Garrett Hien scored 20 points and Furman snapped a two-game slide with a 79-60 victory against South Carolina at the Charleston Classic on Sunday morning in Charleston, S.C.
Coming off the bench for the Paladins (3-2), Hien made 8 of 12 shots from the field, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, and added five rebounds and three assists.
Jalen Slawson had 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds for Furman, while Tyrese Hughey added 12 points and Mike Bothwell chipped in 11.
Gregory Jackson II led the Gamecocks (2-3) with 19 points and six rebounds. Chico Carter Jr. had 17 points.
After starting the season 2-0, South Carolina has lost three straight and went winless at the Charleston Classic.
Furman snapped a nine-game losing streak against SEC opponents. Their last win over an SEC team also came against South Carolina in December 2010.
South Carolina jumped out to an 11-4 lead, but Furman fought back to cut the deficit 16-15 on a layup by Slawson.
A 15-0 run by the Paladins included three 3-pointers and put them in front 30-20
Furman was sharp from long distance throughout the game, making 12 of 27 3-point attempts (44.4 percent).
The Paladins led 38-31 at halftime and kept the Gamecocks at arms’ length, never allowing them to come within a possession of tying the game.
Furman used a 17-8 run near the end of the game to take a 21-point lead, its largest of the day. That stretch featured nine points from Hien.
After missing Friday’s contest with an ankle injury, Meechie Johnson returned to the court for South Carolina. The Ohio State transfer tallied three points and five assists.
The Gamecocks made only 9 of 16 free throws, turned the ball over 17 times and were out-rebounded 34-24.
–Field Level Media