JOHNSON CITY, TENN. – The duo of Rashawn Rembert and Jalen Riley scored 18 points each and led four East Tennessee State in double figures as the Buccaneers completed a 70-59 victory over The Citadel in Thursday night Southern Conference basketball action at Freedom Hall.
 
Rembert closed out the game hitting 5-of-13 from the floor, draining four from beyond the arc, while Riley was 6-of-15 and added three from 3-point range. They were joined in double figures by Lester Wilson (11) and Devin Harris (10) as East Tennessee State improved to 12-6 overall and 6-3 in league action.
 
The Citadel countered with the scoring threat of Ashton Moore (19 points) and Jake Wright (18). Wright was the facilitator for the Bulldog offense as he tied his season-high in 3-pointers (six), finishing three shy of his single-game season-high in points. The Bulldogs slipped to 8-11 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
 
The Bulldogs looked to carry over their first half momentum into the second half as they opened with a series of layups by Moore and Quinton Marshall to trim the deficit to 39-35 in less than two minutes.
 
ETSU pieced together a 12-6 run during a 5:05 stretch, capitalizing on eight points by Riley, to distance themselves by 10 over the Dogs.
 
Wright answered with a 3-pointer for the Bulldogs and following a layup by Horgan the two teams were separated by five.
 
Four points by Wilson provided the Bucs with a 55-46 cushion that remained in place until just under seven minutes remaining. It was there that The Citadel's C.J. Bray drove home four straight free throws to pull the Dogs within striking distance.
 
Four ETSU scorers, including Riley and Wilson, managed to hold off The Citadel charge as the two teams were separated by a 63-55 margin with 3:18 left.
 
A late 3-pointer off the hand of Rembert coupled with the Bucs defense allowing just four points down the stretch allowed ETSU to complete its 38^th all-time victory over the Cadets.
 
East Tennessee State finished 24-of-50 (48%) on the contest, knocking down 9-of-27 (33.3%) from 3-point range. The Bucs also had a 30-29 edge in rebounds led by an eight-rebound outing from Isaac Banks.
 
The Citadel overcame a difficult first half shooting stretch to finish 17-of-44 (38.6%) from the floor, including nine from long distance. The Bulldog inside presence of P.J. Horgan (nine points) and Brian White (seven), who combined for 14 rebounds, created a 17-12 edge in second chance points.
 
The Citadel countered a 7:07 scoring drought, which allowed East Tennessee State to build a 32-9 advantage, with a 21-7 run to close out the half that included four 3-pointers off the hand of Wright.
 
White began the run with three-point play that included a layup and free throw, following a foul by Isaac Banks.
 
Wright's first 3-pointer of the game was quickly answered by Rembert, but The Citadel clamped down on defense and put together a 15-0 run over the next 3:13 of the frame to make for a 37-30 Buccaneer lead.
 
During the scoring spurt The Citadel took advantage of three Wright 3-pointers to trim the lead to single digits. ETSU answered with the final two points of the half to take a nine-point advantage into the locker room.
 
The game can be seen live on the Southern Conference Digital Network and can be heard on Fox Radio Sports 1450 with play-by-play announcer Mike Legg making the call for the Bulldogs.
 
The Citadel returns home on Feb. 5 to take on Mercer and quickly follows with a meeting against UNCG two days later. In that homestand Bulldog fans are encouraged to participate by donating non-perishable items at the games as part of the SoCon Hoops Against Hunger initiative.
 
Hoops Against Hunger, in partnership with the Brad Daugherty Foundation, brings together the basketball community along with public, private, and sports organizations as well as local and national sponsors to help provide meals for students who may not have enough to eat at home during the extended holiday breaks from school.