BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford men's basketball team returned to the Pete Hanna Center as they continued play in the Southern Conference against Furman. The Bulldogs came up short in a game that was back-and-forth throughout, falling 77-73. Samford falls to 9-9 overall, and 2-3 in SoCon play with the defeat, while Furman moves to 13-5 on the season.

The first half was tight throughout, with the lead trading sides 11 times in the first 20 minutes of play. Dylan Faulkner led the way, dominating in the paint as he started 5-of-7 from the floor and had 12 points in the opening half. Both sides were on fire from the field early, but slowed as the game went on. Jadin Booth had seven points while Isaiah Campbell-Finch and Will Shaver each added six points apiece.

The Dogs shot 54 percent from the field, 15-of-28, while the Paladins shot 40 percent, but dominated the glass with nine offensive rebounds. Samford built a lead to as many as seven points, but the Paladins closed the half on a run as the two sides went into the break tied at 40.

Both teams were ice cold from deep in the second half as Furman went 1-for-11 while the Bulldogs managed just 2-for-13. Shaver led the way with nine of his career-high 15 points in the second half, but the rest of the Bulldogs shot 7-of-23 from the field. The Paladins were carried by freshman Alex Wilkins, who continued his stellar play tonight, finishing with a game-high 28 points. 

The Bulldogs cut the Furman lead to one point on a Keaton Norris jumper with four minutes remaining, but Furman answered with a three on the other end and the Norris basket was the last field goal of the game for the Dogs. Samford finished with four players in double-figures, Faulkner, Booth, Shaver, and Campbell-Finch, while Furman had just one but 35 percent shooting in the second half wasn't enough for the Bulldogs to keep up as they fell by four.

Samford looks to rebound from the narrow defeat as the Bulldogs return to the Pete Hanna Center for a Southern Conference matchup against ETSU on Saturday at 1 p.m.

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