November 22, 2002
JAMES MADISON HOLDS OFF FURMAN 68-66
GREENVILLE, S.C.. -- Kenny Whitehead drained a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left in the game to help James Madison hold off Furman 68-66 in men's basketball action Saturday evening at Timmons Arena.
Whitehead's free throws came after Karim Souchu's bucket with 42 seconds remaining pulled Furman to within two points at 66-64. Following Whitehead's two free throws, Furman's Kenny Zeigler made it 68-66 with a lauyup with seven seconds left, but the Paladins' Marian Pojatina's potential game tying tip in off an inbounds pass with 0:03 on the clock bounced hard off the rim as time expired. Pojatina's shot came after Whitehead missed a free throw with 6.5 seconds left.
"We found a way to win," said James Madison head coach Sherman Dillard, whose team claimed its first ever season opening road win. "We came ready to play, and it showed in the first 17-18 minutes. That energy was enough to carry us, and we managed to stay together as a team."
David Fanning, the Colonial Athletic Association's leading scorer a year ago, led the Dukes with 22 points followed by Ian Caskill's career high 17 points and 11 rebounds. Chris Williams added 11 points and Whitehead 10 points for James Madison.
Furman got a game high 25 points from All-Southern Conference performer Karim Souchu and 10 points from Paco Gonzalez.
James Madison shot 49.1 percent from the field to Furman's 41.9 percent. The Paladins, however, claimed a 41-33 rebounding advantage against the taller Dukes, but Furman shot poorly at the free throw line, connecting on only 11-of-21 opportunities (52.4%).
James Madison (1-0) threatened to run Furman (1-2) out of the gym early, racing to a 40-18 lead following a steal and layup by Fanning with 2:20 left in the first half. Furman, however, recovered to with a 10-0 run the rest of the way to narrow the Dukes' advantage to 40-28 at halftime.
Furman put together a 15-4 streak over the first six minutes of the second half to draw within one point at 44-43 following a jump shot by Tony Carter at the 13:55 mark.
The Paladins later tied the game at 50-50 on a bucket by Karim Souchu at the 9:53 juncture, but the Dukes answered with a 9-3 spurt, highlighted by a 3-pointer and layup by Fanning and a layup and dunk by Caskill.
Furman battled back yet again, getting within two points at 64-62 after Gonzalez scored off an offensive rebound with 53 seconds left. Fouled on the play, the 6-6 sophomore center failed to convert the free throw to make it a one-point game, and Guilherme Da Luz was whistled for a foul on the rebound, leading to a pair of Fanning free throws that gave the Dukes a 66-62 advantage with 52 seconds remaining.
"You just can't spot a team like James Madison a 22-point lead and get over it very easily," said Furman head coach Larry Davis. "I was as proud of our guys in the second half and the way they battled back as I was disappointed in our play in the first 17 minutes of the game. We just couldn't get over the hump."
"This was a good game for us...a good game against a team with height because that's what we'll see from several upcoming opponents."
Furman returns to action on Monday night when it takes on Notre Dame in the Guardians Classic in Kansas City, Mo. Tipoff is set for 8:30 CST (9:30 EST).