Furman 65, South Carolina State 46
ORANGEBURG, S.C. - Holli Wilkins scored 17 points and Brittany Hodges tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds to power Furman to a 65-46 victory over South Carolina State in women’s basketball action Sunday afternoon at SHM Memorial Center.
Wilkins drained 5-of-9 shots and converted all six of her free throw attempts in the second half -- part of a perfect 19-for-19 performance by the Paladins at the line over the game’s final 20 minutes -- to help Furman (10-5) pull away for the victory.
Hodges, limited to just two points and three rebounds in the first half, stepped up big in the second period, tallying 13 of her 15 points and nine of her 12 caroms down the stretch.
Whitney Bunn contributed 10 points and career high 10 rebounds to round out Furman’s double figure scoring trio, and Sarah Durdaller claimed a game high 12 boards to key the Paladins to an commanding 50-31 advantage on the glass.
Kourtney Williams paced South Carolina State (8-5) with a game high 18 points.
The Paladins threatened to run the Lady Bulldogs off their own court in the early going, connecting on six of their first eight shots to grab a 14-3 lead four minutes into the contest.
Furman’s assault continued over the next four minutes as Allison Beasley, Wilkins, Cierra Carter, and Kelsey Ellis bottomed 3-pointers to fuel a 16-5 spurt that put the Paladins up 30-8 with 12 minutes remaining in the first half.
South Carolina State responded with a 10-0 run to cut the lead to 30-18, and the Bulldogs narrowed the Paladins’ advantage to only six points at 33-27 by intermission, limiting Furman to just three points over the final 12:16.
In a prelude to its perfect second half work at the free throw line, Wilkins and Bunn opened the second half with a pair of free throws in the first minute to push Furman’s advantage to 37-27.
The Bulldogs used a Williams 3-pointer at the 16:21 juncture to get within six at 39-33, but a 10-0 run by the Paladins, capped by an Ellis 3-pointer with 10 minutes remaining, put Furman up by 16 points, effectively sealing the game’s outcome.
Furman limited S.C. State to just 5-for-28 shooting (17.9%) in the second half, its 46 points marking the Bulldogs’ second lowest tally of the season.
The Paladins cooled off after their hot start from the field, shooting 35.3 percent (18-of-51) for the game.
The 19-for-19 work at the free throw line in the second half marked a contrast from Furman’s 3-for-11 effort at the stripe in the first period.
Hodges’ 12 rebounds gave her 791 caroms in her career, moving her into a tie for fifth on Furman’s career ledger with Rhonda Chanson (1981-84). The Paladin senior All-SoCon forward also upped her career scoring total of 1,183 points, just one point shy of 12th place currently held by Tommi Paris (2003-06).
Furman returns to action on Wednesday when it entertains USC Upstate in a 7:00 p.m. gave at Timmons Arena, where the Paladins are a perfect 7-0 this year.
Mercer 61, Florida A&M 47
MACON, Ga. – Briana Williams scored 18 points to lead a trio of double-digit scorers as the Mercer women’s basketball team defeated Florida A&M, 61-47, on Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Arena.
Precious Bridges tallied 16 points and Alicia Williams added 10 to lead the Bears. Teanna Robinson and Kahlia Lawrence each pulled down six rebounds to lead Mercer on the boards, and Robinson added seven points, three blocks, two assists and two steals, while Lawrence notched four points and four assists.
Bridges also recorded five rebounds, five assists and a steal, and Briana Williams and Alicia Williams each had four rebounds.
Mercer improved to 7-8 on the season, while Florida A&M moved to 4-9. The Lady Rattlers were led by Olivia Antilla’s 18 points and seven rebounds.
Mercer opened up the second half by scoring four points in less than a minute and a half, giving the Bears their largest lead of the game, 38-16. Florida A&M’s offense was more productive in the second stanza, as the teams proceeded to trade baskets for the remainder of the game and neither gained momentum.
Despite the Lady Rattler’s increased scoring, the closest they came to the Bears was 50-37 with 9:00 left in the game. Florida A&M outscored Mercer, 31-27, in the second half, but the Bears’ dominant first half provided more than enough cushion.
Overall, Mercer shot 43.1 percent from the field and connected on a season-high 93.3 percent of its free throw shots. FAMU recorded a 38.0 field goal percentage and was also productive at the charity stripe, notching an 87.5 free-throw percentage.
The Bears started off strong, surging to a 12-5 lead less than five minutes into the game. Briana Williams led Mercer with eight points during the opening run, including two treys to start the game.
Five quick points from the Lady Rattlers pulled FAMU within three, 12-9, but a jumper from Robinson sparked a 13-2 Mercer run that stretched the Bears’ advantage to 25-11 with 9:11 left on the clock until intermission. Mercer outscored Florida A&M, 9-5, in the final 5:39 of the half to increase its lead to 34-16 before entering the locker room.
The Bears shot 46.2 percent from the field in the first half, including 40.0 percent from behind the three-point line, while the Lady Rattlers were held to a 21.4 field goal percentage. Mercer also outrebounded FAMU, 20-14, in the period.
The Bears are on the road for the next three games, first at Kennesaw State on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m.