BOONE, N.C. - A slim four-point lead slipped away in the final three minutes as Furman scored nine of the game's last 11 points to come away with an 85-82 win over Appalachian State University men's basketball on Thursday. It was the first home loss in five games at the Holmes Center and the Southern Conference opener for both teams.

Following a missed jumper with less than a minute to play, Furman's (5-1, 1-0 SoCon) Jordan Miller sprinted down the court for an open look to give the Paladins their first lead of the second half at 81-80 with 31 seconds to play.

The Mountaineers then ran a play designed to get the winning basket inside, but with 16 seconds on the clock, an errant pass gave the ball back to the visitors. FU's Justin Dehm made a pair of free throws before Ryann Abraham drove to the basket for a layup to again cut the deficit to one point with seven ticks left.

Furman again successfully inbounded the ball and Dehm sank two more foul shots to provide the final margin. On ASU's last trip up the court, the ball slipped out of two players' hands before Jeremi Booth launched a long attempt at the buzzer, which fell harmlessly short.

Booth had another hot start and helped the Mountaineers (4-4, 0-1 SoCon) to a seven-point lead early in the game. The junior scored 11 first-half points and reached double figures for the fourth-straight game as he led ASU with 18.

Abraham added a season-best 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting and led the Apps with four assists.

Appalachian's big men battled foul trouble down the stretch and were unable to find a rhythm in the game, as Isaac Butts fouled out after just 12 minutes of play. Fellow starting post Andre Williamson also collected five fouls as the duo combined for four points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Josh Hunter came off the bench to help down low and scored seven points and grabbed a team-high 10 boards. Appalachian owned the glass in the contest, pulling in a 38-29 advantage.

Donald Sims added 17 points with three treys while Kellen Brand returned to form with 14 points, three rebounds and a pair of assists.

The Mountaineers return to the road on Monday, as the squad faces Wofford at 7 p.m. in Spartanburg, S.C.