Nov. 23, 2007

Box Score

Greenville, S.C. - Louis Graham recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds and Julian Allen added 17 points as Georgia Southern topped Furman 68-63 in the Southern Conference opener for both teams Friday evening at Timmons Arena.

The Eagles tallied 21 second-chance points on the strength of 24 offensive rebounds and used a 12-0 run late in the second half to improve to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the league. Furman dropped to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in the league. The Paladins winless streak marks its first 0-4 start since 1968.

With Furman leading 53-50 and just over six minutes remaining, Georgia Southern embarked on a 12-0 run keyed by six straight points from forward Matt Fields. Graham started the run with a free throw and Fields buried three straight jumpers to lift the Eagles to a 57-53 lead with 3:52 left. Guards Dwayne Foreman and Willie Powers converted on back-to-back jumpers to up the advantage to 61-53 and Foreman capped the run with a free throw.

Furman was forced to foul over the final two minutes and the Eagles answered by making 6-of-8 at the charity stripe to preserve the victory. Fields joined Graham and Allen in double figures with 12 points while Georgia Southern shot 40.0% (26-65) from the field. The Eagles converted just 14-of-25 free throws and 2-of-14 three-point attempts, but dominated the boards with a 46-34 rebounding margin.

Freshman Bobby Austin paced four Paladins in double figures with a team-high 15 points and nine rebounds. Alex Opacic and Justin Dehm each added 12 points while George Brozos contributed 10. The Paladins shot 42.6% (23-54) from the floor, but just 4-of-17 beyond the arc. Furman committed 19 turnovers on the night. The Paladins missed six consecutive shots during Georgia Southern's decisive run in the final six minutes.

After Furman grabbed an early lead, GSU used a 12-3 run in the first half to take control. Allen netted seven first half points and the Eagles registered 12 offensive rebounds while building a 32-28 lead at the break.

The Eagles extended their lead to eight in the opening minutes of the second half before Furman began to chip away. The Paladins trimmed the margin to three points on four different occasions and finally pulled even at 50-50 with 7:08 left when Opacic completed a three-point play with a free throw following the media timeout. George Brozos drained a trey on the next possession to give Furman a three-point cushion, but a drought of over five minutes ended the Paladins hopes of breaking into the win column.

The Georgia Southern victory was its fourth straight over Furman and third straight at Timmons Arena. Dehm's 12 points marked his fourth straight double figure effort.

Furman will continue its brief two-game homestand Tuesday hosting Mid-American Conference opponent Bowling Green at 7 p.m.