Greenville, S.C. – Furman goes in search of its sixth straight win on Wednesday when it faces Western Carolina in the Southern Conference opener at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, N.C.
 
Tip-off for the New Year's Day matinee is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Fans can also listen to Dan Scott and Tom Van Hoy call the action 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. Links for the broadcast, live audio, and live statistics are available at FurmanPaladins.com.
 
Furman enters conference play at 12-1 and ranked No. 7 in this week's College Insider Mid-Major Top 25. The Paladins closed out their non-conference schedule on December 21 with a 77-63 road victory at Harvard behind 25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists from point guard PJay Smith Jr. The win help Furman reach its highest non-conference win total since before joining the SoCon prior to the 1936-37 season. 
 
Smith and fellow guard Nick Anderson have led Furman in scoring by averaging 17.3 and 11.4 points per game, respectively, while the Paladins rank second in the nation in three-point defense (25.3%) and 31^st in scoring defense (63.8 ppg). Junior Ben VanderWal has helped key Furman's recent five-game winning streak averaging 9.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while connecting on over 57% of his field goal attempts during the streak.
 
Wednesday's league opener marks the 88^th meeting between the Paladins and Catamounts with Furman boasting a 56-31 edge in a series that dates back to the 1976-77 season. Furman has won 19 of the last 22 meetings, but the Catamounts have claimed the last two meetings in Cullowhee, including an 85-77 decision last year. After the Paladins and Catamounts each claimed a win on their respective home court during the 2023-24 season, Furman topped Western Carolina, 79-76, in overtime in the quarterfinal round of the SoCon Men's Basketball Championship in Asheville, N.C.
 
Western Carolina begins conference play at 4-7 on the year following a 78-69 win last time out on December 19 versus Milligan. The Catamounts, in their first season under the leadership of head coach Tim Craft, are led in scoring by guard Cord Stansberry's 11.2 points per game.
 
Following the SoCon opener on Wednesday, Furman continues its four-game road trip with a 4 p.m. tip-off at UNC Greensboro on Saturday, January 4.