 21 triumph over S.C. State marked Furman's 20th straight non-conference win at Timmons and 33^rd win in its last 35 games overall in the facility.
• Furman has won seven straight SoCon games at Timmons since a loss to Wofford on Feb. 23, 2019 and have captured victory in 17 of their last 19 league contests in the facility.
• Junior Mike Bothwell leads the Paladins averaging 18.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He has topped 20 points in five of Furman's first 10 games.
• Fifth-year senior Clay Mounce (13.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg) grabbed two rebounds in a Dec. 15 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 (80-28), now in his fourth year, ranks 10th among active NCAA Division I coaches with a .741 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 426 games and record 269 starts in the purple and white.

 
Furman vs. Mercer Series

• Furman enters its 30^th meeting versus Mercer holding a 19-10 series advantage against the Bears.
• The Paladins have won 10 straight in the series and sport an 11-3 record versus Mercer since the Bears, ranked No. 11 in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25, joined the SoCon prior to the 2014-15 campaign.
• Last season, a  Jordan Lyons basket in the final minute and a deflected pass on the defensive end helped Furman secure a 64-62 victory over the Bears in the SoCon Opener. In the return meeting on February 5, in Greenville, Noah Gurley's 15 points paced five Paladins in double figures as Furman rolled to a 79-57 win and season sweep of the series.
• Furman has won five straight meetings versus the Bears at Timmons Arena.
• Head coach Bob Richey is 7-0 all-time versus the Bears.

 
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 of 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 vs. VMI
Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021 – 2:00 p.m.
Timmons Arena | Greenville, S.C.
TV: ESPN+
Radio: ESPN Upstate