GREENSBORO, N.C. – Senior guard
Ashton Moore netted a game-high 28 points, including five points in the overtime session, as The Citadel snapped a 19-game road losing streak with an 85-83 overtime victory at the Greensboro Coliseum over UNCG. The victory moves the Dogs to 6-8 overall and 1-2 in Southern Conference play.
Moore was the catalyst in regulation after he overcame a knee injury early in the second half to score nine of the final 20 points to send the game into overtime. He opened the scoring binge with a free throw and following a 3-pointer off the hand of
Jake Wright, Moore drove past the UNCG (5-11, 1-2 SoCon) defense to put the Dogs in front 65-60 with 5:52 on the clock.
Marshall Harris III provided the next three points for the Bulldogs, who moved their lead to five in regulation.
The combination of a Wright 3-pointer and a jumper by Moore kept The Citadel's cushion at six, 73-67, before a 10-4 Spartans run that included five points by Tevon Saddler drew the game at 77-all.
Moore opened the overtime session with a 3-pointer from the right corner, giving the Bulldogs a one-point lead that they would not relinquish. After a series of missed field goals by UNCG, Horgan converted a free throw to push the lead to 83-79 with 2:33 left.
Moore's two field goals inside the final 1:37 of the game were enough to complete The Citadel's first back-to-back victories over UNCG since the 2008-09 campaign.
Moore topped the 20-point mark for the sixth time this season as he hit 9-of-13 from the floor, 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and was a perfect 7-of-7 at the charity stripe. He becomes the seventh straight Citadel player to top the 20-point plateau against the Spartans since Mike Groselle netted 20 on Feb. 7, 2011.
Also reaching double figures for the Dogs were Horgan (18 points), Harris (12) and Wright (12). Horgan topped double digits after hitting 6-of-11 from the field and 6-of-9 at the free throw line. He also pulled down five rebounds.
Harris added firepower in the backcourt as he came off the bench to finish 6-of-7 from the line and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. Wright was also a key reserve as he came through with four field goals, all from 3-point range, and three boards.
The Citadel held a 31-28 advantage on the glass behind the efforts of
Quinton Marshall, who grabbed a team-high six.
The Dogs closed out the game hitting 26-of-49 (53.1%) from the field, combining to hit 16-of-28 (57.1%) between the second half and overtime. The Citadel posted their second 10 3-point performance of the season as they finished 10-of-18 (55.6%) on the evening.
Saddler led four Spartans in double figures as he finished with 23 points and four rebounds. He managed to finish 10-of-19 from the floor and hit 3-of-4 from the free throw line.
Joining Saddler in double figures was R.J. White (17 points), Kayel Locke (13) and Nicholas Paulos (12). White, who finished 6-of-10 from the floor, was also instrumental on the glass with nine rebounds.
Locke reached double figures primarily due to hitting 7-of-10 at the free throw line, while Paulos proved to be the 3-point threat as he hit 4-of-7 from downtown.
The Bulldogs, who missed their first four field goal attempts of the game, closed out the opening frame by hitting 10-of-21 (47.6%) from the floor and 5-of-8 (62.5%) from beyond the arc. The Citadel also controlled the glass, pulling down 17 rebounds, led by Moore's five.
UNCG streaked out to an early 8-2 lead inside the first three minutes of the contest, but a 3-pointer by Moore followed by a Horgan dunk sparked an 11-5 run that put the Dogs in front by one.
Solid defense by the Cadets coupled with a 3-pointer and three made free throws by Harris extended the lead to 25-15 with 8:33 remaining.
After a 3-pointer by Wright and layups by White and Horgan pushed The Citadel lead to 27-15, UNCG answered with a 7-0 run to pull within five on a pair of White free throws.
The Bulldogs closed out the half with a 3-pointer by Wright and free throws by Moore to hold a seven-point lead.
The Citadel returns to McAlister Field House on Thursday, Jan. 8 when it takes on Samford at 7 p.m. 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.