Game 20: Furman (12-7, 6-4 SoCon) vs. Western Carolina (9-11, 2-9 SoCon)
Saturday, February 13, 2021 – 2:00 p.m.
Timmons Arena | Greenville, S.C.
GameDay Sponsor: Bon Secours
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, ranked No. 11 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 and a SoCon-best No. 73 in the latest NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) Rankings, begins a stretch of four out of five games at home when it entertains the Western Carolina Catamounts Saturday afternoon.
• Playing its third game in five days, Furman saw its late rally come up short in a 64-58 loss at UNCG last time out on Wednesday. Trailing 59-46 with under 6:30 left, Furman used a 10-0 to cut the lead to one possession, but UNCG's Angelo Allegri buried a key three and the Paladins connected on just one of their final 10 shots. 
• Despite having its 19-game winning streak at Timmons Arena snapped in last Saturday's loss to Wofford, Furman has won 36 of its last 39 regular season contests played in the facility following a 68-49 victory over UNCG on Monday. Furman is 71-12 at Timmons over the last six seasons, including 41-6 versus SoCon opposition.
• Redshirt-senior Clay Mounce paced the Paladins in defeat with 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds at UNCG. Furman shot just 31.6% from the field, including 9-for-34 beyond the arc.
• Head coach Bob Richey (85-32), now in his fourth year, ranks in the top 15 among active NCAA Division I coaches with a .726 winning percentage. He guided Furman to 23 victories in his first year as head coach before setting a school records with 25 wins in each of the last two seasons.
• The Paladins have boasted 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 471 games and record 310 starts in the purple and white. Furman has switched up its starting lineup in three of the last four games after starting the same group in each of the first 15 games this season.
• Junior Jalen Slawson is the only player in the Southern Conference to rank in the league's top 10 in steals and blocked shots per game.
• Senior Alex Hunter, a starter at point guard in 83 of the last 84 games for the Paladins, is averaging 10.6 points, 3.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game while leading the SoCon in assist-to-turnover ratio. He has shot a team-best 39.2% from behind the arc this season.
• Forward Noah Gurley is closing in on becoming the second Paladin this season and 47^th all-time to reach the 1,000-point plateau. The junior, who averages 13.2 points per game, enters Monday's game with 982 career points.
• Clay Mounce (15.3 ppg, 6.7 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. Mounce currently ranks 32nd in school history with 1,214 career points.

 
 Furman vs. WCU Series

• Saturday's game marks the 79^th all-time meeting between Furman and Western Carolina with the Paladins holding a commanding 49-29 series advantage.
• Furman has won 10 straight meetings in the series and 12 of the last 13 versus the Catamounts following a 75-69 triumph in Cullowhee on Jan. 30.
• In the first meeting this season, Furman shot 68% in the second half and Noah Gurley paced five Paladins in double figures with 17 points. Cory Hightower led Western Carolina with 22 points.
• Last season, Furman held off the Catamounts, 83-79 at Timmons Arena before Jordan Lyons netted 33 points and Alex Hunter added 21 in an 82-73 win over Western Carolina in the last meeting on February 8, 2020, at the Ramsey Center.
• The Paladins have won six straight versus the Catamounts at Timmons Arena.
• Furman sports a 8-0 record versus Western Carolina under head coach Bob Richey.

 
Up Next:
Furman vs. Samford
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021 – 7:00 p.m.
Timmons Arena | Greenville, S.C.
TV: ESPN+
Radio: ESPN Upstate