Asheville, N.C. – Jalen Slawson and Mike Bothwell scored 17 points apiece to lead the second-seeded Furman men's basketball team to its first Ingles SoCon Men's Basketball Championship game appearance since 2015 on Sunday evening with a 71-68 victory over No. 3 seed Samford at Harrah's Cherokee Center.

The Paladins are making their 11^th championship game appearance in program history and seeking the school's seventh SoCon title and first since 1980. Furman (22-11) will face top-seeded Chattanooga, who defeated No. 4 Wofford in the first semifinal game, Monday evening at 7 p.m. on ESPN and Westwood One Radio.

Slawson was 4-of-8 from the field and 7-of-9 at the free throw line to finish with 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Bothwell connected on 6-of-12 field goals and tallied three assists and three steals. Conley Garrison registered 10 points and fell one shy of tying his career high with five steals.

Ques Glover led Samford (21-11) with 23 points and four assists on 7-of-14 shooting and 7-for-10 at the free throw line. Jermaine Marshall contributed a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds. Jaden Campbell made all four of his field goal attempts and finished with 14 points.

The game's final 11:30 featured seven lead changes and neither team led by more than four points. The Bulldogs held a 50-43 lead with 11:51 remaining before the Paladins came back with eight consecutive points and led 51-50 nearly two minutes later on Slawson's layup. The teams traded baskets over the next eight minutes until Slawson made two free throws and a layup to give Furman a 66-64 lead with 1:24 to go.

Glover made 1-of-2 free throws with 30 seconds left as the Bulldogs trailed 66-65. The team's combined for nine free throws to close out the contest with Slawson making four straight. Campbell made his first free throw attempt with two seconds left and missed the second, but the Bulldogs got the offensive rebound. Samford turned the ball over on its next possession and Alex Hunter sealed the win with one free throw and a steal.

Overall, the game featured a total of eight lead changes with the score being tied three times.

The Paladins concluded the game shooting 42.9 percent (24-of-56) from the field. Furman led in points off turnovers (20-11), points in the paint (30-24), second chance points (9-5), fast break points (6-1) and bench points (10-2).