December 28, 1999

Release: Upon Receipt

FURMAN FALLS 60-54 TO UMASS AT DARTMOUTH INVITATIONAL

HANOVER, New Hampshire -- Furman's Lady Paladin basketball team outscored UMass 32-29 in the second period of the Dartmouth Invitational's first game, but was unable to overcome a nine-point halftime deficit in the 60-54 loss. Furman will face the loser of the Dartmouth - William & Mary game, played later this evening, tomorrow at 6 p.m. in consolation action.

Furman scored first to take a 2-0 advantage over UMass, but was able to put just six points on the board in the first 9:33 of the game and trailed 22-6 with 11:51 to play in the first half. The Minutewomen of UMass shot 50% in the first period, while Furman managed only 26.7% from the field. UMass took its biggest lead of the game, a 17-point, 25-8 advantage, with 6:13 to go in the first period.

For the final five minutes of the first half, the Lady Paladins outscored the Minutewomen 14-6 to cut the advantage to nine, 31-22, at halftime.

In the second period, the Lady Paladins saw the UMass lead lengthen to 13 points, but began another comeback with 17 minutes left to play. Furman finally moved to within nine points of UMass at the 14:58 mark, 37-28, and despite shrinking the lead to six points on two occasions, trailed by 10, 45-35 with 9:36 to go. A Tara Charles three-pointer cut the UMass lead to seven with 9:21 on the clock, and Furman stayed within single digits of the Minutewomen for the game's remainder.

With 3:45 left to play, the UMass lead was six, but a pair of consecutive fouls, combined with a pair of made free throws by Torrie Scott and a hit and a miss at the line by Leitra Young, shrank Massachusetts' lead to three. Two minutes later, Furman pulled to within one when Jackie Smith sank a pair of free throws, but in the final 25 seconds UMass forward Alison McFarland made four consecutive free throws to keep Furman at bay.

Furman was led on the night by Jackie Smith who posted 18 points and nine boards to miss her 38th career double-double by one rebound. Junior guard Torrie Scott added nine points, a career-high 10 rebounds, and a team-high four assists, while Tara Charles garnered a career-high eight steals. Four UMass players were in double figures with Tonia Thomas scoring a team-high 16.

With the loss, Furman falls to 4-5 on the year, while UMass improves to 4-6.