Getty Jordan Lyons of the Furman Paladins.
Two Southern Conference juggernauts at the top of the standings are set to clash as East Tennessee State (23-4) hosts Furman (22-5) at Free Hall Civic Center on Wednesday.
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The game (7 p.m. ET start time) won’t be on TV anywhere, but anyone in the U.S can watch it live on ESPN+:
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Once signed up for ESPN+, you can then watch Furman vs ETSU live on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the ESPN app.
Furman vs ETSU Preview
It’s a battle for first place in the Southern Conference as Furman and ETSU meet up with the end of the regular season in sight.
Furman has won seven in a row since losing to Wofford back on Jan. 17. The Paladins most recent win came at home against Chattanooga 58-53. Three players were in double-figures, led by forward Noah Gurley’s 14 points. Four of Furman’s wins during the streak have come by double-digits.
ETSU has reeled off five wins in a row since their most recent loss, which came against Mercer in the form of a 71-55. Prior to that, Furman was the last team to get the best of the Buccaneers, winning their first matchup in January, 65-56. Bo Hodges was the only ETSU player to total more than 10 points in a game that was one of their worst offensive showings of the season.
Now at home, the Buccaneers are hoping to put the offensive woes behind them and pick up an important conference win.
“Big game,” ETSU head coach Steve Forbes told the Johnson City Press. “It’s what we all kind of signed up for when we came here. When we recruit these kids we always talk about playing meaningful games in March. It’s not quite March yet, but it’s a meaningful game.
“They’ve got a great program, a great coach, good players. It should be a heck of a game.”
Furman guard Daivien Williamson echoed his coach’s sentiments on the juggernaut matchup.
“It’s a big time game,” Daivien Williamson added. “This is a game we’ve been waiting for. I know Freedom Hall’s going to be rocking that night. They show us a lot of love and I know it’s going to be packed.”
It’s the third consecutive season that Furman has surpassed 20 wins — and counting. But the Paladins have not been able to make the tournament in three decades, their last conference title coming in 1980.
Furman seniors Jordan Lyons, Clay Mounce and Gurley have collectively accounted for 57 percent of the team’s scoring this season, including 65 percent of all Paladins points over the last five games, according to The Associated Press.
Head coach Bob Richey recently commented on the program’s run of success, which has been spurred by the efforts of Lyons, who leads the team with 17 points per game.
“There’s never been a player, a coach, or anybody associated with Furman basketball that has four 20-win seasons,” Richey told the Greenville News. “Think about that. They’ve been playing since 1919. Never been done before, and I think that’s huge. I think that’s incredible.”