Final: Furman 105 - Bob Jones 57
Furman did what it should in the win against Bob Jones, reaching the 100 point mark for the fourth time in four games against the Bruins. Tonight was about taking care of business, and getting Abijah Franklin and Owen Ritger some minutes in the absence of Collin O’Neal. Furman out rebounded Bob Jones 46-24, utilizing their size advantage, though the announcers seemed to think there wasn’t a huge one. Everyone contributed on that front, with four starters plus Owen Ritger grabbing at least 6 boards. Let’s get into some more takeaways from a dominant night at home.
Cooper Bowser just keeps getting better. You’d expect him to in this game, but he had his way in the post, and didn’t let up because it was a lower level of competition. He came out of the blocks fast and the zone opened up the rim for him, leading to more deep lobs that have become a staple in the offense this season. We also got to see him run the floor on turnovers, skying for a couple dunks. He really only misses when he’s fouled, and still leads the nation in field goal percentage at 79.2%.
A Slow start was the story of this one early, with the 2-1-2 zone from Bob Jones causing issues and plenty of turnovers early. Bob Richey worked the young guys in early, which slowed down a bit of the rhythm too, but that is exactly what these games are for. In this game, a slow start still meant a double digit lead.
Playing Baba and Owen early. Like I mentioned above, Baba and Ritger jumped into the fray after about 5 minutes, and did good work while they were in. Franklin specifically, in the second half, was in a lineup that would have featured Collin O’Neal before his injury. Collin will be out for at least a month, and Baba will be the one who is looked at to replace his minutes.
Tom House: Tom is just seeing the ball go through more and more. He hit 4 straight from deep in the second half, after starting 0-4 from the floor. Bob Richey mentioned that he told him he had and had the rest of the game to shoot as many shots as he could. I really love the freedom that gives him to unlock his jumper, as the only way to break a slump is to shoot his way out.
The defense locked in during the second half and really looked comfortable. Coach Richey said the leadership was good in the locker room, knowing they didn't play the way they could have in the first.
Ben VanderWal had a “quiet” good scoring night to go along with his consistent rebounding. He had 15 points on 6-of-7 from the floor. And he made 3-4 free throws! Ben is a true leader on the court and always around the ball to grab rebounds. He had six, and three of them were offensive.
Wilkins didn't score as much, but he had 9 assists. At times early this season the offense could look dead without Wilkins scoring. The competition was a step down, but even with the zone look, the ball was moving and found gaps that got Bowser and VanderWal good looks at the rim. Ed looked really comfortable when he came in, taking control off the offense and forcing turnovers. He finished with 6 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
I liked what we got from Baba when he got in the game. Especially on defense, Franklin looks like a menace and will be a pesky guy to deal with for seasons to come. He’s always going to get to the rim, but he stepped in and made a three as well. Franklin will see more minutes with O’Neal out, and hopefully will help expand the bench depth of this squad.
Furman takes on Manhattan next, after a long break for exams. Final stats are below as always, via ESPN:
