The Paladins were prepared and the Bulldogs looked a wee bit scared.
The combination led to a quick 20-point lead for Furman, which cruised to a 61-48 win over Samford in the first round of the Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Friday night. The Paladins now face the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at 7 tonight.
Staff Photo by Tim Barber/Chattanooga Times Free Press - Samford's Jeffrrey Merritt (5) looks to pass the ball as Amu Saaka, right, reaches in during first half action Friday at McKenzie Arena."We looked shell-shocked," Samford coach Jimmy Tillette said. "They got into us and they were assertive. It took us too long to get in the game.
"It was like a deer-in-headlights look. We didn't look ready for a street fight, which the game was."
Senior guard Jordan Miller scored 23 points and Brandon Seberumbi had 10 for the Paladins (21-9).
Freshman Drew Windler led the Bulldogs with 10 points, and four players had seven, including Jeffrey Merritt who had five rebounds.
Furman jumped to a 24-4 lead and held the Bulldogs to six free throws in a span of 10:50 during the first half.
"It is so important to come out and get off to a fast start and play with emotion," Paladins coach Jeff Jackson said. "I think we got on top of the game early, which was key. When you can play ahead instead of chasing from behind, things become much easier.
"I felt we were on top most of the game, and therefore it was easier to play aggressive and do the things we wanted to do."
The Paladins led 32-18 at halftime. Samford pulled within nine points with eight minutes to play but got no closer.
Furman had 10 players in the game for at least 11 minutes and none more than Miller with 30 minutes.
"I think we have a deep bench, and we have guys that can step in and play," junior Chris Toler said. "We have to play four games in four days so we need to have a good rotation to keep guys fresh."
Tonight the Paladins could be facing a crowd similar to the last time they were in McKenzie Arena - for a "black-out" promotion and UTC's biggest crowd of the season.
"We are looking forward to it," Jackson said. "It will be fun. We've had the opportunity to play in some challenging environments [lately], such as Wofford and Chatanooga, so I think we will be prepared.
"It should be a great game and, like most, the team that is more physical will probably come out on top."
That exactly how it played out Friday.