Eagles Close Homestand with Saturday Matinee Against Furman
1/14/2011 11:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Men's Basketball Team closes out a two-game home set against Furman, Saturday at 2 p.m. The Eagles will look to win their second consecutive game over the Paladins and snap a five-game losing streak. Furman, who lost in its last appearance against Davidson on Wednesday, has not suffered back-to-back losses this year.
Three players are averaging double figures for Georgia Southern (4-14, 0-5 SoCon) with junior Ben Drayton III (St. Marys, Ga.) leading the way with 15.5 points per game. Drayton scored 15 in Georgia Southern's last appearance Wednesday night as the Eagles played host to Wofford. Freshman Eric Ferguson (Statesboro, Ga.) is working on one of the best freshman years in school history with 14.5 points per game. Senior Rory Spencer (Atlanta, Ga.) is averaging 11.6 points per game with 23 blocks. He had 85 career blocks and ranks fifth on the career list, one shy of fourth place.
The Eagles snapped a three-game skid against the Paladins last year with a 79-77 victory on February 17, 2010, in Statesboro by a 79-77 margin. The Eagles took the win with a late 12-2 lead to run away to a seven-point lead in the waning minutes. Willie Powers III (Gainesville, Fla.) had 21 points while Drayton added 15 points. Georgia Southern leads the all-time series by a slim 22-20 margin. Over the last 10 meetings, GSU holds a 7-3 advantage.
Furman (11-5, 3-2 SoCon) is led in scoring by Amu Saaka with 16.1 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game from the post. Guard Jordan Miller has 12.1 points per game while Noah States has 11.6 points per game. Furman, ranked No. 25 in the most recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, lost on Wednesday night at Davidson, 70-79.
Head coach Charlton "C.Y." Young leads the Eagles in his second year in charge of his alma mater. Young led Georgia Southern to its last NCAA Tournament appearance and ranks as one of the leading scorers all-time for the Eagles.
The Paladins are coached by Jeff Jackson, who is in his fifth season in Greenville. He holds a 52-85 career record as a head coach. The 1984 graduate of Cornell had stints at Vanderbilt, New Hampshire, Stanford and Southern Cal before taking the top job at Furman.
At halftime of Saturday's game, Georgia Southern Athletics will honor 19 members of the "T Club" from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The "T Club" was instated in 1934, recognizing athletes who earned a varsity letter while at Georgia Teacher's College. Upon admittance to this club, members wore a blue sweater or jacket with the letter "T," for Teachers.
The sixth annual "Cheerleader for a Day" camp for children between the ages of four and 14 is set for Saturday, January 15th at Hanner Fieldhouse. Girls and boys are invited to spend the day with the Georgia Southern cheerleaders as they will learn a cheerleading routine to perform at halftime of Saturday's game against Furman that afternoon. Registration starts at 10 a.m. and the fee for the camp is $35. More information is available at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/cheer.
The Eagles hit the road for a pair of games in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad against UNC Greensboro and Elon. The Eagles visit the Spartans on Thursday night at 7 p.m. inside the Greensboro Coliseum. The road swing closes on Saturday night at 7 p.m. versus Elon. The Eagles return home on January 26 to face College of Charleston at 7 p.m.
Saturday's game can be heard on 102.9 FM and online at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/eaglevision beginning 30 minutes prior to tipoff. Fans may follow Georgia Southern Men's Basketball by visiting GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com/basketball or check in at twitter.com/GSAthletics or facebook.com/GSAthletics for short updates.
