CHARLESTON, S.C.- Zach Urbanus scored 23 points, hitting five 3-pointers, to lead four players in double figures as The Citadel basketball team emerged with a 76-47 exhibition victory over North Greenville at McAlister Field House. Urbanus was joined in scoring by senior teammates Austin Dahn (12), Matt Clark (12) and Cameron Wells (11) as the Bulldogs took to the court for the first time Head Coach Chuck Driesell's tenure.
The Bulldogs finished 30-of-60 (50%) from the floor and managed 9-of-20 shooting from 3-point range, highlighted by five from Urbanus and a pair from Dahn beyond the arc. The combination of Clark (seven rebounds), Wells (five rebounds) and Bryan Streeter (five rebounds) accounted for the bulk of the Cadets 38 boards. The backcourt duo of Wells and Urbanus tallied nine and five assists respectively to give The Citadel a 19-6 advantage over the Crusaders.
Paul Harrison anchored North Greenville's attack with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Harrison was successful on 6-of-14 attempts from the floor, while teammates Johnathan Bozymowski (seven points), Drew Ridlen (six points) and Tyrell Platt (six points) rounded out the offensive attack. The Bulldogs limited NGU to 19-of-50 (38.0%) shooting from the field and 4-of-19 (21.1%) from the 3-point line.
Back-to-back buckets by Wells and Clark jumpstarted the Dogs offensively as they built a 65-40 lead due in large part to eight points from Urbanus by the 6:16 mark. Driesell got an offensive lift from freshmen Barry Smith and DeVontae Wright, who combined for the team's next nine points, as The Citadel lead reach 72-42. Cosmo Morabbi and John Reynolds combined for four points to account for the 76-47 final.
The Citadel took a 14-point lead into the break behind 13 points from Urbanus. Urbanus converted 5-of-8 field goals, hitting three from beyond the arc. Clark added seven points, while Wells dished out seven assists to go along with his six points. The Cadets hit 14-of-32 (43.8%) from the field and held a 9-3 edge in assists.
Clark scored seven points over the first 6:30 of the opening frame and Urbanus capped off the stretch with a 3-pointer to stretch the Bulldogs advantage to 17-2. The Crusaders retaliated with a 13-4 run over the next 5:25 of the contest, sparked by four points from Zack Shields and a trey by Ridlen, cutting The Citadel lead to 21-15. A pair of Dahn free throws gave the Dogs a seven point edge, before Urbanus drained a pair of 3-pointers to make for the 29-19 lead. The Bulldogs allowed just two points in the waning stages of the opening stanza, taking a 35-21 into the locker room courtesy of Urbanus' four points in the final minute of action.
Casey Bell paced North Greenville with six points, followed closely by Harrison's five and four each from Platt and Zack Shields.
The season will tip-off on Nov. 12 when The Citadel travels to Richmond, opening with a Spiders team that reached the 2010 NCAA Tournament before bowing out to Saint Mary's in the first round. The Citadel will host 14 games at McAlister Field House, including nine against Southern Conference competition, beginning with a pair of November games against James Madison (Nov. 20) and High Point (Nov. 23).
For more information on Bulldog Basketball, visit the official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.
