Rafferty with 17 points; Furman beats Presbyterian 63-53

GREENSVILLE, S.C. (AP) Matt Rafferty had 17 points and ten rebounds to lead Furman past Presbyterian 63-53 in the season opener on Friday night.

Kris Acox had 11 points and ten rebounds, and Daniel Fowler added 8 points with nine rebounds for the Paladins. DeSean Murray scored 18 points, and Markus Terry had 10 points to lead the Blue Hose.

Murray's layup pulled Presbyterian to 35-33 early in the second half. Acox made two free throws, and Rafferty made three consecutive layups and a pair of free throws to stretch the Paladins' lead to 43-33.

Terry made a 3-pointer and the Blue Hose closed to 56-49. Acox converted a 3-point play, and John Davis III and Andrew Brown made a pair of free throws to seal it.

Furman holds a 58-16 advantage over Presbyterian in the series that dates back to 1912.