TAMPA, Fla. – With 43 seconds remaining, The Citadel men's basketball team trailed by just one point, 81-80. With all other options guarded closely, Connor Kern accepted a pass from Lew Stallworth and drove to his left to the baseline, making a heavily contested layup to give the Bulldogs an 82-81 lead. On the other end of the court, Kern dove on a loose ball with 22 seconds left and called timeout, securing the ball for the 'Dogs.

On the ensuing in-bound, Stallworth was fouled, sending the graduate transfer to the free throw line for a one-and-one. Stallworth made the front end and connected on the second, forcing South Florida to chuck up two 3-pointers on the other end to try and send the game to overtime. Both shots were off the mark, and the Bulldogs came away from the Yuengling Center with an 84-81 road win, improving to 4-2 for the first time since head coach Duggar Baucom and staff's first season, 2015-16.

Game Information
Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Fla.
Final Score: The Citadel 84, South Florida 81
Records: The Citadel 4-2, USF 4-2
Series: Series tied, 2-2

KEY STATS

• The Citadel jumped out to an 18-12 through the first nearly seven minutes with all 18 points coming off 3-pointers.
• In contrast, the Bulls missed their first eight attempts from 3-point range, and finished the first half shooting 16.7 percent (2-for-12) from beyond the arc.
• The Bulldogs led for 6:33 in the middle of the first half, with USF taking a 38-35 lead with five seconds remaining when David Collins converted a pair of free throws.
• USF shot 46.7 percent (14-of-30) from the field in the first half, while the Bulldogs hit on 38.7 percent (12-of-31) of their shots.
• The Bulldogs turned the ball over eight times in the first half, but forced the Bulls to turn the ball over nine times.
• With 17:49 to go in regulation, Zane Najdawi hit a 3-pointer to give The Citadel a 42-40 lead. From there, the lead changed hands 18 times.
• With 43 seconds remaining, Kern gave the 'Dogs the lead back for good.
• The Bulldogs shot 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field in the second half, including connecting on seven 3-pointers. In contrast, the Bulls shot 43.8 percent (14-of-32) from the field for the period.
• The Citadel shot 49.2 percent (30-of-61) from the field for the game, while South Florida shot 45.2 percent (28-of-62) for the game.
• South Florida went to the free throw line 23 times, converting 18 of those attempts (78.3 percent), while The Citadel went to the line just 10 times, making eight.

NOTABLES

• The 4-2 record through the first six games marks the best start since Baucom's first team in Charleston, the 2015-16 squad, went 4-2 with wins over Stetson, Mid-Atlantic Christian, Georgia Southern and Bob Jones.
• The win over South Florida was the first program win over the Bulls in Tampa. The last win in the series for The Citadel came back on Jan. 7, 1973 in Charleston.
• The 16 3-pointers made by the Bulldogs are tied for the seventh most in program history against an NCAA Division I opponent, and they are also tied for 15^th most overall in a single game. The Bulldogs converted 18 3-pointers earlier this season against Johnson (Nov. 14) and set a program record with 23 against Mid-Atlantic Christian (Nov. 12).
• With his 22 points, Stallworth has now scored at least 20 points in three straight games. In that stretch, he has averaged 23 points while shooting 60 percent (27-of-45) from the field.
• Sophomore Kaiden Rice matched Stallworth with a game-high 22 points, just two off his career high. Rice converted six 3-pointers, two off his career high set last season.
• Matt Frierson converted five 3-pointers, marking the 29^th time in his career that he has converted four or more treys. The game at USF also marked the 45^th straight game where the senior guard has converted at least one 3-pointer.
• Frierson has now converted 250 3-pointers in his career, moving him into third all-time, just five behind Travis Cantrell (1998-2002) in second and 40 behind Zach Urbanus (2007-11) in first.
• With his 15 points, Frierson has now scored 884 career points, including 529 since the beginning of his junior campaign.
• With his eight points Saturday afternoon, Najdawi has now scored 1,271 career points, moving up into 13^th in program history, and just two points out of 12^th for most career points scored.

QUOTABLES FROM COACH DUGGAR BAUCOM
"Neither team was really able to pull away, and when we got down, our guys never stopped believing. We were down four with around 2:20 to go, and Lew makes a basket, then Connor makes a basket. Lew then stepped up big and made the two biggest free throws of his college career, and I hugged him after the game and told him we brought him from Texas for a reason. I'm so proud of all the guys on the team because everyone contributed to this win."

COMING UP
The Citadel will play five of their final six games of 2018 at home, including the next four, beginning with a game against High Point on Tuesday, Nov. 27. The game with the Panthers, which is sponsored by Sticky Fingers and Pepsi, will feature Kids Eat Free Night for children 12 and under.

SEASON TICKETS AND MINI PLANS ON SALE
Season tickets, mini plans and single game tickets are currently on sale for the 2018-19 Citadel men's basketball home games. The entire season, featuring 15 games inside McAlister Field House, can be purchased for $150, or $340 for courtside. Fans can also purchase mini plans and choose six home games to attend for $72. Single game tickets are $15.

Faculty and staff of The Citadel, as well as recent Citadel graduates (2013-18), are entitled to discounted season tickets. Fans can also join The Citadel Basketball Association (CBA) to receive discounts and additional perks while supporting the program.

The Citadel will offer discounted tickets to active military and first responders at all home ticketed events this season. All active military and first responders, with a valid ID, have the opportunity to purchase up to four tickets at general admissions prices. Basketball tickets can be purchased for just $8.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the ticket office located inside McAlister Field House or by calling (843) 953-DOGS (3647). Fans can also get more information online at this link: CLICK HERE. Hours for the ticket office are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information on The Citadel basketball team, please visit CitadelSports.com and follow @CitadelHoops and @CitadelSports on Twitter and Instagram.