By MONTE DUTTON

This is a bit jaded by the institution on my diploma – but …

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Furman kept it close for most the game before losing to Connecticut. In the final, the same with UConn against Michigan. The Paladins, tall and lanky, were overwhelmed by the Huskies’ tall and stout. The Wolverines were taller and bigger yet.

The games looked similar. The differences in the teams seemed similar. The Southern Conference champion matched up against the Big East champion about the same way the Big East lined up opposite the B1G (the Big More Than 10).

In 2023, Furman upset Virginia, then lost to San Diego State, which eventually lost to Connecticut in the final. This year the Paladins lost to UConn, which eventually lost to Michigan in the final.

Now, once again, Furman must be reconstituted. Key players Alex Wilkins, Asa Thomas, Cooper Bowser and Eddrin Bronson are entering the transfer portal.

It’s similar throughout the Southern Conference. The teams remind me of the baseball minor leagues. A mostly different team shows up every year.

That’s just the way it is.

With apologies to all the golfers, netters, harriers, et al., in the absence of baseball, spring is the Artemis II behind the dark side of the moon. Unfortunately, spring lasts more than 40 minutes on earth.

Softball is 6-30, though Kristyn Embler is SoCon Pitcher of the Week on account of a 3-0 shutout of UNC Greensboro in the Paladins’ only conference win to date.

Lacrosse is 7-6, 3-1 in the Big South, after a 13-11 road victory over Longwood. Lily Toole had three goals and three assists.

Women’s tennis is 14-4, 6-0 in the SoCon, after edging Chattanooga, 4-3, in the home finale. Lillie Murphy defeated the Mocs’ Addison Iacono at No. 1, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5. The Paladins swept the doubles point.

Amanda Wolfert is the new Associate Athletics Director for Development. The UNC grad comes to Furman after 2-1/2 years at Ohio University.

Helen Gutierrez of women’s soccer and Statesboro, Gal., is one of 21 fall female athletes nationally to earn an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

Eight Furman student-athletes — Julie Galie (women’s soccer), Grace Gibson (lacrosse), Ellie Herrmann (women’s soccer), Anna Hill (cheerleading), Natondi Mokeba (men’s soccer), Abby Shearer (lacrosse), Audrey Smith (lacrosse) and Ben Vander Wal (men’s basketball) — have been recognized for exemplary leadership by the university’s Shucker Leadership Institute.
Albert Velikonja is the Southern Conference men’s outdoor track athlete of the week. A native of Montreal, Quebec, Velikonja leads the league in the 5,000 meters after posting a time of 13:51.71 last weekend at the Raleigh Relays.

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Most of my books are available at Amazon. Two of my novels, Cowboys Come Home and Lightning in a Bottle, are available in audio versions.