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In March, the Furman men\u2019s basketball team made its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 1980. The Paladins, who claimed the Southern Conference regular season title with a 15-3 league mark, toppled Chattanooga, 88-79, on March 6 in Asheville, North Carolina, to capture their first SoCon Tournament title in 43 years. <\/span>No. 13 seed Furman then went on to defeat the No. 4 seed Virginia, 68-67, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. But <\/span>on March 18, Furman fell to <\/span>No. 5 seed San Diego State, 75-52, in the second round.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt’s an unbelievable story, and I couldn’t be more proud of our team, at a time where I’m extremely disappointed we didn’t advance,\u201d said head coach Bob Richey. \u201cBut it’s really hard to not pull the lens back a little bit and still see what that group was able to accomplish. For that, I’ll forever be grateful.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Heading into the tournament, in six years as the Paladins\u2019 head coach, Richey had posted a 138-53 overall record and gone 78-27 in the SoCon. The Paladins have posted five 20-win seasons under Richey and rank as one of just 16 Division I teams to win at least 25 games in three of the last five seasons.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fifth-year seniors Mike Bothwell \u201923 and Jalen Slawson \u201923, both first team All-SoCon selections and finalists for the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award, have paced the Paladins to a school-record 115 wins in their five years at Furman.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAll of our student-athletes play such important and integral roles at Furman,\u201d said President Elizabeth Davis after Furman\u2019s final game.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTheir dedication and hard work, in addition to their academic responsibilities, is admirable, and our faculty and staff are to be commended for teaching, mentoring and supporting them.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n