Greenville, S.C. – Six Paladins reached double figures as Furman men's basketball cruised to a 91-55 season-opening victory over NCAA Division II North Greenville Monday evening at Timmons Arena.
 
Preseason All-Southern Conference selections Jalen Slawson and Mike Bothwell paced the Paladins with 17 and 16 points, respectively, while sophomore Tyrese Hughey added a career-high 15 points.
 
The Paladins (1-0) used a 16-0 run midway through the first half, including seven points from Bothwell, to turn a 14-12 lead into a 30-12 advantage on Slawson's breakaway slam with 3:48 to play in the half. After leading 37-19 at intermission, Furman shot 60% from the field and converted on 9-of-12 trips to the foul line over the final 20 minutes to close out the victory.
 
Redshirt-junior Marcus Foster and freshman Ben VanderWal tallied 11 points apiece, while sophomore Carter Whitt totaled 10 points in his Paladin debut to round out Furman's double-figure scorers. Furman shot 46.9% from the floor for the game and connected on 14-of-18 attempts at the charity stripe. Junior Garrett Hien grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds to help Furman to a 42-39 edge on the glass, and fellow junior Joe Anderson dished out a career-high six assists.
 
Furman limited North Greenville to just 23.7% shooting, including a 4-for-16 effort behind the arc. C.J. Jamison led the Crusaders with 18 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Paladins are back at home on Friday night when they host mid-major power Belmont at Timmons Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
Fans can purchase single game tickets to catch Furman men's basketball in action at Timmons Arena starting at $15. Paladin fans can 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.