After a 27-point loss to the Michigan Wolverines that served as a shock to everyone in and around the program, Saturday’s game against the Furman Paladins had the air of a prove-it game, even against a team that last year finished third in the Southern Conference. Despite the atmosphere in the building, Jay Wright and the program could not avoid dropping back-to-back games for the first time since 2012, and the Paladins emerged with the win, 76-68.
Despite the pregame furor in the Finneran Pavilion, the Wildcats got off to a sluggish start as they did against the Wolverines, and they fell behind the Paladins 8-2 early through buckets from Paladins sophomore forward Matt Rafferty(15 PTS, 17RBDS, 4 BLKS), freshman guard Jordan Lyons, who led the Paladins with 17 points, and sophomore forward Clay Mounce(15 PTS).