Furman wins, headed to first NCAA tourney since 1980
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) Jalen Slawson scored 20 points and Furman beat Chattanooga 88-79 on Monday night to win the Southern Conference Tournament and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1980.
The NCAA field contained 48 teams the last time the top-seeded Paladins made the Big Dance. Furman coach Bob Richey had the Paladins on their way last season as the No. 2 seed until David Jean-Baptiste buried a 35-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to rally top-seeded Chattanooga to a 64-63 victory.
Furman (27-7) took care of business this time around, although adding to the program's record win total didn't come easy.
Slawson had three baskets in an 18-0 run to give the Paladins a 23-7 lead nine minutes into the game. Chattanooga (18-17) was trailing 30-11 when A.J. Caldwell scored the final five points in a 13-0 spurt to pull within 30-26. Chattanooga twice cut its deficit to three, but a layup by JP Pegues gave Furman a 38-33 lead at halftime.
Chattanooga made a late run at the Paladins, using back-to-back 3-pointers from Jamal Johnson and Caldwell's layup to close to within 69-65 at the 5:02 mark - but the Mocs would get no closer.
Slawson made 8 of 12 shots from the floor with two 3-pointers for Furman. Pegues pitched in with 17 points despite missing all seven of his 3-point attempts and Mike Bothwell finished with 16 points, leaving him 10 shy of 2,000 for his career. Bothwell is trying to become the fifth Paladin to reach the 2,000-point plateau.
Jake Stephens paced Chattanooga with 25 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Johnson totaled 17 points and Caldwell posted his first double-double of the season with 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Furman made all six of its previous NCAA Tournament appearances between 1971-80. Its lone win was a 75-67 victory over South Carolina in 1974. They lost to Pittsburgh 81-78 in the Sweet Sixteen.
Chattanooga and former SoCon member Davidson have made the most NCAA Tournament appearances in conference history with 12.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 |  | Â | Jake Stephens vs. Jalen Slawson (JP Pegues gains possession) | Â |
| 19:49 | | Â | Mike Bothwell misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 19:47 |  | Â | Jamal Johnson defensive rebound | Â |
| 19:30 | | +2 | Jake Stephens makes two point dunk (A.J. Caldwell assists) | 2-0 |
| 19:18 | | +2 | Marcus Foster makes two point layup | 2-2 |
| 18:55 | | +3 | A.J. Caldwell makes three point jump shot (Dalvin White assists) | 5-2 |
| 18:28 | | +3 | Jalen Slawson makes three point jump shot (JP Pegues assists) | 5-5 |
| 18:20 | | Â | Demetrius Davis misses two point layup | Â |
| 18:18 | | Â | Jalen Slawson defensive rebound | Â |
| 18:10 | | Â | JP Pegues misses two point layup | Â |
| 18:08 | | Â | Jamal Johnson defensive rebound | Â |
| 18:07 | | Â | Garrett Hien personal foul | Â |
| 17:36 | | Â | Mocs turnover (shot clock violation) | Â |
| 17:12 | | Â | Marcus Foster turnover (bad pass) (Demetrius Davis steals) | Â |
| 17:03 | | Â | Jake Stephens misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 17:01 | | Â | JP Pegues defensive rebound | Â |
| 16:55 | | Â | A.J. Caldwell personal foul (JP Pegues draws the foul) | Â |
| 16:44 | | Â | Alex Williams misses two point layup | Â |
| 16:42 | | Â | Randy Brady defensive rebound | Â |
| 16:31 | | Â | Jake Stephens misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 16:29 | | Â | Randy Brady offensive rebound | Â |
| 16:21 | | +2 | Jake Stephens makes two point layup (A.J. Caldwell assists) | 7-5 |
| 16:14 | | +3 | Alex Williams makes three point jump shot (JP Pegues assists) | 7-8 |
| 15:57 | | Â | JP Pegues personal foul (Dalvin White draws the foul) | Â |
| 15:57 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 15:39 | | Â | Dalvin White misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 15:37 | | Â | Marcus Foster defensive rebound | Â |
| 15:23 | | +2 | Jalen Slawson makes two point jump shot | 7-10 |
