A lot is at stake tonight for the Paladins as they wrap up their home schedule against the Citadel Bulldogs. Furman sits as the six-seed in the SoCon, with a two-game cushion from playing in the Friday slate in Asheville. The Dins are pushing on after a hard-fought victory against VMI and looking to stack together their third straight win.
Last time out against the Bulldogs, Furman carried an 11-point lead into halftime, keeping the Citadel to just 19 points. However, Furman’s defense was really lacking down the stretch, allowing the opposition to crawl back into the game, tie it up, and take the lead in under six minutes. Furman trailed by as many as eight points over the course of the second half. Both teams had multiple chances to win the game late, but ultimately, Furman put their foot down in the overtime period. The Dins were led on the scoresheet by 23 points from Nick Anderson, but shot the ball poorly overall. They were under 40% from the field, including a rough 8-of-29 from beyond the arc. Coach Richey will certainly be looking for more from his offense at home.
This time around, the Paladins should feel confident, as their bench has become more involved throughout their stint of success. Last time against the Citadel, the bench combined for seven points, which really led to the lull that allowed the Bulldogs back into it. In their last two victories, bench numbers have been a bit better, with contributions of 16 and 17 points, respectively. Even if it isn’t solely one man off the bench that scores, grabbing points and big shots here and there from guys like Eddrin Bronson and Tom House really ignites the Furman offense.
The Paladins control their own destiny to steal the five-seed with wins tonight and against Wofford. The step to a four-seed wouldn’t matter in the course of the tournament, but the Dins wouldn’t refuse if other teams help them get there. It all starts tonight. It’s not quite March, but it certainly feels like it.