Box Score (PDF)

TEMPE, ARIZ. – The Citadel men's basketball team lost 127-110 to Arizona State in Wells Fargo Arena on Wednesday afternoon in the first game in program history to be played in the state of Arizona.  
 
Arizona State (4-2) hit a three to start the game but the Bulldogs (3-3) answered with four straight points to take a 4-3 lead thanks to field goals by Quayson Williams and Zane Najdawi. The Sun Devils followed with a six-point run until Kaelon Harris drove to basket and got fouled, making his first free throw to cut the ASU lead to 10-5. Matt Frierson followed with a three-pointer 20 seconds later and following a layup by Arizona State, Harris answered with a tough layup of his own to make it 12-10 with 15:25 remaining.
 
The Sun Devils followed with a nine-point run to push their lead to 11 but The Citadel fought back to pull within six thanks to a steal and layup by Preston Parks with 10:14 remaining. Following a four-point swing by ASU, the Bulldogs closed the gap to three points after going on a seven-point run that was capped by a ferocious dunk by Harris.
 
Arizona State responded to the 'Dogs run with a three-pointer but back-to-back layups by Harris and Najdawi pulled The Citadel within two. Following the layups, ASU reeled off seven straight to make it 37-28 with 5:26 remaining.
 
Najdawi made it a four-point game after scoring five in 30 seconds but the Sun Devils responded with a jumper to make push their lead to six. The sophomore scored 12 of his 16 first half points in the last five minutes.
 
The first half ended with a tip in by the Sun Devils to give them a 10-point lead. Harris finished the half with 10 points and four rebounds.
 
The Bulldogs opened the second half with a tip in by Brian White and then a three ball by Williams to cut the ASU lead in half. But Arizona State continued to keep The Citadel at bay, hitting clutch shots whenever the 'Dogs got close.
 
After back-to-back threes by Harris and then layups by Sledge and Johnson at the 14:03 mark, The Citadel had clawed back within four after making a 10-0 run in just 1:35.
 
The Citadel saw its chance at pulling ahead slip away with seven minutes remaining when the Sun Devils went on an 11-2 run to extend their lead to 95-78. Najdawi ended the run with a layup and then made two free throws with 5:49 remaining but the 'Dogs were unable to overcome the 11-point deficit and fell 127-110.
 
Harris led all scorers with a career-high 30 points, finishing 11-of-12 from the floor, four-of-five from behind the arc and one rebound short of a double-double. Najdawi matched his career best with 28 points and brought down six rebounds. Williams and Parks both finished with 13 points and White, in his first start this season, chipped in 12. The Citadel shot 50.0 percent from the floor and 81.3 percent from the charity stripe.
 
Following the seven-day road trip, the Bulldogs now return to McAlister Field House for a five-game homestand beginning with a non-conference matchup with Presbyterian on Nov. 28th at 7 p.m. The Citadel will then move to on to the Holy City Hoops Classic, featuring three games in as many days.
 
For more information on The Citadel basketball, follow @CitadelHoops or visit CitadelSports.com.