| 15:11 | | Â | Jamal Johnson misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 15:09 | | Â | Jalen Slawson defensive rebound | Â |
| 15:03 | | Â | Jalen Slawson misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 15:01 | | Â | Alex Williams offensive rebound | Â |
| 14:55 | | Â | JP Pegues misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 14:53 | | Â | Jamal Johnson defensive rebound | Â |
| 14:34 | | Â | A.J. Caldwell misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 14:32 | | Â | Marcus Foster defensive rebound | Â |
| 14:22 | | +2 | JP Pegues makes two point jump shot | 7-12 |
| 14:10 | | Â | Randy Brady misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 14:08 | | Â | Mike Bothwell defensive rebound | Â |
| 14:01 | | Â | Mike Bothwell offensive foul (Jamal Johnson draws the foul) | Â |
| 14:01 | | Â | Mike Bothwell turnover (offensive foul) | Â |
| 13:42 | | Â | Jamal Johnson misses two point layup | Â |
| 13:40 | | Â | Tyrese Hughey defensive rebound | Â |
| 13:30 | | Â | Jamal Johnson shooting foul (Alex Williams draws the foul) | Â |
| 13:30 | | +1 | Alex Williams makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 7-13 |
| 13:30 | | +1 | Alex Williams makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 7-14 |
| 13:08 | | Â | Jake Stephens misses two point hook shot | Â |
| 13:06 | | Â | Alex Williams defensive rebound | Â |
| 12:57 | | +3 | Carter Whitt makes three point jump shot (Alex Williams assists) | 7-17 |
| 12:52 | | Â | Mocs 30 second timeout | Â |
| 12:36 | | Â | Tyrese Hughey personal foul | Â |
| 12:33 | | Â | Jake Stephens turnover (lost ball) (Jalen Slawson steals) | Â |
| 12:27 | | +2 | Jalen Slawson makes two point layup | 7-19 |
| 12:07 | | Â | Jake Stephens turnover (lost ball) | Â |
| 11:44 | | Â | Garrett Hien misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 11:42 | | Â | Ben Vanderwal offensive rebound | Â |
| 11:40 | | +2 | Ben Vanderwal makes two point layup | 7-21 |
| 11:40 | | Â | Khristion Courseault shooting foul (Ben Vanderwal draws the foul) | Â |
| 11:40 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 11:40 | | Â | Ben Vanderwal misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | Â |
| 11:40 | | Â | A.J. Caldwell defensive rebound | Â |
| 11:30 | | Â | Khristion Courseault turnover (bad pass) | Â |
| 11:19 | | +2 | Jalen Slawson makes two point layup | 7-23 |
| 10:59 | | Â | Demetrius Davis misses two point layup | Â |
| 10:57 | | Â | Marcus Foster defensive rebound | Â |
| 10:51 | | Â | JP Pegues misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 10:49 | | Â | Sam Alexis defensive rebound | Â |
| 10:43 | | Â | Dalvin White misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 10:41 | | Â | Marcus Foster defensive rebound | Â |
| 10:14 | | Â | Mike Bothwell misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 10:12 | | Â | Dalvin White defensive rebound | Â |
| 10:02 | | Â | Demetrius Davis misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 10:00 | | Â | Jalen Slawson defensive rebound | Â |
| 9:56 | | Â | Demetrius Davis shooting foul (Jalen Slawson draws the foul) | Â |
| 9:56 | | Â | Jalen Slawson misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â |
| 9:56 | | Â | Jalen Slawson misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | Â |
| 9:56 | | Â | Jamal Johnson defensive rebound | Â |
| 9:36 | | +2 | Dalvin White makes two point jump shot | 9-23 |
| 9:21 | | +3 | Alex Williams makes three point jump shot (Jalen Slawson assists) | 9-26 |
| 9:04 | | Â | Khristion Courseault misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 9:02 | | Â | Jalen Slawson defensive rebound | Â |
| 8:52 | | Â | Marcus Foster misses two point layup | Â |
| 8:50 | | Â | Jake Stephens defensive rebound | Â |
| 8:43 | | +2 | Khristion Courseault makes two point layup | 11-26 |
| 8:24 | | +2 | JP Pegues makes two point layup | 11-28 |
| 8:06 | | Â | JP Pegues personal foul (Jake Stephens draws the foul) | Â |
| 8:04 | | Â | Marcus Foster blocks Jamal Johnson's two point jump shot | Â |
| 8:02 | | Â | Marcus Foster defensive rebound | Â |
| 7:58 | | Â | Carter Whitt turnover (bad pass) | Â |
| 7:58 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 7:47 | | Â | Tyrese Hughey personal foul | Â |
