WORCESTER (Interstat) — Visiting Furman leaned on interior scoring and a decisive second-half response to defeat Holy Cross 80-67 in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game Wednesday at Hart Recreation Center. The Paladins improved to 4-0, while the Crusaders fell to 0-3 before an announced crowd of 1,003. Furman controlled the paint throughout, finishing with 50 points in the paint against Holy Cross’s 28, and took a 42-28 lead into halftime after answering an early challenge from the Crusaders. The Paladins led for most of the first half and never surrendered the advantage after the opening minutes.

Furman shot 30 of 64 from the floor and 5 of 16 from 3-point range, while Holy Cross shot 24 of 63 overall and 10 of 27 from beyond the arc. The Paladins made 15 of 21 free throws, and the Crusaders made 9 of 18. Furman scored 80 points from 77 possessions for an offensive rating of 103.9. Holy Cross scored 67 points from 74 possessions for an offensive rating of 91.1. Furman finished with nine offensive rebounds, nine assists, three blocks and 12 turnovers. Holy Cross had 10 offensive rebounds, seven assists, four blocks and 12 turnovers. Furman committed 17 fouls and Holy Cross 22. Each team scored 18 points off turnovers. Holy Cross held a 14-5 edge in fastbreak points.

Tristen Wilson led Holy Cross with 20 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 35 minutes. Wilson is a 6-3, 180-pound guard from Baltimore, Md., who previously attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel School. Wilson’s 14 rebounds and three blocks led Holy Cross. Charles Johnston paced Furman with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and one block in 28 minutes. Johnston is a 6-11, 225-pound forward who previously attended Kirrawee HS. Johnston’s 10 rebounds and four assists led Furman. Arius Alijosius added 17 points and four rebounds for the Crusaders in 24 minutes. He is a 6-5, 198-pound guard who previously attended Riverside-Brookfield. Alijosius made five 3-pointers among his 17 points. Abijah Franklin scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds for the Paladins in 26 minutes. Franklin is a 6-5, 180-pound guard who previously attended Wren High School. Jaelon Germany contributed 12 points, three rebounds and three assists for Holy Cross in 23 minutes. Germany is a 6-3 guard who previously attended Crowley. Marcus Kell had 14 points and four rebounds for Furman in 27 minutes. Kell is a 6-8, 213-pound forward who previously attended Legion Collegiate Academy. Luka Toews finished with nine points, two rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes. Toews is a 6-1, 190-pound guard who previously attended The Newman School. Tom House added nine points, five rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes. House is a 6-7, 200-pound guard. Davis Molnar scored five points with one rebound and one assist in four minutes. Molnar is a 6-6, 215-pound forward who previously attended Terry Sanford. Collin O’Neal had five points, one rebound, one assist and one block in nine minutes. O’Neal is a 6-4, 200-pound guard who previously attended Montgomery Bell Academy.

Holy Cross stayed close early. Franklin opened the scoring with a layup, and Wilson answered at the other end. Furman built a 6-2 lead on baskets by Toews and Kell, but John St. Germain hit a 3-pointer to bring Holy Cross within one. The Paladins gradually created separation. Toews and Franklin scored inside, Davis Molnar and Tom House added layups, and a Kell 3-pointer pushed Furman ahead 19-14. Consecutive baskets by Collin O’Neal, including a 3-pointer, helped Furman extend to 26-16. Kell’s layup and two free throws, plus another Franklin layup, made it 32-16. Holy Cross received late first-half scoring from Wilson, Chuck Hare and Arius Alijosius, whose 3-pointer at the end of the half cut Furman’s lead to 42-28.

Holy Cross mounted its best push after halftime. Trailing 47-30 after Kell’s 3-pointer, the Crusaders went on a 13-2 run. Kole Hanson hit a 3-pointer, Alijosius made two straight 3-pointers, Wilson added a free throw, and Germany capped the surge with a 3-pointer that made it 49-43. Furman steadied behind Molnar’s basket and free throw plus layups by Johnston and Franklin. Holy Cross again closed within four at 58-54 on Wilson’s layup with 10:29 remaining, but Furman answered with a decisive 12-2 spurt, and Johnston’s two free throws capped it at 70-56. The Paladins maintained control the rest of the way. Johnston made a layup and dunk, House made a free throw, Cameron Elwer hit a 3-pointer, and Franklin added a dunk.

Holy Cross made one final push. Wilson scored in the paint, Germany made a jumper and two free throws, and a Wilson free throw trimmed the margin to 77-64. Franklin’s tip-in layup made it 79-64, and Germany answered with a layup and a free throw to make it 79-67. Elwer sealed the scoring with two free throws in the final minute. Furman finished with 50 paint points to Holy Cross’s 28 and made 15 of 21 free throws. Holy Cross made 10 of 27 3-pointers and outscored Furman 39-38 after halftime.

Furman’s previous wins this season were 98-83 over Northern Iowa, 121-52 over Bob Jones and 79-70 over Bethune-Cookman. Holy Cross lost 95-66 at Villanova and 103-59 at Rhode Island. Furman next plays at Belmont, while Holy Cross next hosts Albany.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Furman 79, Holy Cross 70, and its ELO system had projected Furman with a 91.5 percent probability to win. Furman had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -13. The total score of 147 and the over/under line of 151.5 were included in the pregame market.