Box Score Game Box (pdf)
Game highlights
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Wofford men’s basketball team earned a key Southern Conference road win with a 79-72 victory over Furman on Saturday afternoon at Timmons Arena. The Terriers were down seven points at the half, but outscored the Paladins by 14 points in the second half for the win.
Wofford is now 12-8 on the season and 5-3 in the Southern Conference, while Furman is 9-10 overall and 3-5 in conference play. The Terriers were led by Kevin Giltner with 26 points and Brad Loesing with 21 points. Lee Skinner led the team with nine rebounds. The Paladins were led by Brandon Sebirumbi with 18 points, while Charlie Reddick had 14 points and four rebounds.
“I don’t think we handled some things very well early but we figured it out,” said Wofford head coach Mike Young. “What a great year Kevin Giltner is having. No one deserves it more because he has worked and been a great team mate and player for us. He has been a big part of our success in his career and this is his time. He has made the most of his moments through the first twenty games and he was terrific today.”
The Paladins scored first and had an 8-4 lead after back-to-back three pointers with 15:40 on the clock. Drew Crowell tied the game at eight points each. Furman was able to go on a 7-0 run to take a 15-8 lead with 11:26 left in the first half. Jarell Byrd ended the run with a lay-up and a three by Lee Skinner made it a 15-13 score at the mid-point of the first half.
Furman then went on an 8-1 run, which included five free throws, to take a 23-14 lead with eight minutes on the clock. Kevin Giltner hit a three pointer and two free throws to cut the lead to 23- 19 at the seven minute mark. Furman hit back-to-back three to push the lead back to 33-25 with four minutes to play. After another couple three pointers, the Paladins had a 40-29 advantage with two minutes left in the first half. At the break, Furman had a 42-35 lead which was partly due to seven three pointers.
Wofford opened the second half with four points, but Furman then hit another three. Karl Cochran answered with a three for the Terriers to make it a 45-42 game three minutes into play. After both teams were called for technical fouls, Kevin Giltner hit a three pointer to give Wofford a 47-45 lead, the first of the game for the Terriers at 15:40. With 10:21 remaining in the game, the score was tied at 54 after a three by Brad Loesing.
Back-to-back threes by Brad Loesing and Kevin Giltner gave Wofford a 60-54 advantage with 7:52 left in the second half. The 11-0 run for the Terriers continued with two free throws by Brad Loesing for a 62-54 lead before the Paladins scored with seven minutes remaining. A three by Kevin Giltner from the corner gave Wofford a 71-59 lead with 4:14 on the clock.
With 1:55 remaining, the Terriers had a 73-66 lead. Furman cut the lead to 73-70 with 54 seconds left after a basket by Brandon Sebirumbi. Karl Cochran dunked with 19 seconds left and Brad Loesing added two free throws for a 77-70 lead. Two free throws by Kevin Giltner with one second on the clock provided the 79-72 final margin of victory.
The Terriers shot 51.0% from the floor for the evening, while Furman shot 52.9% overall. Wofford finished 8-13 from behind the arc. The Paladins went 11-of-22 from three. Wofford was 21-of-25 from the free throw line, while Furman went 7-of-11 from the charity stripe. The Terriers had a 35 to 17 lead on the glass.
The Terriers marked the first win of the season when trailing at the half. It was only the third road win of the year, along with wins at Bradley and Wake Forest. Kevin Giltner scored 20 or more points for the fifth time this season. Mike Young was called for a technical foul at 8:36 in the first half, only the third of his career. In the second half at 15:56, Kevin Giltner and Charlie Reddick were called for technical fouls.
Wofford continues the three-game road trip on Thursday night at The Citadel for a 7:00 p.m. contest. The next home game will be Monday, January 30 against Western Carolina.