| 7:39 | | Â | A.J. Caldwell turnover (bad pass) | Â |
| 7:28 | | +2 | Alex Williams makes two point layup (Jalen Slawson assists) | 11-30 |
| 7:18 | | +2 | Khristion Courseault makes two point layup | 13-30 |
| 6:56 | | Â | Marcus Foster misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 6:54 | | Â | A.J. Caldwell defensive rebound | Â |
| 6:32 | | +2 | Jake Stephens makes two point layup (Khristion Courseault assists) | 15-30 |
| 6:32 | | Â | Jalen Slawson personal foul (Jake Stephens draws the foul) | Â |
| 6:32 | | +1 | Jake Stephens makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 16-30 |
| 6:16 | | Â | Jalen Slawson misses two point layup | Â |
| 6:14 | | Â | Jake Stephens defensive rebound | Â |
| 6:02 | | Â | Jalen Slawson shooting foul (Randy Brady draws the foul) | Â |
| 6:02 | | +1 | Randy Brady makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 17-30 |
| 6:02 | | +1 | Randy Brady makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 18-30 |
| 5:48 | | Â | Alex Williams misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 5:46 | | Â | Ben Vanderwal offensive rebound | Â |
| 5:32 | | Â | Carter Whitt misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 5:30 | | Â | Jake Stephens defensive rebound | Â |
| 5:15 | | +3 | Jamal Johnson makes three point jump shot (Jake Stephens assists) | 21-30 |
| 4:55 | | Â | Mike Bothwell misses two point jump shot | Â |
| 4:53 | | Â | A.J. Caldwell defensive rebound | Â |
| 4:43 | | +3 | A.J. Caldwell makes three point jump shot (Khristion Courseault assists) | 24-30 |
| 4:40 | | Â | Paladins 30 second timeout | Â |
| 4:26 | | Â | Ben Vanderwal offensive foul (Randy Brady draws the foul) | Â |
| 4:26 | | Â | Ben Vanderwal turnover (offensive foul) | Â |
| 4:01 | | Â | Jamal Johnson misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 3:59 | | Â | Jake Stephens offensive rebound | Â |
| 3:59 | | Â | Jump ball. Jake Stephens vs. Mike Bothwell (Mocs gains possession) | Â |
| 3:59 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 3:57 | | Â | Jamal Johnson misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 3:55 | | Â | JP Pegues defensive rebound | Â |
| 3:31 | | Â | Garrett Hien misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 3:29 | | Â | Jamal Johnson defensive rebound | Â |
| 3:09 | | +2 | A.J. Caldwell makes two point layup | 26-30 |
| 2:58 | | +2 | JP Pegues makes two point jump shot | 26-32 |
| 2:39 | | +3 | Jake Stephens makes three point jump shot (A.J. Caldwell assists) | 29-32 |
| 2:23 | | Â | JP Pegues misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 2:21 | | Â | A.J. Caldwell defensive rebound | Â |
| 1:56 | | Â | Khristion Courseault misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 1:54 | | Â | JP Pegues defensive rebound | Â |
| 1:53 | | Â | Jake Stephens personal foul (JP Pegues draws the foul) | Â |
| 1:45 | | +2 | JP Pegues makes two point layup | 29-34 |
| 1:33 | | Â | Jamal Johnson turnover (lost ball) (Tyrese Hughey steals) | Â |
| 1:24 | | Â | Jamal Johnson personal foul | Â |
| 1:07 | | Â | JP Pegues misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 1:05 | | Â | Randy Brady defensive rebound | Â |
| 1:03 | | Â | Dalvin White personal foul (Tyrese Hughey draws the foul) | Â |
| 1:03 | | +1 | Tyrese Hughey makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 29-35 |
| 1:03 | | +1 | Tyrese Hughey makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 29-36 |
| 0:52 | | Â | Dalvin White turnover | Â |
| 0:51 | | +3 | Jake Stephens makes three point jump shot (Dalvin White assists) | 32-36 |
| 0:51 | | Â | Tyrese Hughey shooting foul (Jake Stephens draws the foul) | Â |
| 0:51 | | +1 | Jake Stephens makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 33-36 |
| 0:43 | | Â | Alex Williams misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 0:41 | | Â | Jake Stephens defensive rebound | Â |
| 0:22 | | Â | A.J. Caldwell misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 0:20 | | Â | Mike Bothwell defensive rebound | Â |
| 0:02 | | +2 | JP Pegues makes two point layup | 33-38 |
| 0:00 | | Â | End of period | Â |