Lyons scores 40, hits 10 3s to carry Furman past VMI 89-73

Jan 1, 2020, 10:24 pm

LEXINGTON, Va. -- Jordan Lyons had a season-high 40 points, making 10 of 12 3-pointers, as Furman defeated VMI 89-73 on Wednesday for its fifth straight victory.

Lyons became the first Paladin to score 40 points against a Division I opponent since Stephen Croone in an 86-63 win over Liberty on Dec. 20, 2013. Lyons is also the first player since Darrell Floyd (1953-57) with two career 40-point games for Furman.

Lyons connected on 11 of 15 field goals and converted on all eight free-throw attempts. His 10 3-pointers were the second-most in school history behind his 15 against North Greenville last season -- a game he scored 54 points.

Sophomore Jalen Slawson had his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds for Furman (12-3, 2-0 Southern Conference). Clay Mounce added 13 points, and Noah Gurley had 10 points. Furman shot 57% from the field and connected on 54% (13-24) from 3-point range,

Lyons scored 12 straight points during a 14-2 run that helped Furman build a 40-29 advantage at the break.

Sean Conway had 15 points and five steals for the Keydets (5-10, 0-2), who have lost nine straight in the series. Garrett Gilkeson added 12 points. Kamdyn Curfman, whose 12 points per game coming into the matchup ranked second on the Keydets, was held to six points.

Furman matches up against East Tennessee State at home on Saturday. VMI plays Samford at home on Saturday.

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Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com