FOOTBALL FURMAN 2022JACKIE CARSON HEAD COACH, 13TH SEASON
Furman Hall of Famer Jackie Carson recently completed her 12th year — and winningest campaign — as head coach of the Paladin women’s basketball.
(points-rebounds) during the season and 55 of the unique statistical doubles in her career, became the first Carson product — and fifth in program history — to garner league player of the year honors en route to finishing her Paladin tenure as Furman’s all-time leading rebounder (1,303 rebs.) and ranked fourth in scoring (1,719 pts.).
Representing the program for which she once starred as a player, Carson directed Furman to a 20-win season in 2021-22, one that saw the Paladins ride a strong second half of the schedule to a Southern Conference Tournament runner-up finish and fifth post-season berth under her guidance. A 69-61 win over Northeastern in the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) secured Furman’s first 20-win season in the Carson era and third such campaign in program history. In addition, the Paladins’ 10-4 SoCon slate was its best in almost a decade.
Furman’s outstanding 2021-22 season also produced two other second team All-SoCon performers in sophomore guard Tate Walters, who averaged 12.9 ppg and a league best 137 assists, and forward Grace van Rij, who fashioned a strong senior season (10.0 ppg). First-year guard Niveyah Henley also extended Carson’s streak of producing SoCon All-Freshman Team performers to 12 consecutive seasons when she was selected to the squad. Over the past decade-plus Carson has provided stability and success to a Furman program that had suffered through five consecutive losing seasons prior to her return to the fold in 2010.
Furman’s success this past season was fueled by a number of Carson players, spanning the classes from fifth-year senior to freshman. Chief among them was fifth-year senior forward Tierra Hodges, who fashioned a brilliant final campaign for the purple and white by earning consensus SoCon Player of the Year honors in separate voting by league head coaches and media. The league leader in scoring (18.1 ppg) and rebounding (11.8 rpg), Hodges, who posted 22 double-doubles
Furman’s turnaround under her direction began almost the day she returned to campus. In her first year the Paladins, bereft of any recruiting additions and a SoCon coaches preseason No. 10 pick, started 6-3 in league play, highlighted by a home win over eventual league regular season champion Appalachian State. In winning five of its 12
