Nov. 19, 2005

RALEIGH, NC - The Citadel began its basketball season with its top two players, senior point guard Kevin Hammack and sophomore forward Warren McLendon, on the bench Friday night against Delaware.

The results were not pretty, as Delaware ran to a 23-point lead in the first half and cruised to a 77-57 victory in the Hispanic College Fund Classic at North Carolina State's RBC Center.

Hammack is out until at least Christmas with a stress fracture in his left foot, and is likely to miss the first 11 games. McLendon, a preseason all-Southern Conference pick, started the game on the bench, picked up three fouls in eight first-half minutes and was not a factor.

Delaware guards Zaire Taylor and Rulon Washington combined to hit 14 of 17 shots, Taylor scoring 22 points and Washington adding 16.

Citadel guards Donny McLendon, Dante Terry and Vytautas Valiulis, meanwhile, shot a combined 3 of 27 as the Bulldogs hit just 20 of 73 shots (27.4 percent).

"We just never got into synch or into any kind of flow," said coach Pat Dennis, whose team takes on N.C. State, a 91-61 winner over Stetson, at 6 p.m. today. "We had very poor point guard play. Their guards took it to us hard, and we just kind of wilted. It was like we were in a fog."

McLendon, who averaged 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds last season, did not score his first basket until 15:42 of the second half, and by then the Bulldogs trailed by 46-19. He finished with eight points and five rebounds in 16 minutes.

"Warren just has to buy into what we are doing," Dennis said. "When he does, he can be a very good player."

Demetrius Nelson came off the bench to lead The Citadel with 15 points and eight rebounds. Reserve Mark Schiavoni made three 3-pointers and scored 11 points for the Bulldogs, who committed 20 turnovers and were out-rebounded, 54-38.

Delaware's quick guards harassed the Bulldogs into six turnovers during an 18-2 run that broke the game open in the first half. The Citadel went almost six minutes without a point as the Blue Hens raced to a 20-5 lead less than 10 minutes into the game.

The Citadel made only 5 of 34 shots (14.7 percent) in the first half, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range, and trailed by 38-16 at the break. The closest the Bulldogs could get in the second half was 19 points late in the game.

--After facing N.C. State today, the Bulldogs finish off the tournament against Stetson at noon Sunday.

--As in other exempt tournaments this season, the Hispanic College Fund Classic is being played with some experimental rule changes, including a 3-point line about a foot farther out than the normal 19 feet, nine inches; a wider lane; and a charge circle under the basket.