UNCG SLIPS PAST FURMAN, 70-67;
PALADINS TO PLAY
WESTERN CAROLINA THURSDAY AT 6:00
P.M. IN SOCON TOURNEY
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Courtney Eldridge scored 21 points and handed out 10 assists to lead UNCG to a 70-67 victory over Furman on Saturday night in Fleming Gymnasium in Southern Conference basketball action.
The win improves the Spartans to 18-9 on the season and 11-5 in conference play. Furman falls to 14-13 overall and 7-9 in league action.
UNCG finished with the No. 3 seed in the SoCon's North Division. The Spartans will play Wofford, the South Division's No. 6 seed, on Thursday, February 28, in the 2002 Mountain Dew SoCon Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled to begin at approximately 2:30 p.m. in the North Charleston (S.C.) Coliseum. Furman will square off against Western Carolina on Thursday, February 28, at 6 p.m. The Catamounts defeated the Paladins, 77-67, in Cullowhee on Jan. 7 in the only meeting between the two teams this year.
Both teams got off to a sluggish start offensively. The Spartans, coming off an emotional senior night presentation, didn't score their first basket until Eldridge hit a layup at the 16:04 mark. Neither team took command in the first half as there were five ties and eight lead changes. Furman went into the intermission with a slim 27-25 lead after Guilherme Da Luz hit a jumper with just two seconds remaining.
With the Spartans holding a 42-40 advantage with less than 11:30 remaining in the second half, Joseph hit a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to five. Joseph then buried another 3-pointer and on the following posession hit a two from just inside the arc to give the Spartans a 50-42 lead at the 9:33 mark.
The Spartans would stretch their lead to as many as nine as late as 1:50.
Furman wasn't going to go quietly though. Da Luz put the Paladins on his back and scored nine of the team's last 10 points. Da Luz hit a layup with just 15 seconds remaining and was fouled by David Schuck. His free throw brought the Paladins to within one point, 68-67.
Eldridge was then fouled by Karim Souchu while bringing the ball up the court. Eldridge calmly sank both free throws to preserve the Spartan's victory. UNCG shot a sizzling 64.0 percent in the second half (16-of-25). Joseph also finished with 21 points for the Spartans, and Schuck added 10 points in just 21 minutes before fouling out. Tizzo Johnson added eight points and four rebounds off the bench.
Karim Souchu led the Paladins with 16 points and nine rebounds. Anthony Thomas finished with 14 points and Da Luz scored 11. The Paladins outrebounded the Spartans, 34-24.