By MONTE DUTTON

My first impression when I watch Nikola Jokic is of one of those 1970s rasslers who claimed to be from a Communist country.

Then I realize that Jokic takes the exact same clumsy shots I took when I played basketball, with the exceptions that he hits virtually all of them and is a foot taller.

Everyone who ever played rec-league or intramural knows what a pick and roll is. No one I’ve seen has ever executed it better than Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

I’ve also never seen a better big lug on a basketball floor.

This is the time I grow interested in the NBA. College basketball is over. This year I’m a little late. I know just enough to be dangerous, but it seems to me that the regular season means less in the NBA than anywhere else, with the possible exception of NASCAR, where it’s “win a race and relax” (relatively).

Far from the madding crowds, here’s a brief review of Furman sporting activities.

Wofford beat Furman for the first time ever in softball.

That’s the bad news. The good is that the neighboring Southern Conference rivals have only played three times because the Terriers added softball this season, and that the Paladins split Saturday’s doubleheader and won the series.

Wofford outlasted the Paladins, 6-3, in a 12-inning marathon in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader at Pepsi Stadium on the strength of a four-run top of the 12^th.

With the contest knotted at 2-2 in the bottom of the 11^th inning, Furman had a chance for the walk-off win. Hannah Poole delivered a sacrifice bunt to move Ansley Chiang to third base after the freshman was placed on second in accordance with the international tiebreaker rule. A bouncer back to the pitcher and a grounder to second base, however, ended the threat and sent the game into the 12^th inning.

A pair of passed balls helped Gracie Parker score from second before Wofford’s Abby Gossett, Bergan Needles, and Hannah Maddox knocked in runs to up the margin to 6-2. Furman’s Caitlin Goldwait, who match her own school single-game record with five hits in the first half of the doubleheader, singled in the bottom of the 12^th to drive in a run, but Wofford’s Margaret Axelson escaped the frame without further damage to pick up the complete-game victory.

Axelson (6-5) held Furman to one earned run on 11 hits over 12 innings. She struck out three batters and did not allow a walk.

Paladin reliever Emme Buzhardt (2-5) suffered the loss surrendering five runs on six hits over six innings. Just one of the five runs was earned.

Goldwait went 5/6 with two runs and an RBI for the Paladins while Ashlee Lykins collected two hits. Eight different players registered a hit for the Terriers, who finished the opening game of the twinbill with 11 safeties.

Furman used the big inning to take a 6-1 victory in the series finale and capture the best-of-three series from the Terriers.

The Paladins scored three runs on five hits in both the first and sixth innings, and righthander Sierra Tufts tossed her second complete-game gem of the weekend in the circle.

Tufts (10-8) held Wofford to just a run on three hits over seven innings after tossing a one-hit shutout only 24 hours earlier. The senior issued three walks and fanned four batters in the victory.

Burroughs, Perry, Yoshizumi, and Chiang each recorded two hits apiece for the Paladins in the series finale while Goldwait added a hit and a base on balls to finish her weekend with seven hits in the three-game series.

Abby Greenwood (6-13) absorbed her second loss of the weekend for the Terriers. She gave up six runs on 11 hits in 5-2/3 innings. Maddox led Wofford (17-20, 7-8 SoCon) at the plate in game two by collecting two hits.

Furman (21-26, 6-9 SoCon) next travels to Tennessee for a weekend series against Chattanooga, consisting of a doubleheader next Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m., and a Sunday finale at 2.

Second-seeded Furman fell to No. 1 East Tennessee State, 4-1, Saturday in the championship match of the 2024 Southern Conference women’s tennis tournament at the Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Furman (12-13) won only the doubles point. ETSU (17-7) earns the SoCon’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, which will be held at regional sites in early May.

Furman rallied from a 5-3 deficit at flight two doubles to clinch the opening point.  ETSU’s Daniela Rivera and Fernanda Carvajal teamed up to beat junior Ellie Schulson and freshman Macy Hitchcock, 6-2, at number one, then juniors Jess Dawson and Sara Snyder defeated Ralitsa Alexandrova and Jana Rovira, 6-4, at flight three to force the decisive flight two contest.  Junior Grace Thomas and freshman Maeve Thornton won four-straight games to slip past Sofia Markova and Alessandra Caceres, 7-5, to claim the point.

In singles play, ETSU scored in straight sets at Nos. 2, 3, 5, and 6.

Matches at Nos. 1 and 4 were unfinished.  The Paladins won the first set in each of the unfinished matches.

Three different Panthers totaled four points apiece Saturday afternoon as High Point defeated the Furman lacrosse team on Senior Day, 13-10, in Big South action at Paladin Stadium.
Furman (7-9, 5-2) honored seniors Hannah Dintino, Lily Rathbun, Sophie Shaw, Katelyn Sousa and Caroline Swaim.

Anna Roser paced the Furman offense with a game-high five points on four goals and one assist. Paige Harman contributed four points on three assists and one goal while winning two draws along with Sophia Buzelis. Buzelis was one of three players to compile three points with Dintino and Reynolds Hester. Grace Gibson caused a team high five turnovers. In goal, Rathbun provided six ground balls and five saves.
Shannon Smith, Allie Connally and Esprit Cha all recorded four points for the Panthers (10-5, 6-1). Cha scored a team best four goals and Connally dished out two assists. Goalies Joy Coffey and Ava Welsh combined for five saves and five ground balls.

Furman wraps up the regular season on Wednesday when it hosts Radford at 6 p.m.

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