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Furman Races Past Columbia College 91-34
Dec. 18, 2006
Greenville, S.C. - Furman recorded 42 points in the paint, and all 13 Lady Paladins scored as Furman defeated Columbia College (S.C.) 91-34 on Monday night at Timmons Arena.
Furman shot a season high 54 percent (34-63) from the field and connected on eight three pointers en route to its largest margin of victory since a 125-59 win over Charleston Southern on January 16, 1991.
The Lady Paladins placed three scorers in double-digits, led by Melissa Liebschwager's career-high 13 points. The sophomore from Memphis, Tenn. was 5-for-9 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, and added a team-high five assists.
Jessica Lange contributed 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor in only 18 minutes. The junior forward has now made 16 of her last 19 shots over the last three games. Lee Stephens also reached double-figures in scoring with 11 points, including three treys.
Furman raced out to a quick 10-2 lead in the first four minutes of the opening period. After a Donee Taylor free throw made the lead 12-3 at the 15 minute mark, Furman used a 23-5 run over the next six and a half minutes to increase its lead to 27 points at 35-8.
The Lady Paladins used a13-2 run in the second half to build its lead to 44 with 10 minutes remaining. Furman's largest lead of the night came at the 1:33 mark of the second half as Liebschwager's three-pointer put Furman ahead 91-31, and Taylor's three-pointer with one minute left provided the final scoring.
Furman held a 50-20 advantage on the boards, including 20 offensive rebounds. The Lady Paladins made good on 20 second chance points. Furman also forced the Fighting Koalas into 26 turnovers, which the Lady Paladins changed into 38 points. Furman also held a 45-0 advantage in points off the bench.
Mollie Petersen scored a career-high eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor in just nine minutes. Katie Johnson matched her career-high with four blocked shots.
With the win, Furman improves to 5-5 on the season, while Columbia College falls to 3-8 overall this year. The Lady Paladins return to action on Thursday night as Furman travels to face Texas Tech at 8:00 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
