GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Coming off a 58-53 win over Western Carolina on Saturday, Furman wraps up its three-game home stand on Thursday when it plays host to Wofford.
The 7:00 p.m. clash, sponsored by Bon Secours and streamed via ESPN+, will mark Furman's annual "Play4Kay" contest in support of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
Fans are encouraged to wear pink. Â The first 150 fans through the gate will receive a 'Dins Win vs. Breast Cancer' shirt. Â In addition, Zeta Tau Alpha sorority will be handing out pink ribbons at arena entrances.
Fans are also invited to take part in the "Play4Kay Free Throw Challenge" by pledging support for every free throw the Paladins make in the month of February. Â Click here to join the Challenge!
All proceeds will go to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, whose mission is to extend and improve the lives of those who are battling cancer, on our way to finding a cure, by raising money for research and providing life-saving access to healthcare for under-served women.
Furman (13-12, 3-6 SoCon) will look to build on momentum gained with Saturday's triumph over Western Carolina that saw the Paladins ride a late surge to victory. Â
Jada Session's three-point play with 51 seconds remaining gave first year head coach
Pierre Curtis' squad its first lead of the game and highlighted the Paladins' closing 9-0 run for the win — their 14th consecutive over the Catamounts. Â
Sydney Ryan, whose 3-pointer in the waning seconds of the third quarter tied the contest at 45-45, led Furman in scoring with 15 points, followed by Session with 14 and
Niveya Henley with 12.
For the second consecutive game Furman was forced to compete without
Kate Johnson (11.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg), and it will likely be at least another week before the junior forward can return to the court.
Although limited to only seven minutes of action due to foul trouble in her first game back following a four-game absence with injury, redshirt junior guard
Tate Walters delivered the assist on Session's go-ahead basket.
Furman's reconfigured lineup in the face of Johnson's absence has upped the production ante for Session (12.3 ppg), a junior and the team's leading scorer, Â Ryan (11.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg), a sophomore, and Henley (11.2 ppg), a redshirt sophomore who tallied a career high 24 points in a 59-56 loss to UNC Greensboro last Thursday.
Wofford (15-8, 7-2 SoCon) comes to Greenville with a solid hold on second place in the SoCon behind front runner Chattanooga. The Terriers, winners of their last three contests, claimed their third straight verdict over Furman with a 69-51 triumph in Spartanburg on Jan. 11 behind a triple double performance (19 pts, 16 rebs., 11 ast.) by standout guard Rachel Rose, a multiple recipient of the SoCon's player of the week award and league season leader in all three categories (22.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 134 ast.).
Furman will look for a better result in Thursday's rematch after suffering through 30.6 percent shooting from the field (19x62), including 2-for-26 from 3-point range, in the season's first meeting at Wofford.
Greenville and Timmons Arena for years proved to be Wofford's little shop of horrors, as the Terriers lost the first 27 clashes with Furman in Greenville, but Wofford has won their last two outings in Timmons Arena.Â
The Paladins hold a 48-16 lead in the all-time series.
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