Furman Edges The Citadel in Overtime Thriller, 67-63

Furman University rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final seven minutes of regulation to defeat The Citadel 67-63 in a thrilling Southern Conference men’s basketball game Wednesday evening at McAlister Field House in Charleston, S.C. The Paladins improved to 14-2 overall and 2-1 in the SoCon, while The Citadel fell to 5-9 and 0-3 in league play.

Trailing 51-43, Furman switched to a one-three-one defense, forcing three consecutive turnovers that sparked a 7-0 run. Ben VanderWal’s free throws, Cooper Bowser’s layup, and PJay Smith Jr.’s three-pointer cut The Citadel’s lead to 51-50. The Paladins held the Bulldogs without a field goal for over seven minutes, regaining the lead with 3:07 left in regulation.

The Citadel’s Sola Adebisi tied the game at 56-56 with 1:10 remaining, but Furman’s defense held strong in overtime. VanderWal made four straight free throws, and the Paladins limited The Citadel to 0-for-5 from three-point range and 1-for-9 from the foul line in the extra period. Smith sealed the victory with two free throws with 7.7 seconds left.

Marcus Anderson led Furman with a game-high 23 points, while Bowser recorded a double-double with 13 points and a career-best 14 rebounds. Smith added 13 points and four steals, and VanderWal contributed eight points and nine rebounds. The Paladins shot just 36.7% from the field but capitalized on 18 Bulldog turnovers, scoring 26 points off those miscues.

The Citadel’s Cam Glover scored 20 points, with Adebisi and Brody Fox adding 15 and 14 points, respectively. Despite shooting 39.6% from the field, the Bulldogs struggled at the free-throw line, converting only 15 of 32 attempts.

Furman will host Wofford in their SoCon home opener at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Saturday, with tip-off set for 12:00 p.m.