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Furman Streaks Past The Citadel, 69-51
Feb. 17, 2007
Charleston, S.C. - Furman shot 70.8% from the field in the first half and finished the period on a 14-0 run to key a 69-51 victory over The Citadel Saturday afternoon at McAlister Fieldhouse in Charleston, S.C.
The win improves the Paladins to 14-12 overall and 8-7 in Southern Conference play while the Bulldogs fell to 7-19 overall in 4-11 in the league.
With Furman clinging to a 27-25 lead and under 3:30 remaining in the first half, Eric Webb buried a three-pointer to ignite a 14-0 Paladin spurt. Robby Bostain converted on a jumper to push the lead to seven before Jadee Jones scored seven straight points to put the Paladins ahead 39-25 on a trey with 47 seconds left in the half. Moussa Diagne's jumper with six seconds on the clock capped the rally and gave Furman a 41-25 lead at the break.
Furman upped its lead to 24 in the second half before settling for the 18-point victory, its largest of the season against a SoCon opponent.
Jones led the Paladins with 14 points on 4-for-4 shooting from the field and a 2-for-2 effort at the foul line. Robby Bostain added 12 points to go with six rebounds, three assists and three steals while Webb and Diagne each totaled 11 points. Diagne tied a career-high with four blocked shots while Furman held a 31-28 edge on the boards.
The Paladins finished at 27-of-48 (56.3%) from the floor after their season-best half of 70.8%. It marked the fourth time in five games Furman has shot better than 50% from the field. Furman connected on 8-of-21 treys, but made just 7-of-14 attempts at the foul line.
Demetrius Nelson came off of the bench to pace The Citadel with 13 points. Guard Kevin Hammack added 10 on 3-for-11 shooting. The Bulldogs shot just 38.8% (19-49) from the field and 7-of-14 at the charity stripe.
The win, coupled with Wofford's Saturday night loss versus the College of Charleston, leaves only the Paladins (8-7) and Western Carolina (7-9) vying for the SoCon Tournament's fifth seed and first round bye. A Furman win in its final three games or a Catamount loss in either of its last two regular season games would secure the fifth seed for the Paladins.
Furman returns to Greenville, S.C., for its final appearance in front of the home fans this season when it hosts the College of Charleston on Monday night at the Bi-Lo Center. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
