With two games remaining in its regular season, push has come to shove for the Furman University men's basketball team.
The Paladins could push their way to as high as second place in the Southern Conference's South Division; on the other hand, they could be shoved down to fourth place.
Furman takes a big step toward determining its fate today when it hosts the College of Charleston at 7 p.m. in Timmons Arena. The Paladins wrap up their regular season at North Division-leading Chattanooga on Saturday.
"We've got a tough row to hoe," Furman coach Larry Davis said after his team's 77-70 loss at red-hot Wofford College on Saturday. "But we've got to buckle up and take care of business."
The College of Charleston, which shares third place with Furman in the South Division at 8-6, has been a nemesis since joining the SoCon seven seasons ago, defeating the Paladins 13 times in 15 meetings. But Furman beat the Cougars at Timmons last season and is 11-1 at home this season.
The Paladins also have shown resiliency since losing leading scorer and preseason all-SoCon selection Quan Prowell at midseason. Furman has clinched a winning season, and a win over the Cougars would guarantee the Paladins their first winning conference record since the 1991-92 season.
"We're more ahead in conference wins than we've ever been and we still have a chance to win more regular-season games than we have in years," said Davis, who is in his eighth season.
Sophomore Moussa Diagne has paced the Paladins lately. He scored 24 points at Wofford and is averaging more than 18 points and seven rebounds in the past eight games.
It's possible that help could be on the way. Prowell, who is taking semester exams this week, could regain his eligibility and rejoin the team for Saturday's visit to Chattanooga.
Probable starters: Charleston ? Tony Mitchell, Sr., guard, 15.1 ppg.; Drew Hall, Jr., guard, 3.9 ppg., 4.9 asp.; Dante Draper, Soph., guard, 12.0 ppg.; Stanley Jackson, Sr., forward, 10.5 ppg., 5.0 rpg.; Bernard Jackson, Sr., 10.6 ppg., 6.0 rpg.
Furman ? Robby Bostain, Soph., guard, 10.9 ppg.; Tony Carter, Jr., guard, 9.2 ppg.; Eric Webb, Soph., guard, 11.5 ppg.; Nicholas Sanders, Sr., forward, 7.3 ppg., 5.0 rpg.; Moussa Diagne, Soph., 11.5 ppg., 5.3 rpg.
Notes: Furman leads the SoCon in field goal percentage (47.1 percent) despite not having a player ranked among the top 15 in that category. ... Furman leads the all-time series against the College of Charleston by a 39-24 margin, although the Cougars have won 13 of the teams' last 15 meetings. ... Furman won last year at Timmons, 58-57.
The Paladins could push their way to as high as second place in the Southern Conference's South Division; on the other hand, they could be shoved down to fourth place.
Furman takes a big step toward determining its fate today when it hosts the College of Charleston at 7 p.m. in Timmons Arena. The Paladins wrap up their regular season at North Division-leading Chattanooga on Saturday.
"We've got a tough row to hoe," Furman coach Larry Davis said after his team's 77-70 loss at red-hot Wofford College on Saturday. "But we've got to buckle up and take care of business."
The College of Charleston, which shares third place with Furman in the South Division at 8-6, has been a nemesis since joining the SoCon seven seasons ago, defeating the Paladins 13 times in 15 meetings. But Furman beat the Cougars at Timmons last season and is 11-1 at home this season.
The Paladins also have shown resiliency since losing leading scorer and preseason all-SoCon selection Quan Prowell at midseason. Furman has clinched a winning season, and a win over the Cougars would guarantee the Paladins their first winning conference record since the 1991-92 season.
"We're more ahead in conference wins than we've ever been and we still have a chance to win more regular-season games than we have in years," said Davis, who is in his eighth season.
Sophomore Moussa Diagne has paced the Paladins lately. He scored 24 points at Wofford and is averaging more than 18 points and seven rebounds in the past eight games.
It's possible that help could be on the way. Prowell, who is taking semester exams this week, could regain his eligibility and rejoin the team for Saturday's visit to Chattanooga.
Probable starters: Charleston ? Tony Mitchell, Sr., guard, 15.1 ppg.; Drew Hall, Jr., guard, 3.9 ppg., 4.9 asp.; Dante Draper, Soph., guard, 12.0 ppg.; Stanley Jackson, Sr., forward, 10.5 ppg., 5.0 rpg.; Bernard Jackson, Sr., 10.6 ppg., 6.0 rpg.
Furman ? Robby Bostain, Soph., guard, 10.9 ppg.; Tony Carter, Jr., guard, 9.2 ppg.; Eric Webb, Soph., guard, 11.5 ppg.; Nicholas Sanders, Sr., forward, 7.3 ppg., 5.0 rpg.; Moussa Diagne, Soph., 11.5 ppg., 5.3 rpg.
Notes: Furman leads the SoCon in field goal percentage (47.1 percent) despite not having a player ranked among the top 15 in that category. ... Furman leads the all-time series against the College of Charleston by a 39-24 margin, although the Cougars have won 13 of the teams' last 15 meetings. ... Furman won last year at Timmons, 58-57.
