Greenville, SC – Southern Wesleyan fell in their exhibition game against the Furman Paladins on Friday morning in a 77-38 final score.
The Warriors shot 21.1% from the field in the loss to the Paladins. Ahrianna Scott led the team as she totaled 12 points in the game. Behind her, Steffy Cervantes had seven points and Makayla Raines picked up five. Kami Roach and Alyssa Kiel each had two assists.
Southern Wesleyan pulled down 29 total rebounds with Erin Frazier leading the team with six. She was followed by Kami Roach and Jensyn Turner with four rebounds each. The lone blocks of the game came from Roach and Frazier. The Warriors stole the ball away from the Paladins 14 times with both Emily Gamon and Roach picking up three steals.
Game Vitals
Final: Furman 77, Southern Wesleyan 38
Records: Southern Wesleyan (0-0) Furman (2-1)
How It Happened
Southern Wesleyan won the opening jump ball of their first game of the year, but the Paladins were able to control the rebound off a missed three pointer by Makayla Raines. Furman took the lead as Clare Coyle laid the ball up into the basket. The Paladins pushed on with back-to-back three pointers by Alyssa Ervin before Ahrianna Scott was able to lay the ball up into the basket. A layup by Coyle allowed Furman to extend their lead to ten. A foul right before the media timeout sent Steffy Cervantes to the free throw line. Cervantes hit both her free throws to put the Warriors back within eight points of the Paladins. Kami Roach stole the ball away from the Paladins and sent it over to Raines who raced down the court to lay the ball up into the basket. After a shot clock violation by Furman, the Warriors struck again as a layup by freshman Miley White put Southern Wesleyan within four points. The Paladins answered as in the final seconds of the opening quarter, Nariah Nelson hit a three pointer.
Furman opened up the second quarter with a mid-range shot by Clare Coyle. A second chance layup by Sophia Pearl allowed the Paladins to extend their lead to 23-10. Makayla Raines knocked down a three pointer with just under five minutes left in the quarter. However, the Paladins would not relent as Tyriana Berry and Alyssa Ervin each put up shots. A mid-range shot by Steffy Cervantes kept the Warriors within eighteen. Furman pressed on as Raina McGowens put up a mid-range shot. Maddison Neale stole the ball way from McGowens seconds later. Neale got the ball over to Kami Roach who quickly got the ball under the net to Emily Gamon who laid the ball up. However, a layup by Berry in the final seconds of the quarter gave the Paladins a 41-20 point lead going into the locker room.
The Paladins went on an early run in the third quarter as Raina McGowens, Alyssa Ervin and Clare Coyle each put up shots. Emma Briggs stole the ball away from the Warriors and passed it over to Ervin who laid it up into the basket. With just over five minutes left in the quarter, Steffy Cervantes scored to allow the Warriors to gain their first points of the quarter. Furman would not relent as Tyriana Berry, Ava Sawi and Nariah Nelson each put up shots. In the final seconds of the third period, Alyssa Kiel got the ball out beyond the arc into the hands of Ahrianna Scott. Scott knocked down the three to put the Warriors 65-25 behind the Paladins.
Furman kicked off the final quarter of the game with a layup by Ava Sawi. The Paladins pressed on as another layup by Sawi started an eight point run for Furman. A technical foul on the Paladins sent Ahrianna Scott to the charity strip. Scott hit both her shots to put the Warriors within forty-seven. Scott pressed on as, with just six minutes left in the game, she stepped behind the arc and hit a three pointer. The Warriors fought on as Erin Frazier pulled down a rebound and immediately hit a mid-range. Seconds before the buzzer sounded, Kami Roach fired off a three pointer. Southern Wesleyan fell to the Paladins in a 77-38 final score.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan will continue exhibition play on November 7 as they travel to Spartanburg, SC to take on USC Upstate at 4pm. They will open up the regular season at home on November 9 as they welcome the Flagler Saints to Historic Tysinger Gymnasium for a 5pm match. The Warriors will then travel to Emory, VA on November 12 and 13 as they take part in the CC/SAC Conference Challenge and will face both Mars Hill University and Emory & Henry University.
