Jan. 29, 2002

Greenville, SC - The Citadel basketball team repeated itself Monday night, playing much the same game at Furman that it did Saturday at home against Appalachian State.

The formula - a lousy first half, a stirring but ill-fated comeback, a third straight loss - must change, and soon, if the Bulldogs are to stay in the race in the Southern Conference's South Division.

Furman built an 18-point lead in the first half, then held off the Bulldogs for an 83-75 victory before 1,506 fans at Timmons Arena.

Savvy Paladins point guard Guilherme Da Luz, who had 24 points and 11 assists, took the game in hand after the Bulldogs cut a 21-point deficit to four with 7:10 left. Da Luz assisted on three of the Paladins' next five baskets and scored one himself to boost the lead back to 11, and the Dogs never got closer than six.

The only solace for the 13-7 Bulldogs - everybody else lost, too. With College of Charleston and Georgia Southern also losing Monday night, no team in the SoCon South can be ruled out of the division race. The Citadel, Charleston, Georgia Southern and Chattanooga are all tied for first place with 5-4 league records. Furman (11-9, 4-5) is just a game back and even Wofford (9-11, 3-5) remains in contention.

"It's crazy," said Citadel coach Pat Dennis. "I guarantee you any of those teams tied for first will take nine wins right now, because nine wins is going to win this side of the conference, I've got a feeling."

Dennis tried to shake the Bulldogs out of their doldrums by inserting junior Clyde Wormley into the starting lineup for the first time this season, and Wormley scored 10 points to support Travis Cantrell's 19.

But the Bulldogs' problems in halfcourt offense and defense - and their success with second-half presses against App State and Furman - have Dennis pondering an even bigger change in philosophy. Last year, the Bulldogs endured a five-game losing skid before settling on a grinding halfcourt style and finishing 16-12 with six wins in their last eight games.

This year, the Dogs might have to turn it up to turn it around.

"We lost five in a row last year and didn't panic," Dennis said. "We've got to relax and find what is going to work best for us. And if we do go a little more up-tempo, running and pressing, it frees up our shooters and our post players, and it gives us a little more intensity on defense."

That style helped the Bulldogs shoot 51.7 percent and outscore Furman by 10 in the second half. But it would help to avoid falling behind by 18 points, as The Citadel did Monday, or by 15 as the Dogs did against App State.

Furman rang up 44 points - same as Applachian State - while shooting 59.1 percent in the first half.

"That can make you look like you are playing bad even if you are not," Cantrell said.

With what sounded like the Greenville Bulldog Club cheering them on, the Dogs put together a 22-5 run to slash Furman's lead to 60-56 with 7:10 left.

But Da Luz, a 22-year-old Mozart fan - "a pro player from Brazil," Dennis called him -dished for three layups and hit one himself to make it 71-60.

"He did what great point guards are supposed to do," Furman coach Larry Davis said.

"He steadied the team, got his players in position and got them the ball."

Now the Bulldogs must steady themselves before going to Chattanooga Saturday.

"We can't lose five in a row again," Cantrell said.

"There are not enough games left to lose a couple more and then make a run. We've to make a run right now."