It’s a tough test at Timmons on Thursday at 7 p.m. when Chattanooga, already the Southern Conference’s regular-season titlist, takes on Furman.

The Paladins conclude the regular season on Saturday, playing host to East Tennessee State in a 7 p.m. women’s basketball contest that represents the final game in Timmons Arena before the university begins its recently announced facility renovation in April.

The men’s team will draw down its curtain against Mercer at 2 p.m. on Saturday in what is the arena’s only doubleheader of the season.

Chattanooga (23-4, 11-1 SoCon), under second-year head coach Shawn Poppie, a former Paladin assistant, tasted its only loss of the league campaign and saw a 12-game winning streak snapped in its last outing, a 68-64 home setback to UNC Greensboro on Saturday.

The Mocs knocked off Furman (14-14, 4-8 SoCon), 79-62,  in Chattanooga on Feb. 3 behind a sizzling hot .592 (29/49) shooting percentage (29×49).  UTC leads the conference in shooting percentages — (they go .367 from long range) – led by graduate guard Jada Guinn (18.9 ppg) and one of the SoCon’ best all-around players, sophomore forward Raven Thompson (14.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg).

Furman, which steamrolled Wofford, 74-61, the last time it played in Timmons Arena two weeks ago, couldn’t extend the momentum on a recent two-game road swing, falling at Mercer (55-50) and Samford (74-66).

Despite the setbacks, the Paladins got some good news with the return of junior forward Kate Johnson (12.2, 6.8), who exited the game at Chattanooga on Feb. 3 with a knee injury that put her on the shelf for three games.  A healthy Johnson will provide the Paladins more punch inside, where Jada Session (12.2, 8.2) leads the way.

 Redshirt sophomore guard Niveya Henley (11.5 ppg) stepped up her offensive output during Johnson’s absence, including a season high 24-point performance against UNCG. She added 18 versus Samford.

 Furman, which has improved its win total from last year’s 11-win campaign under first-year head coach Pierre Curtis, is locked in as the No. 7 seed for the upcoming Southern Conference Tournament in Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C.  The Paladins will play Thursday, March 7, at 1:15 p.m. against the No. 2 seed, which has yet to be determined.

Furman captured five additional titles to conclude the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championship at the Corps Physical Training Facility in Lexington, Va.

Over the two-day event, the Furman women won every distance event from the 800m to the 5,000m, including the distance medley relay, for just the second time in program history after first accomplishing the feat in 2018. 

Senior Megan Marvin claimed her fourth straight title in the women’s 800m after crossing the line in 2:08.85, becoming the league’s first four-time women’s 800m champion. A native of Chapel Hill, N.C., she established the league record of 2:05.68 in 2022.

Senior Abigail Robertson, who took gold in the women’s 3,000m on Saturday, won the women’s mile with a time of 4:47.56.

Junior Sierra Bower registered her first-career SoCon title after leading all runners with a time of 16:26.02 in the women’s 5,000m.

On the men’s side, the Paladins took gold in each event from the mile to the 5,000m, plus the DMR, for the second straight year.  

A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., senior Cameron Ponder won his fourth career mile championship Sunday. He captured three straight mile titles 2020-2022, when he set the league record of 3:59.75 in the event.  After missing the 2023 season due to an injury, Ponder returned this year to continue his domination in the event with a time of 4:06.40.  

Senior Dylan Schubert successfully defended his 5,000m championship after setting the SoCon record of 13:54.58 at last year’s meet. He posted a time of 14:05.60 this time. 

Samford won both the women’s and men’s meets for the fifth consecutive year. Furman finished third in both.

Furman opens the outdoor track and field season March 22-23 at the Meet of Champions in High Point, N.C.

Illustrious Furman senior Anna Morgan added a third-place finish in the Chevron Classic, hosted earlier this week by the University of Houston in Humble, Texas.

Morgan, from Spartanburg, finished one shot behind Illinois’ Isabel Sly and Maryland’s Nicha Kanpai, both of whom finished at 12 under par at the Golf Club of Houston.

Morgan fired eight birdies, including six in a row from Nos. 9 through, to card a final-round, 4-under 68.

SMU (-33) led the field with a 278. Furman shot plus-13 as a team.

For her efforts, Morgan was named Southern Conference Player of the Week in women’s golf. She’s won it four times already this season.

Furman will travel to Las Vegas, Nev., March 4-5, to co-host The Show at Spanish Trail.  

Senior attack Sophie Shaw, a product of Granville, Ohio, is Big South Women’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week for games.
Shaw receives her first weekly citation of the season and is the second Paladin to be recognized by the Big South. Teammate Anna Roser was tabbed the Big South Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 20.
The Paladins are back in action Saturday morning when they host second-ranked James Madison at 11 a.m.

North Carolina tamed the Paladins men’s team in a 6-1 victory on Monday in Chapel Hill. Junior Elijah Poritzky defeated Benjamin Kittay at No. 1 singles to score for the Paladins.
Furman drops to 6-7 while North Carolina improves its record to 6-3.
Furman opens Southern Conference play at 2 p.m. on Friday at UNC Greensboro.

J.P. Pegues is SoCon Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.

 Pegues averaged 26.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game for the Paladins last week. The junior from Nashville, Tenn., poured in a career-high 33 points on Wednesday night at Samford.

Marvin is the SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week. The champion runner holds a 3.94 GPA in mathematics and economics.

Williams qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held at the The Track at New Balance, in Boston, Mass., March 7-9.

A native of Raleigh, N.C., Williams has qualified in the mile.  He ranks 16th nationally with a time of 3:55.46 in the event, a Furman program record which he posted Jan. 19 at the Carolina Challenge in Columbia.

 Furman will travel to Las Vegas, Nev., March 4-5, to co-host The Show at Spanish Trail.

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