Furman looks to extend streak vs WCU

Western Carolina (12-3, 4-0) vs. Furman (14-4, 4-1)

Timmons Arena, Greenville, South Carolina; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Furman looks for its eighth straight win in the head-to-head series over Western Carolina. In its last seven wins against the Catamounts, Furman has won by an average of 23 points. Western Carolina’s last win in the series came on Feb. 27, 2016, a 73-62 victory.

SAVVY VETERANS: Senior leadership could play a big role in this game’s outcome. Clay Mounce, Jordan Lyons and Noah Gurley have collectively accounted for 57 percent of Furman’s scoring this season and 61 percent of the team’s points over its last five games. For Western Carolina, Mason Faulkner, Carlos Dotson and Onno Steger have scored 52 percent of the team’s points this season.

DIALING IT UP A NOTCH: The Catamounts have scored 68.6 points per game across four conference games, an improvement from the 77.9 per game they put up over nine non-conference games.MIGHTY MASON: Faulkner has connected on 37.1 percent of the 97 3-pointers he’s attempted and has made 12 of 31 over his last five games. He’s also converted 75.7 percent of his foul shots this season.

STREAK STATS: Western Carolina has won its last three road games, scoring 90.7 points, while allowing 81 per game.

ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The Catamounts have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Paladins. Furman has an assist on 44 of 79 field goals (55.7 percent) across its past three outings while Western Carolina has assists on 49 of 83 field goals (59 percent) during its past three games.

DID YOU KNOW: Western Carolina is ranked ninth among Division I teams with an average of 82.4 points per game. The Catamounts have averaged 91.8 per game over their five-game winning streak.