Furman 74, Samford 64
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Junior Stephen Croone poured in 33 points and freshman Geoff Beans added a career-high 21 points to lead Furman to a 74-64 victory over Samford in the Southern Conference opener for the Paladins on Saturday night at Timmons Arena.
The win improved Furman to 2-4 overall and 1-0 in the SoCon, while Samford dropped to 3-7 overall and 0-2 in league play.
Croone connected on 8-of-14 field goal attempts and 14-of-19 trips to the foul line to reach double figures for the 25th consecutive game. The Covington, Ga., native added six rebounds, five steals and two assists. Beans, playing in just his second collegiate game, came off of the bench to hit 5-of-10 shots and convert on all eight of his free throw attempts in 23 minutes of action. Freshman Daniel Fowler added 11 points and a career-best 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.
Samford scored the game’s first six points, bur Croone netted 14 in the first period to help Furman rally to take a 28-25 lead at intermission.
Furman opened the second half on a 12-2 run to open up a 40-27 margin as Croone buried back-to-back treys to begin the second half, and Beans capped the spurt with a pair of free throws at the 16:10 mark. The Paladins pushed the lead to 14 points before Brandon Roberts scored eight points to key a 13-2 Samford run that trimmed the Furman lead to 46-43 with 10:40 to play.
With Furman leading by three points and under 10 minutes remaining, Croone drew a foul while shooting a three-pointer and buried all three free throw attempts. The Paladins did not allow the Bulldogs to climb any closer than five points the rest of the way as Furman hit 17 of its final 21 free throws to seal the win.
Furman shot 43.2 percent for the game and made 7-of-17 three-point attempts. The Paladins connected on just 58 percent of their free throw attempts, but Furman’s 50 trips to the foul line were its most in more than a decade. Kris Acox matched a career-high with 10 rebounds to help Furman to a 45-35 edge on the boards, and the Paladins held Samford to just 35.6 percent shooting from the floor.
Darius Jones-Gibson paced the Bulldogs with 15 points, while Roberts and Jamal Shabazz added 11 and 10, respectively.
Mercer 90, VMI 81
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer men’s basketball starters combined for 78 points and junior Jibri Bryan had a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double as the Bears outlasted VMI, 90-81 in a Southern Conference shootout at Hawkins Arena Saturday.
Mercer won its conference opener for the fourth-straight year and moved to 5-4 (1-0 SoCon) on the season while VMI saw its two-game winning streak snapped and fell to 4-5 (1-1 SoCon).
Bryan’s first career double-double also featured four assists, three steals and a block. Junior guards Phillip Leonard and Ike Nwamu paced the team with 18 points apiece while seniors Darious Moten and T.J. Hallice chipped in 17 and 10 points, respectively.
The lightning-fast contest featured eight ties and 10 lead changes, but Mercer used a late 12-0 surge to break away from a 78-78 tie and secure its first Southern Conference victory. Head coach Bob Hoffman improved to 6-0 against SoCon teams in his seven-year Mercer tenure.
The game was tied at 55-55 early in the second half before the Bears mounted a 13-3 charge to take control of the game midway through the period. VMI’s quick-strike offense put the game in doubt late, after a 16-6 Keydets spurt tied the game at 78-78 with 3:21 to go.
VMI had earned its first tie in over 13 minutes of game time, but Nwamu answered with a 3-pointer just 38 seconds later to give the Bears a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Nwmau’s triple was the catalyst for the late run that stoked Mercer’s crowd to an ear-splitting decibel level.
Mercer shot 50.9 percent (29-of-27) from the field en route to the season-high 90-point total. The Bears were also 7-of-12 from 3-point range, as Nwamu and Bryan combined for 6-of-10 aim from downtown.
Mercer placed five players in double figures for the first time since an 81-54 win over Yale on Nov. 23, 2013. Freshman Jordan Strawberry led Mercer’s reserves with six points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 16 minutes of work.
Sophomore James Bento also had key buckets off the bench, scoring four-straight points during Mercer’s first big run of the second half. As a team, the Bears outscored the Keydets 42-16 in the paint, 14-8 off turnovers and 23-11 on second-chance opportunities.
The Citadel 67, Navy 60
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Bulldog freshman Jake Wright came off the bench to score a season-high 21 points and lead four players in double figures as The Citadel tied its third-longest home court winning streak this century (six games) with a 67-60 victory over Navy on Saturday afternoon at McAlister Field House in front of 1,612 in attendance.
The "Battle of the Blues" win moved the Bulldogs to 4-4 on the season heading into their first Southern Conference game on Thursday, Dec. 11 against Chattanooga.
Wright, who knocked down 6-of-10 from 3-point range, tied Ashton Moore for this season's single-game record of most treys in a contest. Moore set the record earlier in the 2014-15 campaign during the 13-point victory over Toccoa Falls.
Trailing 52-48 with just over five minutes remaining in the contest, Marshall Harris III found an open Ashton Moore who converted his lone 3-pointer of the game to pull the Dogs within one.
