By MONTE DUTTON

As these words are written, it’s hard to make much out of Furman men’s basketball, but help is on the way.
Auburn won an exhibition game against the Paladins by 21 points. No surprise there.
Furman plastered Columbia International, 104-46. Nothing to see.
On Friday night, Bob Richey’s young team visits Nashville, Tenn., to play Belmont, which, in the college basketball universe, resides in Furman’s solar system. The annual game has become an early-season bellwether.
Furman is notably bigger, and thus far, the three-pointers are splashing with regularity. Despite the loss of four the last season’s top five scorers, this team looks promising.
That is, as these words are written.

When the opponent puts up 19 three-pointers – and hits one – victory is likely.
Such was the case in Furman’s 100-31 women’s basketball victory over Erskine on Thursday evening at Hayes Gymnasium at North Greenville University, the principal home court of the Paladins this season.
Niveya Henley’s performance didn’t hurt. The junior guard matched a career high with 24 points. She hit her shots – 10/20 overall and 3/6 triples. The Seattle, Wash., product led five in double figures.
Tate Walters and Sydney Ryan chipped in 13 points apiece. Raina McGowens scored 11 and Kate Johnson 10.

Clare Coyle, who grabbed eight rebounds in her career debut versus South Carolina State, snagged 12 more against the feckless Fleet. Bella LaChance passed out eight assists while Chantelle Stuart added seven.
Furman (2-0) led 23-13 after one quarter and took command in the second period by reeling off 19 consecutive points to go up 42-13.
Henley enlivened a 24-point Paladin third quarter with 5/8 shooting that put Furman up, 71-26.

The Paladins shot .514 (38/74) and found the mark on 8/20 treys. Furman took advantage of 33 Erskine turnovers and outscored the Flying Fleet 54-16 in the paint.
Furman, which faces Georgia in Athens on Sunday in a 2 p.m. game, plays 10 of its 12 home games this season at nearby North Greenville University while its on-campus home, Timmons Arena, undergoes a $40 million renovation.

Take a look at the stats here.

Ava Augustson and Quinn Morrissey both produced double-doubles as the Paladins defeated SoCon-leading Mercer, 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 18-25, 25-18) at Alley Gymnasium.
Furman increased its winning streak to three while improving to 11-11 overall and 5-6 in the SoCon. The Bears saw their eight-match winning streak end while dropping to 21-5 and 11-2.
Augustson recorded a team high 13 kills along with Chandler Parker and posted her fourth double-double of the season on a career-best 22 digs. Morrissey chipped in her sixth double-double this year on 23 assists and 15 digs.

Tennyson Gorman contributed 12 kills, and Emily Navarro provided 24 assists and seven digs. Defensively, Kennedy Seekford registered 15 digs and Ashley Stein 14.
Mercer’s Skye Ekes led all players with 16 kills, and Sophia Henry and Gia Padilla both logged 11. Padilla also had 16 digs. Brooke Phillips also had a double-double with 36 assists and 19 digs. MeMe Davis finished with a match-high 37 digs.
The Paladins host Samford at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Furman’s Aaron Salinas is Southern Conference Men’s Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year honors, and three teammates — Christian Kraus, Ivan Agyaakwah and Slades Starnes joined him on the all-conference first team.
Wilfer Bustamante, Lloyd Wamu Snell and Luke Hutzell made second team, and Bustamante and Hutzell were joined on the all-freshman team by rookie defender Ryan Wagner.
Salinas, of Grand Prairie, Texas, posted a 7-3-4 record and 1.08 goals-against average this season. The sophomore, who started all 14 matches in goal, recorded three shutouts.

The fourth-seeded Paladins (7-3-4) and fifth-seeded Mercer Bears (6-4-7) are to play in the opening round of the SoCon Men’s Soccer Championship on Friday in Greensboro, N.C. The winner of Friday’s match advances to face the No. 1 seed UNCG Spartans in the semifinal round on Sunday at 2 p.m.
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