Furman needs a pick me up win, and will have the opportunity from the comforts of home on Wednesday. The Paladins last meeting with Mercer was anything but comfortable, with the good guys staving off a feisty comeback attempt. The game in Macon was one of Furman’s more balanced efforts, with seven guys in the box score, all with 6 or more points. Eddrin Bronson provided the bench boost the Dins are so often missing, with 16 points.
Last time out, Furman fell apart down the stretch, turning a three point halftime advantage into a 13 point defeat. The rotation has not been consistent, and could be contributing to a trend of late lapses on defense. The “big three” of PJay Smith, Nick Anderson, and Cooper Bowser played a huge majority of the game. PJay and Nick sat for just three minutes total, with Cooper on the floor for 32 of 40 game minutes. When the offense is so dependent on these three scoring, their legs will go, and the defense can collapse on their shots. Some oddities in the scorebook also appeared, with Charles Johnston starting the game, but finishing with only 5 minutes. Davis Molnar, who had been playing well, ends up playing just 2. Coach Richey is still getting comfortable with lineups this late in the season, and hopefully will find something that clicks before the conference tournament.
This time around, the Furman squad will be shooting on the home rims, and hope to go better than 12 of 37 from three. Mercer has only won once since the last matchup, with their lone victory coming against lowly Citadel. There’s no easy way to say this, Furman needs this win and cannot afford to drop any further in the conference standings. Playing on Day 1 in Asheville significantly lowers their odds of making a go at the tournament title. The keys to this game will be what has led to Furman’s struggles in the conference: Scoring contributions outside of Smith and Anderson, playing tough, focused defense, and finishing possessions with rebounds.