Fort Myers, Fla. – PJay Smith Jr. scored a team-high 18 points and Furman erased a 10-point deficit by ending the game on a 19-6 run to edge Florida Gulf Coast, 76-73, in men's basketball action Wednesday evening at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.
 
The Paladins trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half and faced a 65-52 deficit with under 10 minutes to go before holding the Eagles to eight points down the stretch. FGCU led 67-57 when Garrett Hien cashed in a turnover with a layup with 6:11 on the clock. Charles Johnston scored at the rim on the next possession and Furman's pressure defense forced another turnover that led to a smith layup.
 
Immediately following Smith's basket, Furman got a steal by Nick Anderson and a triple from Smith to trim the margin to 67-66 with 4:55 left. An offensive rebound and a pair of Johnston free throws put Furman in front before FGCU regained the lead on Zavian McLean's driving basket with 3:45 to go. Hien scored on a short jumper next time down to restore the Furman lead at 70-69 and the Paladins followed two defensive stops with a tough layup by Smith on an assist from Hien to push the lead to 72-69 with 1:44 left.
 
FGCU cut the Furman lead back to a single point twice in the final minute, but Smith and Anderson each went 2-for-2 at the line and Jevin Muiz's last-second three-pointer came up short as Furman claimed the victory to improve to 8-1 on the season.
 
Smith went 4-for-6 behind the arc to total his 18 points while Anderson and Ben VanderWal reached double figures with 10 points apiece. Johnston and Hien each added eight points and Hien pulled down a team-high seven boards.
 
Furman shot 44.3% from the field, including 10-for-30 from three-point range, and connected on 12-of-16 trips to the foul line. FGCU shot 52.7% but allowed the Paladins to score 18 points off the Eagles' 10 turnovers. The Paladins also managed a 34-26 edge on the glass.
 
FGCU took control by ending the first half on a 13-1 run. The Paladins led 32-31 with 3:30 to play in the half before the Eagles reeled off seven straight points. VanderWal converted on 1-of-2 trips to the foul line with less than a minute to play, but FGCU's Rory Stewart answered with a three from the corner and McLean beat the halftime buzzer with a triple to send the Eagles into the locker room with a 44-33 advantage.
 
McLean led FGCU (3-6) with 19 points and Muniz finished with 16.
 
Furman is back home at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Saturday to host the Princeton Tigers at 12:00 p.m. Tickets to Saturday's game are available for purchase by clicking here. The Paladins will hold an Ugly Sweater Contest. Along with wearing your best ugly sweater, each fan is also encouraged to bring a teddy bear or blanket for the Teddy Bear Toss to help those in need this holiday season.
 
Fans can also purchase a Holiday Three-Pack for $45, which guarantees a ticket to the Princeton game, December 14 home contest versus South Carolina State, and the January 11 SoCon home opener versus Wofford.