GREENVILLE, S.C. –
Alyssa Ervin scored a game high 15 points and Furman used a 26-2 run to race past Southern Wesleyan in Friday morning Education Day women's basketball action at Timmons Arena.
Ervin, a junior guard and returning All-Southern Conference performer, connected on 6-of-8 shots, including 3-of-4 3-pointers in just 16 minutes of playing time, to pace Furman (2-1) in its third game in the last five days.
Clare Coyle followed with 12 points and nine rebounds, and
Ava Sawi and Ty Berry rounded out the Paladins' double figure scoring effort with 10 points apiece.
Furman used strong defense to register 22 steals and force Southern Wesleyan into 24 turnovers. The Paladins also enjoyed a considerable advantage inside, outscoring the Warriors 52-12 in the paint.
Freshman
Emma Briggs, making her collegiate starting debut, matched Coyle with rebounds, while Berry combined her career high 10 points with eight rebounds and a game high six steals to go along with a pair of assists.
Furman tallied the final basket of the first half to take a 41-20 lead and then outscored Southern Wesleyan 24-5 in the third quarter to stretch the advantage to 65-25.
The Warriors were paced by Ahrianna Scott with 12 points.
The Paladins finished the contest shooting 50.8 percent from the field (31x61) and with a 49-29 edge in rebounding.
Furman's pressure defense limited SWU to only 21.1 percent shooting (12x57).
All 10 Paladins in uniform saw extensive action, with Ervin and Coyle logging 16 minutes each — the lowest totals on the squad.
The Paladins return to action next Tuesday at Auburn in a noon contest that will be televised via the SEC Network+.