Harris followed with a steal and subsequent layup on Navy's next possession and allowed The Citadel to assume a lead that it would not relinquish.
The Bulldogs stretched the advantage to 59-54, following jumpers by Moore and Warren Sledge, but the Midshipmen (2-7) answered with a 3-pointer from Brandon Venturini to pull within a pair.
A solid effort on defensive end, six-of-eight shooting at the free throw line and a timely layup by P.J. Horgan allowed the Bulldogs to tie the 2008-09 squad for the third-longest winning streak at home since 2000.
Moore, who eclipsed the double-digit mark for the 15th consecutive outing, finished with 13 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the field. He inched within five points of the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Rounding out double-digit scorers for The Citadel were P.J. Horgan (12) and C.J. Bray (10). Horgan, who converted 5-of-8 from the floor, was also a key to the Dogs' defensive efforts with five rebounds and one steal. His counterpart, Bray, had a 4-of-6 outing from the floor, which included a 3-pointer, and crashed the boards for a team-high nine rebounds.
Sledge and Harris proved to be the catalyst to a Citadel lineup that finished with 16 assists. Sledge handed out a game-high seven while Harris added six to go along with three steals.
The Citadel finished 25-of-52 from the floor and was successful on 9-of-21 from 3-point range. The Bulldogs also made 10 trips to the line, hitting down eight, and finished with a 34-29 advantage on the glass due in large part to 12 offensive boards.
Venturini highlighted offensive efforts for Navy with 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field. The senior guard converted 4-of-9 from beyond the arc, the only Midshipmen with multiple treys, and came through with two rebounds and two steals.
James Hemphill came off the bench to snag a game-high 11 rebounds (five offensive) and contribute nine points to Navy's cause. He was joined among the reserves by Will Kelly (eight points, four rebounds).
Trailing by just two points at the intermission, Navy brought the game to its seventh tie with a jumper by Venturini just over one minute into the second half.
The tightly contested frame witnessed six more ties, including a 43-all deadlock following a layup by Horgan, as neither team was able to establish itself offensively with a lead greater than three.
The Bulldogs eventually moved out in front 46-43 when Sledge found Wright deep in the corner for his sixth 3-pointer of the contest. The Midshipmen countered with a 7-3 run that included four points from Edward Alade and a 3-pointer off the hand of Venturini to assume a 50-46 advantage.
The Citadel improved its record to 16-9 all-time against Patriot League schools and earned its fifth win in the all-time series with Navy.
UNCG 55, Presbyterian 53
CLINTON, S.C. – UNCG junior forward Kayel Locke scored a team-high 20 points, including a pivotal basket with 3.2 seconds left, as the Spartans posted a 55-53 victory over NCAA Division I foe Presbyterian Saturday afternoon at the Templeton Center in Clinton, S.C.
Locke finished the game just shy of a double-double with 20 points and eight rebounds as he played 35 minutes of action. He connected on 9-of-17 from the field, including scoring on an offensive rebound put back with 3.2 seconds left for what turned out to be the game-winning tally. Redshirt sophomore center RJ White recorded a double-double in the victory with 11 points and 10 rebounds as he was 5-of-10 from the field.
The Spartans finished the game shooting 43.6 percent (24-of-55) from the field and hit just 4-of-14 from 3-point land. Senior Nicholas Paulos hit three of the Spartans’ 3-pointers, finishing 3-of-4 from distance on his way to 11 points. UNCG also committed just six turnovers in the victory and won the rebounding battle by a 35-30 margin.
Presbyterian finished the game shooting 39.2 percent (20-of-51) from the field and 5-of-12 from distance. Forward William truss led the Blue Hose with 17 points and eight rebounds as he was 7-of-13 from the field. Jordan Downing, who scored 37 points against UNCG last season, was limited to 13 points on 4-of-15 shooting from the field.
The Spartans came out of the gate quickly, opening to an early 9-2 lead just over five minutes into the game. Locke got the ball rolling as he scored the first four of the game for the Spartans while Paulos hit a 3-pointer.
After the Blue Hose pulled within three at 9-6, the Spartans answered back with a 9-1 run to take an 18-7 lead. White ignited the spurt, scoring six straight in the post. Junior Asad Lamot capped the run with a 3-pointer from the corner against the zone.
Presbyterian settled in and narrowed the gap to 24-21 with a 14-6 run. The Blue Hose went inside to William Truss as he scored six straight points before Marcus Terry and Jordan Downing each hit a 3-pointer. The Spartans extended the lead once again with five straight points between Locke and Paulos for a 33-25 lead, but Downing drew a foul on a 3-pointer with four seconds left in the half, converting all three to send the Spartans into the locker room leading 33-28.
UNCG connected on 48.3 percent (14-of-29) from the field and 3-of-9 from long range in the opening half playing against the Presbyterian zone. Locke led all scorers with 12 points in the opening half on 5-of-9 shooting from the field while Paulos, White and sophomore Tevon Saddler each added six points. The Spartans also held a 16-15 edge on the glass and did not commit a turnover in the first half while handing out seven assists. Presbyterian connected on 10-of-25 (40%) from the field and hit both of its 3-pointers in the first half. Truss led the Blue Hose with 10 points while Downing chipped in six points.
