Greenville, S.C. – Fifth-year senior
Mike Bothwell poured in 25 points and fellow fifth-year
Jalen Slawson added 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead Furman to an 89-74 victory over Belmont in a battle of mid-major powers Friday evening at Timmons Arena.
The Paladins (2-0) led 52-50 with under 10:30 to play when
Carter Whitt drained a three to ignite a decisive 17-6 Furman run that upped the margin to 13 at 69-56. After Whitt's triple, Slawson converted on a pair of free throws before
Garrett Hien scored in the paint and drilled a three to put Furman ahead 64-53 with 7:18 to go. Following a free throw for both teams, Bothwell answered a Bruin basket with a bucket in the lane and Foster finished with a dunk on a Whitt assist to cap the rally.
Belmont trimmed the margin to 10 on two occasions, but Furman continued to build its lead, extending the cushion to as many as 17 points in the final minute.
Bothwell connected on 10-of-17 shots, including 10-of-13 inside the arc, while adding six rebounds and three assists. Slawson, who went 6-of-10 from the field and 5-of-6 at the foul line, notched his 11
th career double-double to power the Paladins to a 42-22 advantage on the glass. Hien finished with 13 points and Foster netted 11 to round out Furman's double figure scorers.
The Paladins shot 58.3% from the field on the strength of a 62.1% shooting performance in the second half. Furman compiled 20 assists on 35 baskets and made good on 11-of-15 trips to the foul line.
Sheppard and Cade Tyson led Belmont with 18 points apiece, and Drew Fiberg posted 17 on 4-of-8 shooting from three-point range. The Bruins (1-1), in their first season as members of the Missouri Valley Conference, connected on 45.3% of their field goal attempts but converted on just 4-of-13 trips to the foul line.
Furman returns to action on Thursday, November 17, when it faces Penn State in the opening round of the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic in Charleston, S.C. Tip-off is set for 11:30 a.m. at TD Arena and will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
Fans can purchase
single game tickets to catch Furman men's basketball in action at Timmons Arena starting at $15. Paladin fans can also renew or purchase new season tickets online by
CLICKING HERE, calling the Furman Ticket Office, or by emailing
tickets@furman.edu to begin the purchasing process and get more information.
