Furman Pulls Off Shocking Upset of Villanova, Defeats Wildcats on the Road
Villanova has struggled to defend last season's title four games into the 2018–19 campaign, losing to Michigan by 27 points on Wednesday at Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, Pa. And the Wildcats' slide continued on Saturday night.
Furman pulled off a 76–68 upset victory over Villanova at The Pavilion, handing the Wildcats their second straight defeat after entering the matchup as a 16-point underdog. The moneyline for a Furman victory was +885. Villanova didn't drop back-to-back games at any point in 2017–18.
'Nova attempted 44 threes on the night, making only 14 (31.8%). Seniors Phil Booth and Eric Paschall particularly struggled from the perimeter, going a combined 5 of 24 from three.
The Paladins are now 5–0 on the season. They have defeated two 2018 Final Four teams on the road, beating Loyola Chicago on Nov. 9.
All Furman starters scored in double figures on Saturday evening, led by 17 from senior Jordan Lyons. Booth and Collin Gillespie led the way for the Wildcats, scoring 20 and 19 points, respectively.
Villanova is now 2–2 on the season after going 36–4 last year. The Wildcats will look to rebound on Nov. 22, hosting Canisius.
