GREENVILLE, S.C. – Furman's women's basketball team will look to extend its recent momentum on Saturday when it plays host to Bob Jones in a 1:00 p.m. clash at Timmons Arena.
The contest, the first of a Saturday Furman hoops doubleheader that will be followed by a 4:00 p.m. Southern Conference men's matchup versus Western Carolina, will mark the women's final non-conference clash of the 2025-26 season.
Furman (7-7), winners of five of its last seven games, including a 110-54 rout of Brevard on Monday, tips off SoCon play on Thursday at East Tennessee State, followed by a Jan. 10 road contest against Chattanooga.
Third-year head coach
Pierre Curtis' Paladins have used the first season's first two months to integrate an all-new starting lineup from a year ago, along with a number of newcomers.
As expected the team has centered its effort around preseason All-SoCon forward
Clare Coyle, who is tallying a team leading 15.1 ppg and SoCon best 7.7 rpg. The sophomore Jacksonville, Fla., product, who contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes of action against Brevard, has fashioned four double-doubles in the last six games. She is shooting 57.4 percent from the field and also tops Furman with 30 steals.
Joining Coyle with double figure scoring registers near the midway point of the season a pair of fellow sophomores — guards
Alyssa Ervin (12.2 ppg) and
Raina McGowens (10.1 ppg).
Ervin has demonstrated impressive offensive creativity in stretches in her first year in a Paladin uniform. The Elon transfer's performances this year include a 16-point effort (4x9 3PGs) versus 19th-ranked Vanderbilt and 18-point outing against Florida. McGowens proved to be the difference in perhaps the Paladins' biggest win of the season, a 90-89 overtime triumph over Georgia State on Nov. 13, with a career high 24-point, 10-rebound performance.
Another transfer, junior guard
Lauren Bailey (6.6 rpg), has established herself as the squad's top 3-point shooter (38.4%).
The Paladins have also been busy cultivating depth at point guard with sophomore
Chantelle Stuart (6.1 ppg, team leading 60 ast.) and freshman
Sophia Pearl (6.1 ppg, 37 ast.).
Two other players are playing significant roles, including sophomore transfer forward
Kyraha Parnell (5.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and athletic sophomore guard
Samaria Taylor (4.5 ppg), who has averaged 17.5 minutes of playing time over the last six games.
Furman has claimed wins in each of its four meetings with Bob Jones, including a 101-47 triumph last year.
Saturday's game will be streamed via ESPN+, and fans can also follow the action via StatBroadcast live stats and receive timely updates and highlight clip thru @FurmanWBB's "X" account. Links to the livestream and stats are available on Furman's women's basketball schedule page at FurmanPaladins.com.
