January 19, 2004
FURMAN DEFENSE SHUTS DOWN EAGLES IN 57-40 VICTORY
GREENVILLE, South Carolina -- The Furman defense held the Eagles of Georgia Southern to 26.3% shooting Monday night in a 57-40 Lady Paladin victory at Timmons Arena.
The Eagles took an early 9-6 lead on a Jessica Everett layup at 14:20, but the Lady Paladins tied the game at nine on a Laney Harris three-pointer. Furman then went on an 18-4 run to hold a 27-13 advantage with 3:26 left in the half. The teams played even over the last three minutes and Furman led 34-20 at the break. The Lady Paladins shot 57.1% (12-21) from the field in the first half while holding Georgia Southern to a 28.6% (8-28) mark.
The Furman defense kept up the pressure in the second period, allowing just one GSU field goal in the first 4:00. At 9:44 the Lady Paladins scored their 52nd point of the night on a Deshara Shealey jumper and the offense hit the skids holding a 52-26 advantage. The Lady Paladins did not score again until a Kim Lawrence jump shot at 1:22, but GSU had only cut the Furman lead to 12 and the Lady Paladins were able to hold on for the 17-point victory.
“That was a very good win for us,” said head coach Sam Dixon. “We came out with a lot of energy and our defensive pressure got us off to a good start and helped up beat a very solid, athletic team.”
Furman was led on the night by senior Kim Lawrence’s 16 points and six rebounds. Jen Nadalin added 11 points while Deshara Shealey scored 10, contributing to the Lady Paladin bench’s 27 points on the night. Lauren Few was the top Lady Paladin playmaker, with five assists, while Shealey claimed a career-best six steals.
“Kim was a major factor for us tonight,” said Dixon. “She played a very well-rounded game. She scored well, she rebounded well, and she played good defense. It was one of her most complete games of the year so far.”
The Eagles were paced by Shawnica Hill’s 10 points, while Adrienne Early topped GSU on the boards, with nine. Early also totaled nine points on a three-for-four night from the field, while Jessica Everett added eight to the Geogia Southern total.
With the win Furman improves to 9-7 overall and 6-3 in the Southern Conference, while Georgia Southern falls to 8-7 overall and 5-5 in league play. Furman will travel to conference-leading Chattanooga on Saturday for a 4 p.m. game, before facing East Tennessee State Monday at 4:30. The Eagles’ next game is Wednesday, a non-conference matchup with Savannah State.