CHARLESTON, S.C. - Sophomore reserve Cosmo Morabbi connected on a career-high five 3-pointers and carried The Citadel to a 73-56 victory over Western Carolina at McAlister Field House on Thursday evening. Morabbi was one of four Bulldogs to reach double-digits in scoring, joined by Zach Urbanus (14 pts), Cameron Wells (13 pts) and Harrison DuPont (12 pts). DuPont grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, recording his first double-double. The win marks the fifth straight victory for the 'Dogs, in a streak that began on Feb. 4 against Samford, and third consecutive against Western Carolina.
Morabbi, who finished a perfect 5-for-5 from downtown, sparked a Citadel bench that tallied 23 points. He tied his previous career high, four, in games against Houston and Central Connecticut State earlier in the season. As for Wells, who finished a 5-for-14 outing against the Catamounts, he moves into fourth place on the all-time scoring list with 1,419 points. Urbanus leaves his mark on the Bulldogs record books, hitting two more 3-pointers to give him 223 in his career. The freshman DuPont started his 14th straight game and has now finished in double figures in five of those contests. The Citadel improves to 15-12 overall, 9-6 in the Southern Conference.
It marks the third straight contest that The Citadel has hit 25 or more field goals in their last three games behind a 25-of-51 (49%) outing. Five Bulldogs finished with at least one three pointer, leading to the 10-of-17 (58.8%) performance. A difference in six rebounds, 38-32, along with a 19-9 edge in points off turnovers also gave the 'Dogs a decisive advantage.
The Catamounts (19-9, 9-7) continue to struggle with their fourth loss in their last five games. Brigham Waginger led Western Carolina with 12 points, while Richie Gordon grabbed five rebounds in a foul plagued game. Leading scorer Brandon Giles was held scoreless and forced into four turnovers by the Bulldogs defense.
DuPont scored the 'Dogs first nine points to provide a 41-40 lead just 2:58 into the second half. After a 41-41 tie at the 15:52 mark, a 15-2 run highlighted by four 3-pointers, gave The Citadel a 56-43 advantage. It was there that Morabbi hit three straight from beyond the arc to provide the cushion.
Kendall Russell's layup with 3:38 remaining in the game was the last time that Western Carolina drew the game within single digits, narrowing the gap to 60-51. From there the Bulldogs managed a 13-5 run, including five free throws, before Austin Dahn hit a 3-pointer for the 73-56 final.
Behind the tandem of Gordon and Mike Williams, who each scored seven points, Western Carolina jumped out to a 25-14 lead with 7:15 in the first half. The Bulldogs answered, behind their staple defense, rallied with an 11-0 run over the next 4:02 to take a one-point lead.
Urbanus led the charge with five points while teammate Morabbi knocked down the go-ahead 3-pointer, 26-25, at the 3:12 mark. The Catamounts regained the lead on a Mike Williams trey, before Bo Holston knotted the game at 28-28 with 2:38 remaining. A pair of layups by Streeter and Wells closed out first half scoring for The Citadel, who trailed 33-32 at the intermission.
Wells led all scorers with nine points and DuPont anchored the Bulldogs post with six rebounds. The Citadel converted 12-of-25 (48%) field goals in the opening frame, knocking down 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. On the defensive end the 'Dogs limited the Catamounts to 35.5% shooting (11-31) in the first half. Western Carolina finished 5-of-13 (38.5%) from 3-point range, led by pair from Waginger.
The Bulldogs appear in their home finale on Saturday afternoon, when they meet UNC Greensboro at 1:05 p.m. at McAlister Field House. The "Blue Out" game will recognize seniors Joe Wolfinger and Zack Beach for their contributions to the Bulldog program. The game can also be seen by SportSouth (Comcast Channel 28). Fans can check out all the news about Bulldogs basketball and Citadel athletics at www.citadelsports.com.
