Furman pulled off a hard-fought 72-70 victory against first-place Samford in a nationally televised game on Wednesday night. The Paladins, playing at home, never trailed in the contest. Nick Anderson led the charge for Furman, pouring in a season-high 24 points, with 17 of those coming in the first half. Anderson was efficient, connecting on 9 of 13 shots, including 5 three-pointers. Cooper Bowser also had a career night, scoring 21 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting from the field. He also grabbed 5 rebounds.
Furman built a 12-point lead in the second half, but Samford battled back, tying the game late in the contest. With the game on the line, Anderson and Bowser took over, scoring all of Furman's points down the stretch. A key moment came late when Samford had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but their three-point attempt rimmed out. The Paladins shot a solid 49.1% from the field, overcoming some struggles from beyond the arc and the free-throw line. They also outscored Samford in the paint and off turnovers. Rylan Jones led Samford with 19 points. With the win, Furman improved to 17-5 overall and 5-4 in the Southern Conference, while Samford fell to 17-5 and 7-2.
The Paladins will take on ETSU in Johnson City on Sunday