The Spartans came out of the break and quickly went to work on the inside as White converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to run the lead to eight at 36-28. The Blue Hose kept battling and narrowed the deficit to 42-40 as Truss scored on 3-point play with 13:31 left. The Spartans answered with seven straight points, forcing a Blue Hose timeout. Paulos started the run with a 3-pointer while Locke and White both scored on consecutive possessions to run the lead to 49-40 with 11:15 left.
UNCG fell into a dry spell offensively down the stretch as both teams tightened up on the defensive end. Presbyterian came back with a 10-2 run to pull within one at 51-50 with 5:08 remaining. Markus Terry started the stretch by hitting a deep 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down and Downing scored five straight to take the UNCG lead down to one.
Saddler gave the Spartans a 53-50 lead as he scored on an offensive rebound with 4:09 remaining, but Truss came down on the ensuing possession scoring in the paint to make it a 53-52 contest. The teams traded defensive stops for the next three minutes until the Spartans had the ball with under 30 seconds left. Saddler made a move towards the basket with just over five seconds remaining but his elbow jumper bounced off the rim. Locke beat out two Presbyterian defenders for the rebound and created space underneath before scoring the put-back for a 55-52 lead with 3.2 seconds remaining.
The Spartans decided to foul Presbyterian in the back court sending Terry to the line. Terry hit the first free throw to make it a two-point game and purposely missed the second free throw. The rebound was batted around the floor as the clock ran down before Terry corralled the loose ball and heaved an off-balanced 3-pointer at the buzzer that fell off the front of the rim sending the Spartans to the victory.
Wofford 88, Florida National 57
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Led by a game-high 15 points from junior Justin Gordon, the Wofford men’s basketball team earned its most lopsided win of the season, 88-57, over Florida National, Saturday afternoon at Benjamin Johnson Arena.
Five Terriers scored in double figures with Gordon heading the group on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting. The junior post player came up just one rebound shy of a double-double and filled up the stat sheet with two assists, a block and a steal. He also slammed down a pair of dunks, the first coming overtop a Florida National defender and sending shockwaves through the crowd.
Senior Lee Skinner and freshman Derrick Brooks had 13 apiece, while junior Spencer Collins finished with a dozen and sophomore Jaylen Allen came in with 10.
Brooks’ 13 points were a career-high for the rookie out of Hinesville, Georgia. He added to his day with two rebounds, an assist and an emphatic first career block, rejecting a dunk attempt that energized the arena.
Wofford (7-2) was ahead just 10 at halftime before using a 7-0 run to go up by 20 in the second half. A 17-5 run later on completely put the game out of hand. It was capped with back-to-back dunks from Allen and junior C.J. Neumann, resulting in a 79-47 lead with 4:58 to play.
Florida National (USCAA Div. I) was headed by 13 points from Quantavis Hall, 12 from Regan O’Rourke and 10 by Aldor Kola. Leading scorer John Hogan (14.4 ppg) was limited to just two points on 1-of-11 from the floor.
The Terriers outshot the Conquistadors 54.1 percent (33-61) to 34.5 percent (19-55), holding the visitors to just 21.4 percent (6-28) in the second half. Wofford finished with a plus-15 rebounding margin (43-28), outscoring FNU 40-16 in the paint. Points off turnovers was another deciding factor, which Wofford led 27-9 with the help of 11 steals to force 19 Conquistador turnovers.
Wofford shared the ball and it showed with 19 assists. Skinner went for a season-high five, while seniors Karl Cochran and John Swinton completed the afternoon with four each.
The Terriers never trailed and took the lead for good on a Collins basket less than two minutes into the game that made the score 4-2.
Wofford scored 10 straight to gain some separation for the first time. Skinner and sophomore Eric Garcia were good for two on consecutive possessions, before Garcia and Collins followed up with a pair of treys that made in 18-6.
A basket by FNU’s Terric Harris briefly interrupted the run, but Wofford came right back down the court for more. This time it was Brooks, scoring his first collegiate 3-pointer to cap a 13-2 run with Wofford leading 21-8.
Wofford led by as many as 14 before heading to the locker rooms on top 41-31. Gordon and FNU’s Hall led all scorers with 11. Skinner had 10 of his 13 on 4-of-5 shooting.
Wofford scored the first five points of the second half and never led by fewer than 13. Back-to-back Allen 3-pointers made it a 20-point game for the first time with 13:10 on the clock.
The big run started at the 8:57 mark. Skinner grabbed a defensive board and hit a sprinting Brooks with a long pass for a fast break bucket. Brooks was then good for seven of the next 11 Terrier points and the rout was on. Neumann found Allen with a full-court pass for his first dunk and then Neumann capped the 17-5 spurt with a jam of his own as Wofford led by 32.
A basket from freshman Bobby Perez gave Wofford its largest lead of 34 with 10 ticks left.