Junior Alex Williams merely picked up the slack, not that there’s anything easy about 31 points and eight rebounds.

Furman’s leading scorer, Marcus Foster, is out until at least mid-January due to an injury suffered against Princeton. Williams led the Paladins in similar style during Saturday afternoon’s 100-58 victory over Bob Jones University at Timmons Arena.

J.P. Pegues added 21 points and a career-best 12 assists to pace Furman (5-5).

After a string of solid performances without any breakthroughs in the win column, a Saturday matinee against the nearby Bruins was like free popcorn.

Williams canned 12/19 shots, including 6/12 from three-point range, to shatter his previous career-high of 20 points. Pegues drained 5/11 three-point tries en route to his first career double-double while PJay Smith Jr. finished with 18 points on 5/14 shooting from long range.

The Paladins raced out to a 28-8 lead and carried a 47-25 advantage into halftime. A 28-6 Paladin run midway through the second half extended the margin to 88-43 on Williams’ layup with 5:52 remaining and Furman pushed its lead to as many as 46 points before settling for the 42-point victory.

Furman (5-5) feasted on 18 Bruin turnovers that led to 32 points. The Paladins, who managed a 52-25 rebounding margin and scored 17 second-chance points on 19 offensive boards, dished out 33 assists, the second highest team total in school history. Carter Whitt joined Pegues in double digits and matched his career-high with 10 assists. Tyrese Hughey, meanwhile, grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds.

Bob Jones shot just .393 from the field and attempted only two free throws as Furman was whistled for just three fouls. Devin Pope led the Bruins with 16 points and Garrick Kennedy added 11.

Furman shot .494 from the floor and converted 7/8 trips to the foul line. Bob Jones (1-6) shot .393 from the floor and hit its only two free throws.

The Paladins (5-5) are back in action on Thursday in New Orleans, La., versus Tulane before concluding non-conference play at Timmons Arena versus Presbyterian (Dec. 19) and Anderson (Dec. 30).

Take a look at the stats here.

Led by Trinity Johnson with 17 points and six rebounds, USC Upstate upended the Furman women, 61-58, at Hodge Center in Spartanburg.

Johnson, a graduate transfer from Presbyterian, also had five assists.

Led by Tate Walters, Furman used a 21-9 second-quarter advantage to take a four-point (32-28) lead at halftime.

Johnson hit a three-pointer with 1:30 left to give the Spartans the lead, 59-56, they never surrendered. Her free throws with three seconds remaining iced the outcome.

Dakota Reeves (16), Jeni Levine (10) and Rebekah Gordon (10) all scored in double figures for USCU (5-6).

Shooting doomed Furman (6-5), who put up a .370 percentage from the field, .333 in three pointers. The Spartans’ corresponding numbers were .425 and .429.

Walters led the Paladins with 14 points. Jada Session scored 12 with eight rebounds.

Niveya Henley scored 13, and Sydney Ryan totaled 10. The Paladins outrebounded the Spartans, 38-29.

Elon visits Timmons Arena on Thursday night at 7.

Take a look at the stats here.

Here and there: Furman reached triple digits in both its games against Bob Jones. The women’s team slipped by the Bruins, 124-44. … Former Paladin guard Joe Anderson has scored in double figures just once at David Lipscomb in Nashville, Tenn. Anderson scored 24 points against … Wofford.

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Thanks so much for the recent contributions.

I used to list an address to send a check (DHK Sports, P.O. Box 768, Clinton, S.C. 29325). I finally got it through my thick head that not that many people write checks nowadays. For example, me. A more convenient means might be sending a reasonable amount to DHK Sports on Venmo.

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