Final: Furman 78 - Chattanooga 67
Furman grabbed a great win on the road, bouncing back from the loss to Western Carolina, and earning their second conference victory. Chattanooga got off to a hot start, but a 15-0 run before halftime earned Furman a lead that they never relinquished. McKenzie Arena is never an easy place to win, despite the Mocs recent struggles. But, nearly everyone in the conference is shorthanded right now and Furman got to learn something new about their team. In the absence of one Bowser, another stepped up. Let’s jump into some takeaways from the win.
Cole Bowser! This one is going to be long because I can’t say enough good things about what Cole Bowser did in his first ever collegiate game. He played 23 minutes off the bench, including the closing stretch with VanderWal off the floor for free throw shooting. His energy rubbed off on the guys he shared the court with and it seemed like shots just went in while he played. Bowser grabbed 6 first half rebounds in his first 11 minutes, and finished with 10 on the night. That’s right, he led the team in rebounding in his debut game! He added six points, including a highlight steal and transition dunk, right after looking like he sprained his ankle. At 6’6, Bowser plays a versatile 3/4 role and definitely earned his spot in the rotation. His ceiling is sky high (shades of Noah Gurley?).
Lineup changes: We knew, with the injuries, that there would be a shift in the lineups that shared the court together. What we didn't see coming was Cole Bowser’s redshirt status being removed. At one point, the lineup was Asa Thomas, Tom House, Cole Bowser, Baba Franklin, and Owen Ritger. Three of these guys weren’t playing until Collin O’Neal went down. Furman played 10 tonight, but the lineup going forward could legitimately be 11 deep.
Charles Johnston is playing at an All-Conference level. We saw the signs during Johnston’s run of double doubles in the non-conference but with Bowser out, Charles Johnston has taken the mantle of being a presence in the paint. He had multiple good post moves for buckets tonight, on top of his typical proficient rebounding. He scored 21 points tonight, and only made 1 three, showing his versatility on offense. He really disrupts passing within the three point line with his length as well. Johnston is averaging nearly a double double at 10.8 points and 9.2 rebounds, while adding in at least 1 steal every game.
Ben VanderWal the defensive ace. So far this season, it seems like Ben VanderWal is playing the role of a star cornerback, following the best scorer on the other team when he’s on the floor. Ben started out on Frison, especially with Wilkins foul trouble, despite having a quickness disadvantage. VanderWal shut down Marcus Kell for about 35 of the 45 minutes played last game as well.
Alex Wilkins’ foul issues have been something that pops up this season, though it really seems dependent on the referees. A couple of Alex’s fouls yesterday were dubious, but he sometimes puts himself in a position where a foul is the only outcome. Oddly enough, most of Furman’s fouls were called on the guards, with Eddrin Bronson also picking up 3 in only 7 minutes. Regardless, Wilkins stayed aggressive during a tough shooting night, getting to the line (6-6) and still dishing out 7 assists.
It felt good to see Tom House get a few through the net. House started the game 4-4 from beyond the arc and finished 5-9 for the game. He held Furman up while Chattanooga attempted to build an early lead and matched them shot for shot.
Glue Guy may be a cliche, but VanderWal really meets that description. He stacked another 6+ rebound game (8 straight), and even stepped in as the point guard at times. He’s often already been the secondary ball handler against pressure, and can easily get to the rim on his drives. We might have another glue guy on our hands this season as well, with Cole Bowser’s triumphant entry.
The Paladins (11-5) play again Saturday, at home vs. VMI. Full stats below via ESPN:
