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Paladins Valiant Comeback Falls Just Short
The Furman Paladins suffered a heartbreaking 76-65 loss to the UTC Mocs this morning in the SoCon tournament in Asheville. Unfortunately, the end of the Dins’ SoCon tournament run is also likely the end of the season for Furman. Physicality and sheer determination willed the Dins back from a double digit deficit to get within 8 in the 4th quarter. However, the Mocs hit a couple of key shots late as the shotclock expired. This proved to be momentum that Furman could not overcome.
As a Team
The Paladins put together one of the best displays of all around team basketball I have seen so far this season. All but one player that saw the court today for the Dins scored at least one point. All but 7 of Furman’s field goals were assisted shots, good for just under 67%. As a team, Furman shot 45.1% from the field, 50% from three, and a perfect 100% from the free throw line. The Paladins only committed 9 turnovers, and had 13 points off the bench.
Defensively, the Paladins managed to shut down the entire Mocs team except for two players. Mocs Superstar Gianna Corbitt was almost unstoppable, and has been all season. Corbitt had 29 points on 10-16 shooting, including 5-10 from beyond the arc. Caia Elisaldez had 28 points for the Mocs, shooting 10-16 from the field and 6-9 from three. The two players combined for 57 of the Mocs 76 points, or 75% of their offensive output. Despite this, the Paladins managed to force 24 turnovers, one of the highest marks in program history for a single game.
Moving Forward
In the words of the great Billy Beane, “The only game that matters is the last game of the season.” I believe this rings true today for the Paladins. Although this may not be the best ending, there is still plenty we can learn. I asked Coach Pierre Curtis what he learned from his team this year. “In a word, patience.” There was far moreto Coach P’s answer, whichyou can watch in the video below. This is a young team, with a young core, and a great leading voice in Clare Coyle. It will befun to watch her continue to grow into that leadership role next year.
It was not the finish the Paladins were hoping for, but the future is certainly bright in Greenville.
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