With 17:26 remaining in the Pete Hanna Center, Furman took a 51-30 lead, prompting a Bucky McMillan timeout after the Dins continued their first half demolition of the Bulldogs. And yet, somehow, no one watching could be comfortable. Just last weekend Samford trailed at Wofford by 16 points with 14 minutes remaining, and won the game by 8. Samford certainly shifted this game with their pressure and tightened the rotation.
Furman allowed them back into the game with turnovers and the inability to close out possessions with a defensive rebound. But with timely shots by PJay Smith, and plenty of clutch free throws from a team that has been much maligned from the stripe, Furman fought and clawed to keep Samford at bay. The Dins wrapped up the hard fought victory, giving Bob Richey an 8-3 record over Samford since Bucky McMillan was hired.
“We had some guys step up and hit free throws late…The guys just did what we had to do to finish the game out”
Coach Bob Richey
The day was highlighted by PJay Smith, who again carried the Paladins offense. He finished with 32 points on 6-9 from three, adding on 4 assists and 4 steals. In the first half, the Dins made a run piloted by Cooper Bowser’s disruptive presence inside and Davis Molnar putting in great minutes on both ends. They built a 13 point halftime lead, and held on with free throws at the end. Furman ended the day 23-27 from the free throw line, a season high. Notably, Eddrin Bronson hit 4 straight free throws while the Bulldogs were within one possession and vying for the lead.
Furman has reached 20 wins in a season for the 7th time in 9 seasons. It has become almost an expected tally for Coach Richey’s teams, but there is a huge amount of work put in every year to be a sustained success at the mid major level. Furman will come back home to play VMI on Saturday, looking to get a hot streak flowing into March