By MONTE DUTTON
Had you attended Wednesday night’s men’s basketball game at Timmons Arena and known that one team had the nation’s longest winning streak without knowing which one it was, you likely would have picked the one wearing gray.
You would have been wrong two ways, because Furman’s 78-68 Southern Conference victory over Samford meant the Bulldogs don’t have that streak anymore. It ended at 17 games and was seldom in danger of continuing.
Head coach Bob Richey was effusive. He spread the praise around, thanking the players as if he had just won an Oscar. It wasn’t hype. What would have been difficult was finding someone who didn’t play well. All GOATs. No goats.
“So, there are still things we can do to get better at, for sure, but I love the mentality of our group right now,” he said. “I love the confidence they’re playing with. They’ve got a little chip on their shoulders, and they should. I love everything about it.”
It was a fitting occasion for Richey’s 150th victory directing the Paladins.
Marcus Foster was, oh, scintillating. He ruled the court. Greeks started sneaking in with hammers and chisels. The fifth-year senior from Atlanta, Ga., 6-4 in height with the wingspan of a condor, left this statistical line: 22 points, 7/17 field goals, 3/7 triples, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.
Foster, having warred with Western Carolina’s Vonterius Woolbright four days earlier, this time worked a few shifts facing off against Samford’s expressive, 6-9 Melbourner (that’s Australia), Achor Achor (wouldn’t it be great were he from Bora Bora?), who paired 19 points with six rebounds.
The more frequent of Achor’s combatants was the Paladins’ other senior, 6-9 Garrett Hien of Charlotte, N.C., considered by head coach Bob Richey the night’s unsung hero. Hien had only five points and a rebound, but he had four assists and two steals. He had as much sweat equity invested as anyone and scrapped for 27 minutes.
Alex Williams scored 16 points, hitting 4/6 triples. Guards J.P Pegues added 12 and PJay Smith 11.
Furman, healthy and jelling, is 11-9 with a rocket. Five straight SoCon wins have elevated the Paladins (5-2) to within a game of Samford (17-3, 6-1).
The Paladins’ defense limited the Bulldogs to 36 points under their average. Samford opened with losses to Purdue and Virginia Commonwealth, then won the next 17 until they happened upon a lively Timmons Arena crowd of 2,207. Only the second-ranked Boilermakers and Rams limited Samford to fewer. Its lowest output in the 17-game streak occurred in a 75-71 victory over Western Carolina.
Samford head coach Bucky McMillan was gracious in defeat.
“I thought they shot well. I thought they played well. … They connected on defense. Their defense won’t get the credit it deserves,” he said. “When we’re down 13 points, we don’t have a lot of options when they’re guarding really well.
“We’ve got to generate something. We’re not going to just go quietly into the night and sit in the half court.”
Richey agreed.
“Everybody thinks Furman’s an offensive team, and the offense was great tonight,” he said. “The defense was great, and that’s why we won. That’s why we won Saturday. That’s why we’re having the improvement that we have.”
Samford pressed and pressed and couldn’t press the house in.
“I think it’s a mixture of things,” Carter Whitt, who had seven assists, said. “They’ve clearly had a good press all year, but, I mean, Pjay (Smith), J.P. (Pegues), back there, we’ve all played point guard at various points in our lives.
“Obviously, they’ve been playing well, but I don’t think they’ve played anybody that had good enough guards to just stay composed. I think we handled the pressure well.”
Furman fought Samford to a virtual draw in turnovers. The Paladins coughed up 18, the Bulldogs’ 17. Samford led for only 4 minutes, 43 seconds, and never by more than four. Furman led by as many as 16, with 1:47 remaining in the game. Earlier in the second half, Samford twice got within four.
The Paladins outshot the Bulldogs across the board: field goals (.459), three-pointers (.429) and free throws (.769), Samford checked in respectively at .438, .333 and .300.
A.J. Staton-McCray scored 14 points for Samford and Nathan Johnson had 10. Furman beat the Bulldogs on the boards, 41-35.
The Paladins won for the 29th time in their last 32 games at Timmons Arena.
Furman goes on the road Saturday, but it’s nearby. Wofford (11-9, 4-3) takes on the Paladins at 6 p.m. in Spartanburg.
Take a look at the stats here.
Thanks so much for the contributions. I’m aware that folks appreciate what I do, particularly the kids, coaches, parents and fans.
Blue, Green, Purple & Red cannot solely be funded by advertising. There’s not enough room.
I used to list an address to send a check (DHK Sports, P.O. Box 768, Clinton, S.C. 29325). I finally got it through my thick head that not that many people write checks nowadays. For examplw, me. A more convenient means is sending a contribution to DHK Sports on Venmo. It keeps the site going, both in the balance sheet and on the road.
Support the advertisers, and help keep the site – the game stories, the blogs, the photos – alive. If you choose, make a monthly donation via Patreon. The Laurens County site is here. The Furman site is here.
Or, indirectly, purchase my books at MonteDutton.net. They’re entertaining in spite of the fellow who wrote them. Two of my novels, Cowboys Come Home and Lightning in a Bottle, are available in audio versions. The latest, The Latter Days, is about baseball. I’m closing in on a 10th novel.
Photo galleries are posted on Instagram @furmanatt and @laurenscountysports.
Blue, Green, Purple & Red 