Smith scores 32, Furman downs Samford 80-72

Feb 20, 2026, 11:23 am

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- — Pjay Smith Jr. scored 32 points as Furman beat Samford 80-72 on Wednesday night.

Smith added four steals for the Paladins (20-8, 8-7 Southern Conference). Cooper Bowser scored 16 points and added six rebounds. Nick Anderson had 13 points and went 4 of 10 from the field (3 for 8 from 3-point range).

Jaden Brownell led the Bulldogs (20-8, 10-5) in scoring, finishing with 25 points, two steals and two blocks. Josh Holloway and Trey Fort each recorded 14 points.

Both teams play again on Saturday. Furman hosts VMI and Samford hosts Western Carolina.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.