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CHARLESTON, S.C. –The Citadel men's basketball team embarks on a three-game road swing this Thursday when they travel to Western Carolina.
 
The Bulldogs struggled last Saturday at home against Samford, shooting just 39.5 percent from the floor compared to Samford's 63.5 percent. Preston Parks made his presence felt in his first game back since Jan. 2, scoring 19 points and handing out five assists. Ezekiel Balogun also had a strong outing, scoring 12 straight points for the Bulldogs and finishing five-of-seven from the floor.
 
Western Carolina comes into Thursday's game winless in Southern Conference action and 5-13 overall. The Catamounts are 3-4 at home this season and averaging 58.9 points per game.
 
UNCG is currently tied for first in the SoCon at 5-1 and boasts an 8-3 record at home. The Spartans took the first matchup between the two schools 95-87 on Dec. 28, 2016. Parks dropped a career-high 32 points in the contest and was joined in double figures by Zane Najdawi, Warren Sledge, Kaleon Harris and Quayson Williams.
 
Tip off for Thursday's game is set for 7 p.m. with Saturday's game against UNCG set to begin at 5 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN3 with live stats available at CitadelSports.com.
 
FAST FACTS
• Last season the Bulldogs' bench scored 1,196 points using Coach Baucom's line change system. This year, the 'Dogs are well on their way to surpassing that mark as they have already tallied 882 bench points. The largest contribution so far this season came in a 116-112 win at Stetson when the Bulldogs' reserves poured in 72 points.
• The Bulldogs own seven of the 11 highest-scoring performances in the SoCon this season.
• The Citadel's high-powered offense ranks first in seven different categories among Southern Conference members including scoring offense (95.7), rebounding offense (39.4), steals (10.1), assists (17.8), offensive rebounds (14.9), turnover margin (+4.10) and three-point field goals made (12.3).
• The Citadel scored 56 points in the second half of the game against Samford, marking the 16th time this season the squad has posted at least 50 points in a half. The Citadel has also scored at least 100 points in a game eight times this season, something Coach Baucom's squad did just twice last year.
• The Bulldogs recorded 12 steals against Samford on Jan. 14, marking the seventh time this season The Citadel has tallied double-digit steals in a game. The 'Dogs are second in the NCAA with 202 total steals this year.
• With 19 points against Samford, Preston Parks now ranks 12th in points scored by a Bulldog in their freshman season and is currently fifth among freshmen with 73 assists.
• Zane Najdawi is currently tied for first in the SoCon in offensive rebounds, third in total rebounds and sixth in scoring. He is also tied for fourth in the NCAA for most free throws made in a single game after sinking 16 against Colgate on Dec. 2.
 
For more information on The Citadel basketball, follow @CitadelHoops or visit CitadelSports.com.