Furman basketball eliminated from March Madness after second-round loss to San Diego State

Christina Long, Greenville News
·2 min read
1

Furman basketball's March Madness magic ran out Saturday. Two days after their first-round upset of No. 4-seed Virginia, the No. 13-seeded Paladins exited the NCAA Tournament with a 75-52 loss to No. 5 San Diego State at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

Furman was playing in its first NCAA Tournament since 1980, and the win over Virginia was the Paladins' first tournament victory since 1974. Saturday was an opportunity for Furman to win a second tournament game for the first time in program history, but it fell short.

The Paladins (28-8) suffered long scoring droughts while struggling to contend with San Diego State (29-6) in the paint. The team that averaged 81.7 points per game this season scored less than two-thirds that in its final game.

LOCAL SCENE:NCAA Tournament: Furman students, alumni hoping for a comeback at Greenville watch parties

UPSET ALERT:Furman basketball's JP Pegues describes winning March Madness moment: 'I had full belief'

Furman offense goes cold

Furman fell victim to San Diego State's stifling defense. The Aztecs rank No. 10 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, and they clashed with a Furman offense that ranks No. 9 in points per game. The defense won out.

Furman went almost 11 minutes without a made field goal in the first half. The Paladins managed to add seven points at the free-throw line during that stretch, but they missed seven straight shots from the field. San Diego State outscored them 27-9 in the final 11 minutes of the half and took a 14-point lead into the break.

The Paladins shot better in the second half, but the defense couldn't slow down the Aztecs. Furman finished the game shooting 32% from the field to San Diego State's 50%.

San Diego State dominant in the paint

Furman couldn't stop San Diego State inside. The Aztecs scored 40 points in the paint, good for 53% of their total points.

Also notable were the Aztecs' second-chance points. San Diego State added 18 points on 10 offensive rebounds. Furman had six offensive boards and five points on second chances.

Jalen Slawson in foul trouble

Starting forward Jalen Slawson started the second half with one personal foul. Three-and-a-half minutes into the second half, he had four.

Slawson fouled out with 10 minutes left to play. He was then also assessed a technical foul.

The senior was Furman's second-leading scorer this season. He finished Saturday's game 2-for-5 from the field with eight points.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: San Diego State eliminates Furman basketball from March Madness