Game Notes | Live Stats | Video | Audio

CHARLESTON, S.C. –The Citadel men's basketball team concludes a three-game road swing on Saturday when they face Mercer in Macon, Georgia.
 
The Bulldogs will be well rested heading into the contest following a week-long break from action, having last played on Jan. 21 at UNCG. The SoCon-leading Spartans earned the 81-72 win despite 26 points from Preston Parks. Zane Najdawi also had a strong outing, scoring 16 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the loss.
 
Mercer is currently 9-12 this season with a 5-4 record on its home court. The Bears are seventh in the SoCon standings, one spot ahead of The Citadel, with wins over VMI, Samford and Western Carolina.
 
Tip off for Saturday's game inside Hawkins Arena is set for 4:30 p.m. The game 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 918 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.
• Zane Najdawi's 15 rebounds at Western Carolina on Jan. 19 marked the first time a Bulldog tallied 15 rebounds in a game since Mike Groselle did so in 2012. The sophomore also recorded his sixth double-double of the season and of his career in the contest, putting him one shy of 15th on the program's career list.
• Led by Preston Parks' 16.9 points per game and Zane Najdawi's 16.1 PPG, The Citadel is the only SoCon team with multiple scorers ranked in the top-10 in the conference.
• The Citadel is 5-0 this season when shooting at least 40 percent from beyond the arc. The 'Dogs have hit at least 10 three-pointers in 17 of the 22 games this season and have eight games with at least 15 treys made.
• 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 (94.5), rebounding offense (38.6), steals (9.9), assists (17.5), offensive rebounds (14.6), turnover margin (+3.73) and three-point field goals made (12.3).
• The Citadel is ranked first in Division I in scoring for the 10th straight week. The Bulldogs have been the NCAA's highest-scoring team every day since Nov. 25, 2016.
• Preston Parks currently ranks seventh on The Citadel's list of points scored by a freshman. Parks has 321 points on the season and is 13 points behind Matt Van Scyoc. He is also fourth among freshmen with 76 assists.
• Parks has been explosive for the Bulldogs this season and led The Citadel in scoring for four consecutive games beginning with a 20-point effort at Virginia Tech. The Greenville, South Carolina, native has recorded 14 games in double figures, including 11 straight, and nine games with at least 20 points.
• Zane Najdawi is currently tied for first in the SoCon in offensive rebounds, second in rebounds and seventh in scoring. He is also tied for sixth in the NCAA for most free throws made in a single game after sinking 16 against Colgate on Dec. 2. His 121 free throws attempted are tied for 12th most in program history in a single season.
 
For more information on The Citadel basketball, follow @CitadelHoops or visit CitadelSports.com.