Purple Points: Slawson had SoCon's best February

Down the stretch, Jalen Slawson was at his best.

Surprising no one, the 6-7 forward from Summerville is Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Month for February.

A 5th-year senior, Slawson averaged 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocked shots per game while leading the Paladins to a 7-1 record during the month. The forward shot .532 from the field, including .440 from behind the arc in eight outings, and connected on .767 at the foul line.

Slawson posted double-doubles in victories over Chattanooga and ETSU down the stretch, scored 22 points against The Citadel and had 27in a 70-67 victory over Mercer in his final game at Timmons Arena. He capped the month with 10 rebounds in a 93-79 win at Samford that secured Furman a share of the SoCon regular season title and its first No. 1 seed in the SoCon Tournament since 1991.

Furman’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Selection Show celebration will take place this Sunday at Timmons Arena. Doors open at 5 p.m. and fans are encouraged to wear purple. In addition to being with the Paladins when they find out their NCAA Tournament destination, fans will have the opportunity to take pictures with the championship trophy, purchase Furman postseason gear and hear from head coach Bob Richey and several players. A limited selection of concessions items will be available for purchase.

Carson Williams and Jenna Mulhern were voted Southern Conference Indoor Track Men’s and Women’s Athletes of the Month, respectively.

Williams, a junior from Raleigh, N.C., won the 3,000m run and the mile at the SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 24-26, claiming his 2nd straight title in the former. A 2-time Track Athlete of the Week in February, Williams earned the honor after both of his regular-season competitions.

A freshman from West Chester, Pa., Mulhern competed twice during the month, claiming SoCon Track Athlete of the Week honors for her efforts at the Husky Classic on Feb. 10. Competing in the 5,000m run, Mulhern finished 16th overall with a personal-best time of 16:11.14, which ranks 2nd in the SoCon.

Senior Riley Ludlam is Southern Conference Softball Player of the Month after a February in which she batted .400 with 5 doubles, 4 home runs and a league-leading 17 RBI.. She postied an .825 slugging percentage and .447 on-base percentage. She played error-free softball in 14 starts.

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Men’s tennis closed out its road trip Thursday afternoon, falling 5-1 to the UT Arlington Mavericks.

The Mavericks claimed the doubles point, and took a 1-0 lead over the Paladins, following wins at No. 1, a tiebreaker, and No. 2.

In singles, UT Arlington captured victories at Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6. Jerry Barton recorded his 4th win of the year at the No. 1 position after defeating Shepp in straight sets 7-6, 6-4. At the No. 2 match, Elijah Poritzky led 9-5 in the third set, but the match went unfinished.