WOFFORD SINKS FURMAN 77-70
GREENVILLE -- Ian Chadwick scored 20 points and keyed an 11-0 run down the stretch with a lead changing three-pointer to lift Wofford to a 77-70 win over Furman in Southern Conference basketball action Saturday night in front of 3,182 fans at Timmons Arena.
With the win Wofford (8-11, 3-5 SoCon), winners in only two of its last seven games, avenged an earlier 70-62 loss to the Paladins in Spartanburg and moved out of a last place tie with Furman (7-10, 2-6 SoCon) in the league's South Division. The defeat was Furman's fourth straight and fourth home loss in its last five games.
Trailing 64-59 after a free throw by Furman's Guilherme Da Luz with 4:48 left, Wofford got two free throws and a basket from Kenny Hastie to make it 64-63 before Chadwick drilled a three-pointer with 3:33 remaining to put the Terriers ahead 66-64. Wofford then got a layup from Bishop Ravenel and another bucket from Hastie at the 1:54 mark to finish off the 11-0 run for a 70-64 advantage.
Furman's Karim Souchu, who led all scorers with a season high 26 points, knocked down a three-pointer with 44 seconds left to narrow the Wofford lead to 72-68, but the Terriers converted 5-of-7 free throws over the game's final seconds to take the win.
"I thought we could have really folded there when they (Furman) went on a nice run there and took a five-point lead (64-59), but we came right back behind Kenny Hastie who made a couple of big free throws and later a big hook that put us up six," said Wofford head coach Richard Johnson. "Down the stretch I thought our defense kept them from getting good looks. We also did a good job attacking their zone and forced them to go man against us."
Wofford shot 51.9 percent from the field (27-of-52) and outrebouded Furman 32-26 behind Chadwick's team high seven caroms. Joining Chadwick in double figures were Bishop Ravenel with 13 points, Kenny Hastie with 12, and Jon Pryor with 10.
Furman converted 47.9 percent of its field goal attempts (23-of-48) and 7-of-15 three-pointers (46.7 percent), but the Paladins knocked down only 17-of-27 free throws (63.0 percent). Anthony Thomas chipped in 13 points and Guilherme Da Luz added 10 points for Furman.
"I didn't think we played particularly well the last five minutes of the game, particularly from an offensive standpoint, but you have to give Wofford credit for making some tough shots," said Furman head coach Larry Davis. "We're getting better, but we've got to execute better on both ends of the court when the game is on the line. Tonight they did and we didn't. That was the story."
Furman returns to action on Monday when it hosts Western Carolina at Timmons Arena in a 7:30 p.m. game. Wofford will entertain Georgia Southern in Spartanburg Monday night in a 7:00 p.m. contest.