Quick Takeaways from an opening day victory:
Best wishes to Bob Richey as he recovers from an illness. Pat Estepp performed admirably in his absence, picking up his first win as a head coach.
You can never complain about a win away from Timmons, especially against a team picked to go back to March Madness this season. It was a strong opening day performance.
Furman started out torching the nets from three. The Dins were heavily reliant on perimeter shooting early in the game, but it paid off. Furman shot 5-10 initially, and finished 12-31 (39%).
Welcome back House! Tom House, freshly eligible, picked up where he left off. He finished with 22 points, but got to the line throughout the night for 16 free throws.
The matchup: Bethune-Cookman was picked in the preseason to go back to back in the SWAC, and may be one of the better defenses Furman sees all season. Furman struggled shooting it in the paint, but they adapted as back cuts opened up late in the game.
Going stagnant: Bethune-Cookman made its run when Furman’s offense went stale and the threes stopped falling. Runs happen and one of Furman’s strengths this season is their offensive talent. The Dins have multiple outlets to create shots on the offensive end and don’t have to lean on anyone in particular to do the heavy lifting.
Kell’s clutch play: Marcus Kell embraced the moment when BC fought back to tie the game.
At 50-50, he took the buried his man under the rim and forced it in.
At 52-50, he hits an open transition three
At 55-50 he again goes underneath and draws the foul
Luka Toews knew his role throughout the night. He handled the ball confidently against a ton of pressure, and held up on the defensive end. Toews finished with 7 assists and only 2 turnovers.
Furman only played 6 guys past the 13:40 mark in the second half. Obviously without Cole Bowser, there was less flexibility for lineups, but interestingly we did not see Jaxson Bell the entire night. Collin O’Neal played a pivotal role defensively and earned his spot in the five that closed the game.
Charles Johnston Player of the Year campaign? Chuck certainly looked like a leader on the court, both emotionally and on both ends. He’s back to his double-double ways, grabbing 11 rebounds. He was flaming hot from deep, finishing 6-of-9. At 75-70, he added in an old-fashioned three point play to seal the game with a putback and the free throw.
Stat leaders:
Charles Johnston: 23 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 6-9 3PT.
Tom House: 22 points, 3 rebounds, 12-16 from the line.
Marcus Kell: 14 points, 3 rebounds
Luka Toews: 8 points, 7 assists