Greenville, S.C. – Furman connected on 12 first half three-pointers and junior Tom House scored all of his game-high 21 points in the opening 20 minutes as Furman cruised to a 104-46 victory over Columbia International in the season opener Monday night at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
 
The Paladins, who shot 63.5% from the floor and 61.9% behind the arc on the night, raced out to a 58-15 halftime lead by hitting 12-of-17 three-point attempts. Furman increased its lead to as many as 64 points in the second half and all 13 players that dressed saw playing time while helping the Paladins win their eighth consecutive season opener.
 
House, a transfer from Florida State, hit on 7-of-10 shots, including 4-of-6 from three-point range, to lead the Paladins. Redshirt-freshman Tommy Humphries added 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and senior Tyrese Hughey notched his second career double-double with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Freshman Mason Smith and redshirt-freshman Eddrin Bronson rounded out Furman's double-figure scorers with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Furman limited CIU to just 28.6% shooting from the floor, including a 2-for-21 effort from behind the arc. Will Kelly paced the Rams with 10 points.
 
The Paladins got 57 points from their bench and outscored the Rams 52-22 in the paint and 28-6 on points off turnovers. The 58-point margin of victory was the largest for a Furman team since claiming a 118-52 win over South Carolina State on December 21, 2020, at Timmons Arena.
 
Furman hits the road for the first time on Friday night when it travels to Nashville, Tenn., to face the Belmont Bruins. Friday's tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on ESPN+. The game can be heard on The Fan Upstate at 97.7 FM and 1330 AM in Greenville, 97.1 FM and 1490 AM in Spartanburg, and via the Audacy app.