CHARLESTON, S.C. – In a scrappy Southern Conference battle at McAlister Field House on Thursday, The Citadel (7-10, 0-4) fell to defending conference champion Wofford (7-10, 4-1), 86-83. The Bulldogs trailed by three with 8.3 seconds left and had a chance to tie, but a last-second shot was off the mark and the Terriers escaped with a slim victory. Senior Derrick Henry notched a game-high 20 points, scoring 18 in the second-half to fuel a comeback. Quinton Marshall tossed in 19 points and shot 6-of-7 from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. 

The Citadel shredded the nets and put up 54 points in a high-octane second half, marking the 10th time this season that the Bulldogs have piled up 50 or more points in a half this season. Head coach Duggar Baucom's team erased a 14-point deficit and outscored Wofford 25-14 over the game's final 6:40, but the furious run came up short in the final moments. 

The first half featured a defensive grind as Wofford built a methodical 25-17 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the frame. After a baseline drive and bucket by Henry, Marshall drained a corner trey to cut the Bulldogs' deficit to three. The duo combined for 47 percent of The Citadel's points on Thursday night as Henry recorded his sixth 20-point performance of the season. The Terriers regained a nine-point advantage when senior Spencer Collins hit one of his three three-pointers, but Bulldog sophomore Tim Broom raced down the court and banked in a buzzer-beating trey to make the score 35-29 at the break.

Wofford slowly stretched its lead throughout the second half. With The Citadel facing a 72-58 hole, the Bulldogs climbed back into the game by quickening the pace. The Citadel paired hectic full court defensive pressure with aggressive drives on the offensive end to swing the momentum. The Bulldogs forced Wofford into 19 total turnovers on Thursday night, which matched the Terriers' season-high. 

Meanwhile, Henry and senior point guard P.J. Boutte continued to attack the basket and earned trips to the line down the stretch. The duo was 7-of-8 from the charity stripe in the final five minutes. Boutte finished with nine points and eight assists and has now dished at least eight dimes in a game seven times during the 2015-16 campaign. With his team trailing 82-74, Marshall followed the lead of his fellow seniors. He drove hard to the tin, absorbed a foul and converted a three-point play to slice Wofford's lead to five.

After the two teams traded baskets, Henry finished an old-fashioned three-point of his play of his own to pull The Citadel within three with 38 seconds left. Baucom and company decided to play for a defensive stop and his squad delivered, forcing a Wofford shot clock violation. The turnover set up one final chance for The Citadel to complete its comeback and get to overtime, but Boutte's last-second attempt didn't fall and the Terriers improved to 4-1 in conference play.

The Bulldogs have a quick turnaround as they play in-state foe Furman at McAlister Field House on Saturday. Tip off is set for 1 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN3 and Sports Radio 1450 AM. For more information on The Citadel basketball follow @CitadelHoops and stay tuned to CitadelSports.com.