Greenville, S.C. – Fresh off a four-game road trip, Furman men's basketball returns home to Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Saturday to host the Princeton Tigers in a matchup of mid-major powers. Saturday's game, sponsored by Greenville Heritage Federal Credit Union, is set for a noon tip-off.
The Furman Basketball Ugly Sweater Contest is set for Saturday. 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.
Tickets to Saturday's game are available for purchase by
clicking here. 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.
Furman, ranked 12
th in this week's College Insider Mid-Major Top 25, returns home at 8-1 on the season and off to its best start since beginning the 2018-19 campaign at 12-0. Last time out, the Paladins rallied from a 13-point deficit in the final 10 minutes on Wednesday night to down Florida Gulf Coast, 76-73, at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.
After trailing 44-33 at the break, Furman fashioned a 20-6 rebounding edge in the second half and connected on all 10 of its free throw attempts over the final 20 minutes to notch its fourth win away from home this season. Senior
PJay Smith Jr., who leads the Paladins averaging 17.4 points per game, led the way with 18 points while
Nick Anderson and
Ben VanderWal added 10 points apiece. VanderWal's 10 points represented a season-high and the junior also recorded a career-best three blocked shots.
Princeton improved to 7-3 with its third straight win, a 77-69 decision at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday night. Guard Xavian Lee notched a triple-double for the Tigers, who are currently ranked 14
th in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25.
In the only previous meeting between the Paladins and Tigers on December 2, 2023, in Princeton, N.J., Lee poured in a game-high 24 points and Matt Allocco drained a go-ahead three-pointer with 4.2 seconds remaining to lift Princeton to a 70-69 victory over Furman.
Garrett Hien paced the Paladins with 16 points and eight rebounds in last season's encounter at Jadwin Gym.
Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ and fans can listen to all 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.
