By MONTE DUTTON

When I was a kid, I thought Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium had the best marketing link in history going. The tarpaulin rolled out over the field by the grounds crew was sponsored by Morton Salt.

When it rains, it pours.

That was pesky Virginia Military Institute’s seeming slogan in Furman’s 75-62 victory over the Keydets at Timmons Arena on Wednesday night. VMI (4-21, 1-12 Southern Conference) stayed right in it until Furman put together a 21-1 run together over a span of 6 minutes, 51 seconds in the second half.

Finally, it poured. For a while. Enough.

The Paladins led by as many as 20 points, and the lead was safe the rest of the way.

VMI deserves respect for its perseverance. The Keydets lost four freshmen to the transfer protocol at the end of 2022-23. They have allowed 100 or more points five times in SoCon play but also played six games decided by six or less, only one of which they won. Furman beat them, 100-60, back on Jan. 17.

A lot about the night was wondrous. A lot of it was ponderous.

Wondrous was sophomore forward Ben Vander Wal, who stepped up to lead the Paladins in points (15), rebounds (13) and fouls (5).

Vander Wal said on post-game radio that it was the first time he had ever fouled out of a game at any level.

“I pride myself on being a pretty smart player on the court,” he said. “I guess, through my [aggressiveness], I got a little too foul-happy.

“The thing for me is just focus on doing what I can do, and the other part of the game comes to me.”

But it seems there’s always something crouching in the shadows, be it injury, illness or, in the latest case, “violation of team rules,” which took Alex Williams’ 15.3 points and considerable other contributions out of the lineup via head coach Bob Richey’s suspension. Williams’ status for Sunday’s Chattanooga game is unsettled.

The Paladins led for most of the first half. An 8-0 run gave them a 37-25 bulge with four minutes remaining in the first half.

VMI, often beaten but seldom discouraged, closed fast and trailed only 39-34 at halftime.

Only Marcus Foster, who wound up with 13 points and seven rebounds, scored in double figures with 10 in the first half. Furman shot .467 from the field and .333 from deep in the first half, while VMI completed the halfway point at .333 and .273, respectively. Both teams were strong at the foul line, VMI 7/8 and Furman 7/9.

The Keydets, last in the SoCon in rebounding, held a 21-20 edge in the first half, but Furman dominated second-half caroms, 31-18, particularly on the offensive glass.

By the accounts of both Vander Wal and head coach Bob Richey, rebounding was a halftime point of emphasis.

“It’s a choice, you know,” Richey said to Dan Scott and Tom Van Hoy. “The ball goes up. You’ve got to decide if you’re going to go get it or not. If you want to stay in there and play passive[ly], just watch the ball, or do you want to go make a play on it?

“We’ve got all kinds of guys on the perimeter who can go in there and board the ball, but it’s a choice, and if you’re not going to do it, you’re not going to play as much as you want to play.”

Vander Wal, from Elmhurst, Ill., hit 5/6 field-goal attempts and 4/6 free throws to lead three Paladins in double figures. Junior J.P. Pegues posted 14 points and eight assists. Carter Whitt paired eight points and seven assists.

Senior Garrett Hien scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. Freshman Cooper Bowser gave the team a lift with five points and four rebounds.

VMI opened the second half on a 12-7 run to tie the game at 46-46 with 14:42 to play, but the Paladins reeled off a 21-1 spurt over the next 6:30 to take control. Pegues opened the run with back-to-back threes, and the Paladins held the Keydets without a basket from the 14:42 mark until A.J. Clark scored with 7:53 to go.

Furman (14-12, 8-5) shot just .429 from the field, 9/31 behind the arc, but held VMI to .353 shooting. The Keydets found the range on just 4/18 three-point attempts and 10/15 foul shots.

Taeshaud Jackson led the Keydets with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Maurice Wright Jr. scored 13 and made three steals. VMI produced only six assists in 24 field goals. Furman distributed 18 for 28.

Furman hosts Chattanooga on Sunday in a 2 p.m. game at Timmons Arena that will be televised live on CBS Sports Network.

Take a look at the stats here.

The past two weeks I’ve been suffering from shingles, which have curtailed my live coverage. On Tuesday night, I covered a game for the first time in a while. Even while laid up, though, at least one piece has been posted here for 33 straight days.

I still don’t feel so hot. A coach would probably list me as questionable. It may be a game-time decision.

Shingles has also knocked me off my financial rocker. I’m strapped for cash.

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